Today we will reconsider some of the easiest hikes in Glacier National Park, one among 59 National Parks of the USA, important as well because it is also on the list of World Heritage Sites.
Before we get started with tracks and trails, let’s begin with a brief introduction of the Glacier National Park. It is one of two parts of a bigger park, named Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, shared between USA (Glacier National Park) and Canada (Waterton Lakes National Park), which was established in 1932 as an international park of great importance. Glacier is located in Montana, covering an area of 4087.68 km2. It has been listed among places of great importance because of its unique and outstanding features.
Pixabay/Public Domain
Glacier National Park got its name, well obviously, because of glaciers, which have mostly disappeared since the end of the last Ice Age, some 12,000 years ago. Until the recent times only around 30 glaciers have remained (with the criterion that the ice has to exceed 25 acres in order to be considered a glacier), and that’s why many people wonder when will the glaciers in Glacier National Park be gone. Scientists doing research on this question and climate change, assume that all of the glaciers in this park will disappear until 2030/2040.
Nature is not the only thing that makes Glacier stand out. It is also rich in historical and prehistorical remains, from Native people’s artifacts to house ruins and things of the modern age. But surely you would be more interested in natural wonders when visiting and looking for easy hikes in Glacier National Park. So, of course, the Glacier National Park’s best sights are a result of work of natural processes that lasted for millions of years. Glacier belongs to the Rocky Mountain range, with highest peaks reaching more than 10,000 ft. Some of them being Mount Merrit, Mount Cleveland, Little Cheaf and Chapman Peak. Be sure to take a look at some of them when you take your easy hikes in Glacier National park. Glacier has around 700 lakes (only of which 131 are named), which are mostly remains of glacial valleys (at lower altitudes) and natural glacial shapes like amphitheaters and end moraines (at higher altitudes). With that much water, there are wonderful waterfalls throughout the Park. We will name just some: Virginia falls, Aster falls, Running Eagle falls, Twin falls…
In any case, Glacier Nature Park is a great place for everyone, shown in numbers: it had around 3 million visitors (of only recreational character) in 2016. So, yes, if you are a young nature lover, you might consider spending some time here, along with considering some other opportunities like 10 Best Paying Outdoor Jobs for College Students for example.
Now, searching for the easiest and the best moderate hikes in Glacier National Park, we have come across many suggestions, but have decided to take suggestions from a bit more experienced hikers and nature enthusiasts. So the main resources for our research were Crazy Family Adventure, Hiking in Glacier, Glacier Guides and EnjoyYourParks. There were also some good tips for good starting points and easy trails in Glacier on National Park Traveller. Then, in the end, we have also considered some suggestions from Tripadvisor as well. We have picked easiest hikes on our list on number of recommendations for tracks we have found going through these resources. But then in order to rank those easiest hikes in Glacier National park, we have listed them according to trail difficulty rating. The calculation of difficulty rating is proposed at Hiking Glacier, so you can go deeper in calculations there, but the important thing to highlight here is that a hike is considered easy if the difficulty rating is below 5.
If after being introduced to the Glacier Natural Park you have realized that it is not your piece of cake, you can always look for adventures in some other places, for example 10 Best Places to Visit in the USA in October. And for all others who have kept the spirit until now, and who are interested in whether can you walk on a glacier in Glacier National Park or which are the best sights in Glacier National Park, this is the right list for you. Whenever you are ready, go to the next page to see which those easiest hikes in Glacier Natural Park are:
11. Avalanche Lake
Difficulty rating: 5.96
Roundtrip Length: 4.5 mi
Yes, we did say easy hikes are those up to difficulty rating of 5. But for this one we have made a slight exception, but, on the other hand it is also recommended by Crazy Family Adventure, so it is suitable even for kids. Once you go through a dense evergreen forest, you get out just to see a marvelous glacial Avalanche lake, with long waterfalls going down from the other side of mountains and into the lake. Surely an unforgettable scenery.
