Best Glacier National Park 3 Day Itinerary

Glacier National Park is absolutely breathtaking with panoramic mountain views, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, stunning hikes, and diverse wildlife! Our Glacier National Park 3 day itinerary will help you maximize a short time in the park. A trip to Glacier National Park requires a lot of research and planning in order to be prepared and recreate responsibly and we’re sharing our best tips to plan your trip!

How to prepare for your trip to Glacier National Park

Book accommodation and rental car early

You should book accommodation and a rental car as far in advance as you can as they book up very fast! We booked our rental car 6 months in advance and any shorter than 6 months in advance, prices can skyrocket due to limited inventory. Keep in mind, some popular places to stay like Many Glacier Hotel can book up a year in advance! Keep checking for reservation cancellations though if you aren’t able to secure one in advance. See the full list of accommodations within the park on the park lodges website.

Purchase or plan to obtain bear spray

Bear spray is not allowed on planes, so if you’re flying, you’ll need to obtain it once you get to Montana. Many rental car offices have extra that people have left behind and this is a great way to recycle yours as well! The Sharing Shack in Columbia Falls and the National Park also recycle bear spray.

Secure vehicle reservation

A 3-day vehicle reservation ticket is required to drive the Going to the Sun Road from the West entrance between 6 AM-3 PM May through September. These reservations become available on recreation.gov starting in March. Be sure to monitor the website for exact dates and times and ensure you are online to purchase as soon as the reservation becomes available as it is first-come first-serve.

New in 2023

• Reservation required for each vehicle entering through the St. Mary entrance from July 1 through September 10, 2023, from 6 am to 3 pm.
• Reservation required for each vehicle accessing the North Fork area from May 26 through September 10, 2023, from 6 am to 3 pm. 
• Reservation required for each vehicle accessing the Many Glacier Valley from July 1 through September 10, 2023, from 6 am to 3 pm.
• Reservation required for each vehicle accessing the Two Medicine Valley from July 1 through September 10, 2023, from 6 am to 3 pm. 

Research trail conditions and closures

Always monitor current trail conditions and closures on the National Park website as well as read recent trail reports and closures. Be sure to monitor weather too! Always have a back up plan! Trails and areas of the park can close at any time due to vehicle congestion, bear activity, weather, wildfires, etc.

Download offline trail maps: There is very limited cell service in the park. Before your trip download hiking trail maps and google maps of the park.

Responsible Recreation in Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is an extremely popular destination during the summer. Other seasons offer incredible adventures as well including biking a vehicle-free Going to the Road in the Spring and world class skiing. Consider visiting in other seasons to avoid crowds and for a much quiet experience!

It’s very important to be prepared and know the rules in order to recreate responsibly while in Glacier National Park.

Trail Safety and Rules at Glacier National Park

1. Stay within the width of the trail to minimize damage and erosion to natural areas
2. Uphill hikers have the right of way. It’s common courtesy to step to the side (while still remaining on trail) to let them pass
3. Follow leave no trace principle #2 and always hike on durable surfaces like rocks, sand, and gravel. Avoid fragile areas like vegetation and never step on, walk through or pick wildflowers
4. If you have to travel off trail (for example, to use the bathroom), look for durable surfaces that can withstand repeated foot traffic
5. Pack in everything that you pack out! That includes things like orange peels and cherry pits
6. Don’t play music on the trail as this is not considerate to other hikers. It’s not recommended to use headphones either as it interferes with you being present with your surroundings
7. Be sure to choose hikes that are appropriate for your fitness level and plan to start as early as possible to avoid the midday heat. It’s not recommended to start hikes in the dark at Glacier due to wildlife
8. Don’t forget to download a trail map before your hike and know where you’re going
9. If you encounter wildlife on the trail, do not approach them! Stay at least 25 yards from wildlife and 100 yards away from bears
10. Always carry bear spray when hiking at Glacier. Make sure it’s not expired and you know how to use it

Leave No Trace Principles

The Leave No Trace Principles are so important to follow in order to recreate responsibly and keep Glacier National Park beautiful for years to come.

