Image: Swiftcurrent Lake, Many Glacier Area, Glacier National Park, USA.
Highlights
– How to spend six days in Glacier National Park, Montana.
Time of Visit: July 2026
Duration of Visit: Six Nights
Description
Glacier National Park spans over 1 million acres of Montana’s rugged Rocky Mountains. Established in 1910, this UNESCO World Heritage Site attracts many nature enthusiasts and hikers every year. Even though most of the glaciers have been reduced to sheets of ice, it continues to be a popular destination. Its animals, pristine lakes, majestic mountains, alpine environment, deep valleys, over 700 miles of trails, waterfalls and overall beauty has attracted over 3 million visitors in 2025.
The park is famous for its iconic 50-mile Going to the Sun Road. This road connects West Glacier (the west entrance) to St. Mary (the east entrance). This narrow winding road carved on the mountainside is a feat of engineering that takes visitors across the Continental Divide at Logan Pass. From Logan Pass, visitors have the opportunity to gaze at the alpine scenery and the deep valleys below, hit the trails or observe mountain goats and bighorn sheep that frequent the area.
The Going to the Sun Road and the stops along the way may feel congested at times. The Many Glacier Area feels more remote and less crowded despite being about a 30 minutes drive from the St. Mary entrance. This section of the park is home to the beautiful Many Glacier Hotel that offers a panoramic view of the Switfcurrent Lake framed by jaw dropping mountain peaks. It is a sight not to be missed especially early in the morning when the lake’s surface is like glass and perfectly mirrors the astounding scenery.
If your senses still crave for natural beauty, Waterton Lakes National Park is less than a 1.5 hour drive from the Many Glacier entrance. Together, the two national parks are called the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Waterton has the Prince of Wales Hotel which also provides jaw dropping scenery just like Many Glacier Hotel. Plus Waterton has a small community that is fun and relaxing to explore.
For us, Glacier National Park is a bucket list destination. This park checks all the list whether you are looking for a relaxing scenic drive or a challenging backcountry wilderness expedition and anything in between. We can almost guarantee that you would start thinking about planning your return visit once you have experienced Glacier National Park.
Activities
Here we describe our daily activities to give you ideas on how to plan your trip to Glacier National Park. Our first three nights were spent at the Switfcurrent Motor Inn in the Many Glacier Area. For nights four to six, we spent it at the Rising Sun Motor Inn, about 10 minutes from the St. Mary entrance.
Day 1. Getting to the Park.
We flew into Bozeman (code BZN), Montana and arrived around noon. After picking up the rental car, we went into town to grab lunch and get provisions to bring to the park, including our dinner and the all important bear spray at Costco.
The drive to Swiftcurrent Motor Inn took almost six hours. Along the way, we stopped at a small town named Choteau to enjoy delicious huckleberry ice cream (cash only). The local ice cream shop is by the Visitors Center less than a mile north of the downtown area.
We ate our dinner we bought at Costco on the road. We checked in the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn around 9PM just after sunset. We also saw our first bear about five miles past the Many Glacier Park entrance.
Day 2. Hiking Ptarmigan Falls and Grinnell Lake.
There is no Visitor Center at the Many Glacier Area. But there is trail information posted at the Swiftcurrent Motor inn and at the Many Glacier Hotel. There is also a ranger station between the inn and the hotel. A lot of the popular trails were closed due to the heavy rains the week before and heightened bear activities.
In the morning, we set out to hike to Iceberg Lake. The bridge at Ptarmigan Falls was closed because of damage from the heavy rains. This prevented us from going any further. So we just settled for the falls and stream upstream of the falls and turned back.
We then stopped at the Many Glacier Hotel to admire the scenery as well as the hotel’s interior architecture. The hotel’s lobby was a great place to relax while admiring the exposed timber columns and western atmosphere. The hotel’s balcony chairs were also a nice place to enjoy the views of the mountains and Swiftcurrent Lake.
With legs now rested, we continued with our hiking conquest by going to the Upper Grinnell Lake. Unfortunately , the trail to the lake was also closed because of heavy bear activity. So we were forced to hike to Grinnell Lake instead, which is the lake below Upper Grinnell Lake. The hike was mainly shaded and through the forest. Occasionally, there were side trails that would lead to nice look out points at Swiftcurrent and Josephine lakes.
It was almost 7PM by the time we finished the hike. Dinner at Swiftcurrent Motel was not the greatest but it’s the only place to eat in the Many Glacier Section besides the expensive restaurant at the hotel.
Day 3. Day Trip To Waterton Lakes National Park
Because we could not hike to Iceberg Lake and Grinnell Glacier Lake and Cracker Lake was too far for us, we decided to cross the border and visit Waterton Lakes National Park. It was Sunday too and we could attend mass service.
The border agent had a few simple questions before letting us proceed into Canada. Our first stop was the Prince of Wales Hotel. We arrived early enough (around 10AM) that anybody was allowed to sit in the lobby area. Later, the lobby was closed and was only accessible to hotel guests.
