5 Days in Glacier National Park

Five days is enough to see a lot of Glacier National Park, but where you stay matters almost as much as what you do.

If hiking is your priority, we thought the east side had the better hiking. But I'm still really glad we spent time around Lake McDonald. You get a completely different feel on the west side, an incredible drive along Going-to-the-Sun Road, and one of the best sunsets of the trip.

Day 1: West Glacier + Avalanche Lake + Lake McDonald

Don't treat your first drive into Glacier as something you need to get through. If possible, arrive outside the busiest part of the day. Traffic can back up, Going-to-the-Sun Road gets busy, and parking at popular trailheads can be difficult.

Make stops as you drive toward Lake McDonald. McDonald Falls is worth pulling over for, and there are plenty of places where you'll want to stop simply because the view looks good.

Hike Avalanche Lake later in the day

Avalanche Lake is extremely popular. We saw what felt like busloads of people arriving, and parking can be difficult during peak hours.

We went later in the afternoon and thought that was a great choice. Parking became easier and the crowds thinned as we went. The trail starts in a beautiful forest, follows rushing water and eventually reaches Avalanche Lake. Pay attention to the rocks along the water too. The different colors are beautiful and easy to miss if you're just trying to get to the lake.

Worth it? Yes, especially if you're already staying on the west side.

Stay near Lake McDonald

We stayed at Lake McDonald Lodge for one night. Sunset over the lake was fantastic, and if you're awake early enough, go back out for sunrise too.

I wouldn't devote several days of a five-day hiking trip to this side of Glacier, but I'm very glad we didn't skip it.

Day 2: Going-to-the-Sun Road + Logan Pass

Today is about one of Glacier's biggest attractions: Going-to-the-Sun Road. Don't just use it to get from one side of the park to the other. Stop, look around, and use the pullouts. The drive itself is part of the trip.

Hidden Lake Overlook

This is one of the easiest ways to get huge Glacier views without committing to an enormous hike. The beginning is largely boardwalk with stairs, and wildflowers surrounded us when we visited.

It's also a conveyor belt of hikers. Don't come expecting solitude. You'll be walking with families, groups and plenty of other visitors. That didn't make us regret doing it.

Worth it? Absolutely. Just know what you're signing up for.

Highline Trail, without hiking the whole Highline Trail

This was one of my favorite decisions of the trip. Rather than spending the entire day hiking the full Highline, we hiked roughly 1.5 miles out from Logan Pass and then turned around.

You still get the enormous mountain views, glaciers, exposure and famous cable section. The cable section looks much scarier in photos than it felt to us. The views are the thrilling part.

Then we simply turned around. No shuttle logistics. No committing to a 12-mile hike. We still got what felt like 80% of the Highline experience.

Worth doing only part of the Highline? 100%.

Afterward, continue east. If you can get a room at Many Glacier Hotel, this is where I'd move for the next part of the trip. If not, St. Mary is worth considering as a practical east-side base.

Day 3: Grinnell Glacier + Many Glacier

If I could choose only one big hike in Many Glacier, it would be Grinnell Glacier. This may be the best bang-for-your-buck hike we did in Glacier. The views just don't stop.

You start around Swiftcurrent Lake, continue past Lake Josephine and then begin climbing above the lakes. At one point, the trail actually passes through a waterfall. The final rocky switchbacks are tough, but keep going. At the end you're rewarded with Grinnell Glacier, Upper Grinnell Lake and an incredible mountain setting.

We also saw a mountain goat high above the turquoise water, which was one of those completely ridiculous Glacier moments.

We hiked later in the day and loved that decision. On the way down, we actually had some long stretches without anyone around. Carry bear spray, bring plenty of water and treat this as a serious hike.

If you only do one major hike in Many Glacier, this is the one I'd pick.

Don't schedule too much afterward

Come back and enjoy Many Glacier. Sit near Swiftcurrent Lake. Walk around the hotel. Have dinner. Get a drink. Watch the light change over the mountains. You don't need another activity.

Day 4: Choose Your Adventure

Option 1: Dawson-Pitamakan Loop

Best for: Very strong hikers who want one huge day.

This was our biggest hiking day in Glacier and one of the most memorable hikes of the entire trip. Two Medicine itself is noticeably quieter than Logan Pass and Many Glacier, and the trail had far fewer people than most of the other major hikes we did.

