This is my favorite part of Glacier NP because the huge mountains are so close and there are many easy to hard hikes that are available from Many Glacier Campground and the adjoining Swift Current Motor Inn. Plus, we saw our first moose here. Can’t say that this trip has been optimal – it was smoky and now the rainy week is here.
Grinnell Glacier Hike
Top Hikes of all time – during the last 2 ½ miles the views down to the valley are incredible.
Grinnell Lake, a separate hike in itself, comes into view and it is the most beautiful aqua and as you hike up.
Lake Josephine and Swift Current Lake become visible a bit further up.
Not much shade, but breathtaking the whole way up
Then there are all the wildflowers and green valleys and waterfalls.
We saw only one lone big horn sheep at the top as the day was a Saturday and the trail was very busy.
There had been smoke and the rain during the last 10 days and mountains had been more like shadows. Two days of rain and the valley had cleared the smoke and waiting at the boat dock on this Saturday morning was finally those vivid colors nature in its glory.
Everyone was on the trail. Most of that beautiful part of the trail was full sun, but there were some nice breezes and the temperature was high 60s low 70s so not too bad.
The glacier is disappearing and emptying into Upper Grinnell Lake along with numerous waterfalls. Near the last half mile every turn you made there was another explosion of beauty.
There are several ways to get to the trail. The shortest, and of course what we choose, due to my organization, was to catch a boat at Many Glacier Lodge, cutting off two miles, all be it flat and shady for this part of the hike. It was so incredibly serene we almost didn’t want to leave for the hike.
Boat Tours book up super early like there was only one 11am spot available over 6 month ago. This 11am departure just allowed us enough time to get back for 5:45pm boat back. Strategy would be to book several days and cancel 72 hour prior after looking at the weather. It seems quite a few people got on the boat as standby as well. We were quite pooped after the 8 mile hike 2000 ft elevation gain and opted not to walk the two miles back to the Lodge, but wait for the second boat to return. We are slower than most people, but most are probably half our age, so we feel rather accomplished. The bonus was that between the two lakes while hiking the ⅓ mile we saw a mama moose and her baby. The other perk is that Ptarmigan Dining room at the Lodge is quite nice too, although usually 30 to 40 minute wait, just enough time to dump off our hiking gear and swab off a bit for dinner. This big open dinig room has such nice lighting and although it has high ceilings, it does not have the usual echoing din that so many restaurants these days have.
Food was very good for Xanterra, especially the huckleberry cheese cake torte.
Grinnell Lake Hike
This was a hike in the rain. But then it cleared up eventually. I had not been so organized and did not get this boat tour cancelled in time, so we decided to do it even though the forecast was for sporadic rain all day. From the Many Glacier Lodge you boarded the boat to cross Swift Current Lake and then hiked about ⅓ mile to Lake Josephine where you boarded another boat to get across this lake. Shortly after this point the trail splits to hike another mile to Grinnell lake or pick up the Grinnell Glacier Trail.
The boats were covered so not a bad choice for a rainy day. But compared to two days later on the boat making it oh so more incredible for our hike to Grinnell Glacier.
About ½ mile into this Grinnell Lake hike, the more steady rain came down all the way to the lake. Found a small place under the canopy of a tree, but after about 20 minutes it stopped and we ventured out to the lake.
The rain had tapered down on the way back to the boat dock. Already pretty wet, we had decided to take the boat and not walk the full two miles back from Josephine Lake Boat dock.
But still no rain when we got across the first lake, and it looked like there was clearing, so walked the 1 mile back – which again was easy, and canopy covered and lovely.
There are lovely shaded easy trail that circle both lakes so many hiking possibilities on these very flat trails which arrive at the Manny Glacier Lodge.
I intend on coming back and staying at the very expensive Glacier Lodge when I’m 75 and longer harder hikes are out of reach, but the Lodge Lobby is grand an many time some plays the grand piano.
Iceberg Lake Hike
The pinnacle of this hike was seeing the Bull Moose about 50 yards down in a valley. He was just laying there and breathing hard so no a threat to the hikers who stopped to admire him.
There were very few icebergs in the lake that was surrounded by huge wall of rock. This lets little very little sun in, and ice break off from the walls, and boom there are very small icebergs that come and go.
They are in the move these icebergs. One did a 90 degree flip as we watched.
Just like in Newfoundland only on a miniature scale.
Ptarmigan Falls was at the halfway point, and a good portion of the trail was through forest canopy with gradual ascents. This 10 mile hike was the day after our challenging Grinnell Glacier Hike, but only had 1500 feet of elevation over 5 miles not 2000 ft over 3.5 miles. Usually, we have a rest day in between two big hikes, but we had to make haste and this was our last day in Glacier NP. Luckily, we got a day at the Swift Current Motor Inn and then a Camp Scanner got us one more day at Many Glacier Campground, so we could do these two hikes in the first place.