We attended Sunday service at the small Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church which started at 12:30 PM. Then we enjoyed lunch. The Chicago style hotdog at Wiener’s was worth falling in line for.
After lunch, we just relaxed by the banks of Waterton Lake with the wind in our faces. Soon it was time to see Cameron Lake, Red Rock Canyon and Blakiston Falls. These places were recommended by the park ranger at the visitor center located within the community for Waterton. Along the way to Cameron Lake, we saw several trailheads and two black bears. One had a brown coat while the other was completely black. Cameron Lake was scenic but popular with visitors. Its calm water was perfect for canoeing.
Then we headed to the Red Rock Canyon area. The canyon itself was crawling with people but we were intent on seeing Blakiston Falls. The hike to the waterfall viewpoints was easy and short (around 1 km or 0.6 mi one way).
After crossing back to the USA, we headed to Two Sister’s Cafe for dinner. We spotted our third black bear for the day (fourth overall) just before the Many Glacier park entrance and another one on the drive to Switfcurrent Motor Inn.
Day 4. Apikuni Falls and Hidden Lake
Today, we moved to the cabins at Rising Sun Motor Inn near the St Mary entrance. But before we left, we took early morning photos around Swiftcurrent Lake and hiked to Apikuni Falls. The lake’s surface was like glass and reflected the mountains gloriously.
The hike to the waterfall was short but steep. However it was so worth the effort. There was a nice valley viewpoint and the waterfall was particularly strong.
Upon entering the park at St Mary’s, we immediately felt the change compared to Many Glacier Area. There were a lot more people around and traffic. After checking at the Rising Sun Motor Inn, we headed to Logan Pass to partially hike the Highline Trail. But the trail was closed due to snow so we hiked to Hidden Lake.
Hidden Lake is one of the busiest trails in the park. Even though most of the trail and boardwalk were covered with snow, it was still busy. What made it worth the effort was seeing a herd of bighorn sheep, a couple of mountain goats, the view of the lake itself and the chance to go sliding on the snowpack which was a lot of fun.
Day 5. St Mary, Virginia and Baring Falls Hike
We left around 8:30 AM and headed to the St. Mary’s Falls trailhead. The trailhead parking lot was already full but we were able to find roadside parking about a couple of hundred meters east of it.
The trail to St. Mary Falls is all exposed due to the Reynolds Creek Fire in 2015 so it is best to start early. However, the hike to Virginia Falls was through the forest. Virginia Falls was delightful as you can almost stand at its base. You will definitely get wet and cold near the base.
Being done with the hike before noon, we decided to drive the Going to the Sun Road to West Glacier and continued on to Kalispell to get a break from traditional American food. It also gave us a chance to enjoy huckleberry ice cream.
On the way back to our cabin, we stopped at Apgar Village and McDonald Lake Lodge. Apgar Village was particularly busy with a lot of people. People were enjoying the lake’s clear and calm water at Apgar Village. We wished we brought our swimsuits with us and had more time so we could swim in the crystal clear lake.
Day 6. Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake
We left our cabin at 6:30 AM expecting to take a mirror effect photo of St. Mary Lake at the Wild Goose Island viewpoint. However, the wind was blowing so the lake’s surface was rippled. Disappointed, we continued on to the Trail of the Cedars parking lot. We were lucky to have taken one of the last few parking spots.
The Trail of the Cedars is a looped trail. The better section is the east leg which is mostly boardwalk. The Trail of the Cedars would meet up with the trail to Avalanche Lake. It was through the forest all the way to the lake and not particularly difficult despite the elevation gain. Avalanche Lake was very still and had a mirror-like surface. It would have been perfect if we had the place all to ourselves. But unfortunately not. It’s another busy trail just like Hidden Lake.
We were back at the trailhead around noon and decided to go to the Huckleberry Patch restaurant at Hungry Horse, west of the West Glacier park entrance. Now, if you want good food and big serving at a reasonable price, the Huckleberry Patch is the place to go. Plus they have free WiFi.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing at the banks of the McDonald River. I tried my luck fishing but came out empty handed.
Tips
Here are some attractions worth stopping for during our drive back to Bozeman from Glacier National Park.
The Helena Cathedral is nice Gothic church. Its stained glass windows, marble columns and ornate decorations that remind us of churches in Europe.
The Great Northern Carousel is also found in Helena at the Great Northern Town Center. Their Huckleberry ice cream had real berries. Plus there are a number of good restaurants in the town center.
The college town of Bozeman closes its Main Street every Thursday evening during the summer. A band was playing and there were many street food vendors. It’s a nice way to walk off your dinner from one of the many restaurants in the area.
How To Get There
The closest airport is Kalispell (code FCA). However, Kalispell has limited flights and is typically served by budget airlines that have one flight a day two or three times a week.
We opted to fly into Bozeman (code BZN) and drive five hours to the park. Bozeman is served by larger airline companies such as American, Delta and United.
There are other cities in Montana like Billings, Helena and Missoula that have airports. However, we were not able to find reasonable airfares to and from those cities. In the past, we have flown into Spokane (code GEG) in Washington.