The loop is long, hard and has a lot of elevation. Once you get above Oldman Lake and start climbing the switchbacks, it gets spectacular. Eventually you're walking high along the ridge with alpine lakes and mountains in seemingly every direction. We saw a group of bighorn sheep and rams near the top.

We used the boat to cut off the final couple of miles. If I did it again, I'm not sure I would. Catching the boat added unnecessary time pressure at the end of an already long hike. Unless you've started early enough that timing isn't a concern, I'd rather just hike the final miles.

Worth it? For strong hikers, absolutely.

Option 2: Ptarmigan Tunnel + Iceberg Lake

Best for: A big day without doing Dawson-Pitamakan.

These two hikes share part of the trail, which makes them tempting to combine if you're a strong hiker. One thing we got wrong: the trailhead isn't directly at Many Glacier Hotel. Starting from the hotel added extra mileage.

Ptarmigan Tunnel has a completely different feel from Grinnell. You climb toward Ptarmigan Lake, tackle switchbacks that look more intimidating from below than they actually are, and then walk straight through the mountain.

Iceberg Lake is different again. The water is freezing, but put your feet in anyway. Shortly before reaching it, we saw a huge bull moose near the water, one of our best wildlife sightings of the trip.

If I had to choose only one Many Glacier hike, I'd still pick Grinnell Glacier. But if you have another hiking day available, these are exceptional.

Option 3: Take a recovery day

You do not have to hike 15 miles every day to have a great Glacier trip. Sleep later. Walk around the lakes. Take a scenic boat ride. Do a shorter hike. Sit outside Many Glacier Hotel. After Grinnell Glacier, a lower-key day may actually make the rest of your trip more enjoyable.

Day 5: Many Glacier + Get on the Water

Keep this day flexible. If there's a hike you didn't get to, this is your opportunity. Otherwise, I'd make a point of actually getting onto one of Glacier's lakes.

There are boat tours and water rentals available at several locations around the park. After spending several days looking down at Glacier's lakes from hiking trails, seeing the mountains from the water gives you a completely different perspective.

Leave yourself enough time to enjoy your last day instead of turning it into a race to squeeze in one more hike.

Where I Would Stay

For a five-day trip, I would prioritize location over having the nicest possible hotel.

Night 1: Lake McDonald area.

Nights 2 through 5: Many Glacier or another east-side base.

Many Glacier Hotel is expensive and books up, but waking up there is special. More importantly, some of Glacier's best hiking is right outside your door.

Staying near where you plan to hike also helps avoid one of Glacier's biggest headaches: traffic and parking. Going-to-the-Sun Road gets busy. Park entrances can back up. Popular parking lots fill.

If you can't stay in Many Glacier, I would look seriously at St. Mary as a practical east-side base.

What About Food?

You have two good options in Glacier: bring your own food or eat at the lodges and restaurants inside the park. We did some of both.

Bringing breakfast, snacks, hiking food and easy meals gives you much more flexibility, particularly on long hiking days. It's also considerably cheaper.

The dining inside the park isn't the most affordable option, but it is convenient, and we found the food perfectly good. After a long hike, there is something very nice about walking back to your hotel and having dinner without getting back into the car.

Just plan for waits. At popular times, especially at Lake McDonald, you may not be able to walk in and immediately get a table. Plan to eat early or late, get your name on the list before you're actually ready to eat, or simply expect that you may have to wait.

One Thing I Would Download Before the Trip

GuideAlong. Cell service and Wi-Fi aren't reliable throughout Glacier, so download the Glacier National Park tour before you arrive.

It uses GPS to automatically tell you about viewpoints, history, geology and worthwhile stops as you're driving. We used it throughout the trip and loved having it running while we drove Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Worth it? Definitely.

Our Verdict

If hiking is your priority, spend more time on Glacier's east side.

Many Glacier and Two Medicine gave us our favorite hiking experiences. But I wouldn't skip the west side. Lake McDonald at sunset, Avalanche Lake and driving the full Going-to-the-Sun Road made that part of the park worth including.

For five days, one west-side night followed by an east-side base is the split I would choose.

And don't make the mistake of thinking you need to hike every famous trail in its entirety. A partial Highline can be fantastic. A boat ride can replace another hike. You can sit by a lake for an hour without accomplishing anything.

Glacier is one of those places where sometimes the best decision is to stop trying to get somewhere and just look around.