Fishercap Lake
Our campsite adjoined the Amphitheater Ranger Program, so I took advantage and learned all about the beaver, a keystone species. The beaver is one of few animals that creates ecosystems – luckily fashion changed to silk and feathers before the busy beavers became extinct. In fact, they were reintroduced in some areas by dropping the monogamous pairs in wooden boxes into stream areas so they could build back their species – no problem for a beaver to chew through that wooden box and get busy. The ranger said that the ⅓ mile hike from the Swift Current parking lot to Fishercap Lake is the Moose haven and sure enough one was frolicking and feeding in the lake. We stayed watching this gigantic animal, but had to depart with the darkness. I guess this has fulfilled our wildlife bucket list. Fishercap lake is only about a third of a mile from the Many Glacier Campground and the adjoining Swift Current Motor Inn and Cabins and it could be a regular evening stroll to see if the moose is loose.
Red Rock Falls Trail
It was to be a rainy day, so we decided to stay close and see if the moose was out again. This time we searched around the lake as the trail got more overgrown and finally ended. A bit of bushwacking, following some voices, we made it to the main trail without seeing any moose. Still no rain was coming down, and Red Rock Falls was just another mile, so down the main trail we continued on chatting with a nice young couple from North Carolina. The Red Rock was almost burgundy in color. This trail is quite shaded and full of low growing plants and thriving trees, as compared to Avalanche where many trees were downed or still standing, but quite dead. The current life cycle of Many Glacier was quite enjoyable through which to walk compared to the St Mary, Virginia and Baring Falls trails in the St. Mary end of the National Park.
Many Glacier Campground
Much smaller than Apgar, but so conveniently located to so many trails and a café. We biked 1.5 miles to the Many Glacier Lodge which was a bout ½ mile on no shoulder road, but had a drop down gravels edge to walk if needed. There was not much traffic at about 5pm when we ventured out so, worst case was to push on the gravel, but very few cars even passed us so we just biked the whole way. There doesn’t seem to be too much bike trailing in the Many Glacier Area, but the road and campground seems to be quite new; however, about 6 miles before the park entrance, there is a gravel road which was very dusty and getting wash-boardy in areas. I guess there had been a flood early in the year that caused the Many Glacier area to be evacuated.
The camp host told me that at this Many Glacier and I believe in Apgar Campgrounds that there are several sites that are released 4 days prior. One needs to look down four days ahead at sites the say Not Released. They may be rented for multiple days so that it is possible that there may not be any for a particular day if someone has reserved for multiple days. But this may be a way to snag multiple days if you can keep looking 4 days prior to arrival. She also told us that the nearby Ranger station had the best Wi-Fi , but you were limited to half an hour. Swift current motor in lobby also had had Wi-Fi. There was no cell coverage anywhere around.
Many Glacier Lodge
The Swiss Chalet style is the architecture; however, this is one of those grand lobby National Park Hotels of the early 1900’s. It almost burned down in 1936 and we were told the mountains across Lake Josephine had large thriving lodgepoles now, but it had totally burned in this fire. As we motored toward the boat dock, at the end of Lake Josephine, our guide pointed out that the left side of the forest was “climax forest” old growth and had not burned whereas the right side had completely burned in that 1936 fire. I guess that means it takes about 90 years for a forest to grow back to vibrancy.
The lobby and deck was bustling, but places were still available so not stressfully overcrowded as one would expect for Glacier in August. This is where the boat dock is that will cut off about 4 miles to the Grinnell Glacier Hike. I believe rooms are extremely expensive but close proximity to many different hiking levels, boat tours and the grandeur of those NP era.
Swift Current Motor Inn
If you don’t want to Camp, this is a much less expensive alternative to the Many Glacier Lodge. There are many different kinds of rooms and cabins, and most importantly there is only a 14 day cancellation policy, but you can book almost 11 months in advance.
Xanterra Reservation Policies 2026
They administer the accommodations in the Park.
A first night deposit is all that is required to reserve a room, not the entire stay. If you cancel less than 14 days in advance, you forfeit this room deposit; you are billed subsequent days when you arrive. So in planning, it may be a good idea to have a few different arrival. Dates in case weather or smoke is a problem or life happens . I think that is also a reason that rooms open up last minute, and I got one of them.
Release Schedule: On the first of every month at 12:00 a.m. (Midnight) Mountain Time, online reservations open up for the entire month of the following year. For example, if you want to book a stay for any date in July, those reservations become available starting September 1st of the previous year. I would check this when reserving
Most all of the campgrounds in Glacier National Park are administered by recreation.gov and have the rolling six-month reservation window.
Travels with Vinny VanGo 
I so enjoy seeing you two beautiful people enjoying the magnificent nature this country has
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