Where To Stay
The park is huge so staying inside has its advantages. Because the park is huge, it is better to break-up the stay at two or three locations. One location is for access to the Many Glacier Area, another for the St. Mary Area and the last for the McDonalds Lake Area. If you decide to just limit your stay to one or two locations, keep in mind that it takes about 1.5 hours to drive the Going To The Sun Road between West Glacier and Logan Pass and another 30 minutes from Logan Pass to the St. Mary entrance.
Staying within the park results in the least driving time. However, park lodging is expensive and the amenities are basic.
Many Glacier Area
There are only two choices – Many Glacier Hotel or Switfcurrent Motor Inn motels and cabins. In the Many Glacier Area, staying in the Many Glacier Hotel would be better than staying in the Switfcurrent Motor Inn because of the great scenery. If you prefer the motel, Motor Inn Rooms are much larger than Pinetop Motel Rooms but it is a little more expensive. The Pinetop Motel Rooms access is from an interior hallway while the Motor Inn Rooms have an outside door access with benches for outdoor seating.
St. Mary
If you prefer not to move and stay at one location while prioritizing scenery and less crowd over everything else, then the limited accommodations available at St. Mary would be your best bet. This area gives good access to most scenic parts of the park (Many Glacier Area and east of Logan Pass) as well as Waterton. There are limited restaurant choices but the Two Dogs Flats Restaurant at the Rising Sun Motor Inn serves decent meals at reasonable prices. It is most likely the best eatery in the area.
West Glacier
If you prefer convenience, have lots of options for food, willing to drive more and be surrounded by people, then staying near West Glacier would be your place. If you stay outside of the park, just be aware wait times can be long to enter the park. We have seen the line stretch all the way to the Middle Fork of the Flathead river especially between 10AM and 2 PM.
Park Lodging Reservation
The park lodging reservation opens up one year in advance at 00:00 (midnight) Mountain Time. Booking operates on a 13-month window. For example, I can book an accommodation within the entire month of August the following year if I get on the website on midnight August 1st this year.
How To Get Around
Own Vehicle
Having your own vehicle to get around is a must. The only disadvantage is finding parking spaces at popular areas like Logan Pass and the Trail of the Cedars trail head. Rangers enforce a three hour time limit at Logan Pass. There is a kiosk at the parking area that prints a ticket that shows the expiration time after you enter your license plate. The ticket must be visibly displayed within the vehicle. Some people work around this restriction by getting tickets every three hours which limits you to short hikes at Logan Pass.
Red Buses
There are red buses called jammers that operate within the park. These are tour buses that cater to people who do not wish to drive within the park. However, the destinations are limited and it is not a hop on hop off type of bus – meaning you stick with just one bus.
Park Shuttle
The park has shuttle buses. There are two routes, one originating from Apgar Visitor Center and the other originating from St. Mary Visitor Center. Both buses go to Logan Pass Visitor Center. There are limited stops along the way and typically leaves every hour. Getting a seat on the park shuttle bus requires a reservation which typically opens at 7PM the day before.
Expected Expenses
If you do not use the red buses, the only cost you will incur are the park entry fees. For Glacier, it’s $35 for seven consecutive days of access. If you are a non-U.S. resident, Glacier National Park is one of 11 national parks that imposes a $100 per person surcharge on top of the $35 entry fee. This is imposed for visitors 16 years and older.
If you are a non-U.S. resident traveling with multiple people or visiting more than one park, it would be more economical for a group of three or four to purchase the Non-Resident America the Beautiful Pass for $250. It is valid for one year for a group of up to four people in one vehicle.
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Summary
People flock to Glacier National Park for its rugged mountain peaks, deep U-shaped valleys, pristine lakes, scenic hiking trails and waterfalls. Plus it is almost guaranteed that you will see bears, bighorn sheep, deer, marmot and mountain goats. It is a bucket-list destination for nature lovers.
The centerpiece of the park’s tourist appeal is the Going-to-the-Sun Road. It is an engineering marvel and one of the most scenic drives in North America. Spanning 50 miles across the park’s interior, the Going-to-the Sun Road bisects the Continental Divide at Logan Pass. Along the way the scenery changes from lowland forest to breathtaking views of deep valleys below majestic mountains as well as alpine meadows and cascading waterfalls directly from the vehicle. This accessibility allows visitors of all mobility levels to experience the high-altitude wilderness, while also serving as the gateway to over 700 miles of world-class hiking trails, ranging from casual lakeside strolls to challenging backcountry treks.
The Many Glacier Area offers another level of scenic beauty. The Many Glacier Hotel offers the best panoramic view of the Switfcurrent Lake framed by majestic mountain peaks. Its surface is like a mirror in the early morning and beautifully reflects it surrounding forest and mountains.
Glacier’s sister park – Waterton Lakes National Park can be done as an easy day trip from St. Mary. Though you need to bring your passport to cross international borders, it is still worth the drive because of its unique beauty and outdoor opportunities.
Whether you visit Glacier National Park for a couple of days or a couple of weeks, we are certain that you will be thrilled with what you would experience such that you may find yourself coming back for more.