The Ultimate Guide to Glacier & Waterton Lakes National Parks
Glacier National Park and its Canadian neighbor, Waterton Lakes National Park, provide some of the best hiking of all of the national parks. With gorgeous lakes, mountains, and waterfalls, the views are endless. Traveling to these parks are a must for all outdoor enthusiasts.
Things to do in Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks
Glacier National Park
There's a ton of good hiking in Glacier. I'd recommend 3-5 days here to really see the whole park.
Iceberg Lake
This was my favorite hike we did in Glacier. We originally planned to hike to Grinnell Glacier, but part of that trail was closed because of snow. We had this as a backup option. The trail starts from the Many Glacier area. It's a 9 mile hike and with it being uphill most of the way to the lake, it was strenuous.
It was incredibly foggy for almost our entire hike up to the lake, but just as we got close, the fog cleared to incredible views. We were there at the perfect time of year to see the icebergs in the lake. The lake and the surrounding mountains are gorgeous.
After the hike, relax and enjoy the view on the Many Glacier Hotel Balcony.
Hidden Lake
The Hidden Lake Trail starts from the Logan Pass Visitor's Center on Going-to-the-Sun Road. It was a rainy morning when we did this hike. This is a popular hike to do and is a bit crowded. There was still a lot of snow on the ground for much of the hike.
We were expecting to do a 5 and a half mile hike, but when we got to the overlook of the lake, we found out the trail to the lake was closed because of bear activity. Because of that, our hike was closer to 2 and a half miles. We were disappointed to not be able to finish the hike, but the view of the lake from the overlook was pretty.
It was mostly uphill on the way to the lake but still moderate. We even got to see some mountain goats and big horn sheep.
Saint Mary & Virginia Falls
This is a good hike to do your first day if you arrive later in the day since it's pretty short. Try to do it early in the morning or in the evening since the parking lot is small. It's a moderate 3.8 mile round-trip hike to see both Saint Mary and Virginia Falls. Saint Mary Falls is the first on the trail. It's the smaller of the two but still a great sight.
There's a bit of a climb to get to Virginia falls but nothing strenuous. Virginia falls is gorgeous and there are several different vantage points from which to view it.
On our hike back, a deer scared us when we rounded the corner and found it waiting for us in the middle of the trail.
Going-to-the-Sun Road
This is a scenic road winding through the national park. There are many overlooks and hikes to stop at along the way. The road starts on the east side at Saint Mary Lake near Saint Mary.
It ends on the west side at Lake McDonald near West Glacier.
Close to West Glacier, the river becomes a bright blue/green in some places with great places to stop and enjoy the view.
We traveled east to west (and then back again to get back to our hotel). We combined the drive with the hike to Hidden Lake as well as stops at many different overlooks.
Waterton Lakes National Park
This is the Canadian side of Glacier National Park. It's about an hour drive from Saint Mary to Waterton. Unfortunately, a lot of the park was closed when we visited because of previous wildfire damage. We weren't able to do any of the hikes we had originally planned to do. We only had a day to spend at the park. I'd definitely recommend looking into some of the other hikes in the park since this isn't representative of what we would have liked to have done.
Boat Cruise
With most hiking ruled out, we opted to do a boat cruise with with Waterton Shoreline Cruise Co. This was a really nice way to see the park. It took us down the entire length of Upper Waterton Lake. This started out in Canada and crossed into the United States.
The cruise is supposed to stop at Ghost Haunt at the southern end of the lake, but there were US National Parks Service staffing issues, so we were not able to stop. While we didn't see much wildlife during the two hour cruise, we did see a bald eagle.
Bellevue Prairie
This was one of the hikes recommended to us that was still open. We weren't able to access it from the Red Rock area, so we started by Bison Paddock. There were some wildflowers on the trail, but overall, there wasn't really much to see. We ended up turning back after half an hour since the views weren't very impressive.
Wildlife in Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks
We came prepared with bear spray, but we didn't see any bears while we were hiking. We did see a grizzly bear pretty close to the side of the road on our way into Many Glacier as well as a few black bears up in the mountains in the same area.
Where to eat around Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks
Glacier
Wandering Gringo Cafe
Located in West Glacier, this is a great place to stop when you get to the end of Going-to-the-Sun Road. The burritos are the size of your head and are absolutely delicious.
Two Sisters Cafe
This is a great place to stop after hiking in the Many Glaciers are. It will hit the spot after a long day of hiking. They have a whole menu of huckleberry desserts. Get the PB&J huckleberry pie and thank me later.
Johnston's Cafe
This little cafe has tasty sandwiches and they're known for their soup, so don't skip that. Get there early for their huckleberry ice cream because it sells out fast.
Waterton
Wieners of Waterton
Loaded hot dogs are basically our favorite category of food, so this was a must stop for us. The hot dogs were big and juicy. I got mine with almost every topping they offer. The sweet potato fries with Parmesan rosemary dipping sauce are also great.
Waffleton
Call us Leslie Knope, but we love waffles. Not just any waffles though—liege waffles specifically. When this was right next to Wieners of Waterton, we had to go. The berries and cream waffle is deliecious.
Getting to and around Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks
The closest airport to fly into would be Glacier Park International Airport. Bigger airports to fly into include Missoula and Calgary which would be about a 3-4 hour drive to get to the parks. A car is definitely necessary to get around the park.
As with most National Parks in the United States, a pass is required to get in. It costs $35/vehicle for a week long pass and reservations are required to get in. You can also get an America the Beautiful Pass which covers all US national parks entrance fees for $80 per year. It costs $10/person per day to get into Waterton Lakes National Park or you can buy a Discovery Pass to get into Canadian Parks for a year.
Where to stay around Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks
I'd recommend booking 4-6 months in advance for these parks. In Glacier, the Great Bear Lodge in St. Mary Village is a good place to stay. Saint Mary is the best location to stay because it's right on the Going-to-the-Sun Road and a short drive from the Many Glacier area. Staying in Many Glacier or West Glacier would lead to much longer drive times to get between the two. In Waterton Lakes, all of the lodging is centrally located in the town and there are many places to stay.
Best time to visit Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks
For the best weather and hiking, summer is the ideal time to visit. It's also the most crowded though. Many trails are still closed because of snow in the spring and there's a risk of wildfires in the fall. Because of this, there will be smaller crowds in those months.