Pixabay/Public Domain
10. Redrock Falls
Difficulty rating: 4.77
Roundtrip Length: 4.2 mi
On this hike you will get to walk on the shores of Fishercap Lake, where you might consider staying bit longer. There are some great picnic spots and nice beaches, which is suitable for families and children, which is what makes this trail popular among easiest hikes in Glacier National Park.
9. Virginia Falls
Difficulty rating: 4.65
Roundtrip Length: 3.6 mi
On this hike you will go past St. Mary’s falls (see further on the list), and also some other smaller ones, so it is a great hike for waterfall fans. Once you get to the Virginia falls you will see why they are considered as one of the most beautiful in the whole Glacier National Park.
Pixabay/Public Domain
8. Hidden Lake Overlook
Difficulty rating: 3.78
Roundtrip Length: 2.7 mi
Next in line on our list of easiest hikes in Glacier National Park is an interesting trail, because it is on open air all the time, meaning you will be mostly going through the meadows, but the bad side of it is that it is one of the most popular trails, so crowds are usual there, and hence another frustrating thing might be a parking place. And although you will go past some breathtaking sceneries and mountain goat habitats, you might reconsider this track if you don’t like crowds that much.
Pixabay/Public Domain
7. Grinnel Lake
Difficulty rating: 3.44
Roundtrip Length: 3.0 mi
Glaciers! That’s what we are here for, right? Well, taking this trail will not lead you to the glacier, but nevertheless you will be able to see them. But here is the answer for those who would like to know if they could walk on glacier – yes, but you will have to take another trail. That is Grinnel Glacier Trail and it is considered a hard one having the difficulty rating of 11.28.
6. Aster Falls
Difficulty rating: 3.44
Roundtrip Length: 2.8 mi
The goal of this hike is to get to see the cascading Aster fall, but on a way to it you will see many beaver ponds and, since you will be going through moose habitat, you might also see some of them! Be sure not to miss this hike, simply because it is one of the easiest hikes in Glacier National Park.
5. Swiftcurrent trail
Difficulty rating: 2.95
Roundtrip Length: 2.9
This is a rather “urban” hike in Glacier National Park, because you are never actually too far from hotels and other buildings. The trail consists of walking around the Swiftcurrent Lake. On this trail, you will see beautiful Many Glacier hotel, and you will also be astonished by views from some of the peaks: Mt. Wilbur (9.321 ft) or Grinnel Point (7.600 ft).
Pixabay/Public Domain
4. Rocky Point Nature trail
Difficulty rating: 2.6
Roundtrip Length: 1.9 mi
Rocky Point Nature trail is among the most popular and easiest hikes in Glacier National Park. There is also a nice brochure you can download from Glacier’s website in order to get well prepared for this hike. If you get lucky, you might stumble upon some of the wildlife while enjoying a wonderful scenery of Glacier.
3. St. Mary’s Falls
Difficulty rating: 2.13
Roundtrip Length: 1.7 mi
On this hike, among other easiest hikes in Glacier National Park, you will pass by some adorable mountains with their peaks, the Little Cheaf being one of them (9.541 ft). A short walk through a dense forest will bring you to one of the well-known sights of Glacier National Park, the St. Mary’s falls, which fall in three separate levels.
2. Trail of Cedars
Difficulty rating: 1.12
Roundtrip Length: 1 mi
Starting this trail, you will have the opportunity to see 500 year old cedar trees in their intact habitation, reaching more than 100 feet! Since this trail is near the Avalanche Lake, you will see the lower Avalanche Gorge in the middle of your hike and might consider continuing to a bit harder hike.
1. Running Eagle Falls
Difficulty rating: 0.63
Roundtrip Length: 0.6 mi
Among all the easiest hikes in Glacier National Park, Running Eagle Falls is the easiest and the shortest of them all. With only a small effort and minimum time you will get to see a beautiful waterfall that connects Two Medicine Lake and Lower Two Medicine Lake. Since elevation gain is almost negligible, this hike is perfect for families with small children, and also more importantly, along with the previous Trail of Cedars, this hike is also handicap accessible.
Pixabay/Public Domain