There are 7 principles:

1. plan ahead and prepare: research current weather and trail conditions, bring enough food and water, bring/download an offline map, prepare for crowds in certain areas
2. travel and camp on durable surfaces: be sure not to hike off trail or use social trails! Camp at designated areas only
3. dispose of waste properly: even an orange peel or cherry pit can disturb the ecosystem and take years to decompose. Be sure to pack out absolutely everything! 
4. leave what you find: do not take rocks or build cairns of rocks, do not carve into trees or other natural object
5. minimize campfire impacts: know current fire restrictions, keep fires small and only use established firerings
6. respect wildlife: be sure to stay at least 100 yards away from bears and 25 yards away from all other animals
7. be considerate of other visitors: drones are not allowed, do not play music on the trail, give the right of way to uphill hikers

Where to stay in Glacier National Park?

If you love hiking like we do, you should say one night on the West side of the park and one night on the East side with your final night on either the West or East side depending on what you choose to do. This will maximize your time on your Glacier National Park 3 day itinerary. With a short time in the park, this makes sense for minimizing driving times, but you can switch it up depending on the location of the activities you would like to do. Keep in mind that driving Going To The Sun Road takes about 2 hours without stops from the West entrance to the East entrance of the park.

How to get to Glacier National Park

Most people will fly into Glacier Park International Airport located in Kalispell, Montana.

We stayed at the Belton Chalet which is 30 minutes away from the Kalispell airport. The Belton Chalet can book up to 6 months in advance. You could also stay in the small nearby towns of Kalispell, Hungry Horse, or Columbia Falls to have easy access to the park the next morning.

DAY 1

Sunrise at Lake McDonald

This was the perfect start to our time in Glacier! You’ve probably seen photos of this picturesque lake with the multicolored rocks, but you need to see it for yourself to understand. Sunrise at Lake McDonald is absolutely magical and the scene is a photographer’s dream. For the best light, arrive 45 minutes before sunrise. If you can’t make it that early, it’s still worth visiting at sunrise as the beautiful light lasts around 30 minutes after sunrise. We had some fun getting creative with photos here.

Kayak Lake McDonald or Hike Avalanche Lake or Trail of the Cedars

After sunrise, you could grab coffee and a bite to eat at the nearby campstore before renting a kayak from Glacier Outfitters (open at 9 AM). We did this in the spring and had the best time!

If kayaking isn’t your thing or you’ve already done it like us, get started on driving Going to the Sun Road or head out for a hike to Avalanche Lake via Trail of the Cedars! Parking for this popular trail fills up fast, so if you want to nab a parking spot, we would recommend bringing a to-go breakfast and heading there immediately after sunrise.

Drive Going to the Sun Road

We took our time with sunrise photos, so parking at the trailhead was full. Luckily, there’s plenty else to see on Going to the Sun Road! This 50 mile scenic road has many places to stop for photos and beautiful views, and we recommend stopping at all of the overlooks. Weeping Wall was our favorite as the wildflowers are absolutely beautiful here in August!

We took our time driving, spotting wildlife, and stopping often for photos at all of the overlooks without a specific destination in mind. We had the best time!

Lunch at Two Dog Flats

Eventually, we made it to Two Dog Flats in Rising Sun where we grabbed a delicious lunch. This cute and cozy restaurant has the best views!

Evening hike to Hidden Lake Overlook

Following lunch, we did the Sun Point walk and then drove back to the Logan Pass Visitor Center for the Hidden Lake Overlook Trail (3 miles, 567 elevation gain). When we went, the remainder of the trail to Hidden Lake itself was closed, but its definitely worth only hiking to the overlook!

Logan Pass Visitor Center is extremely crowded and one of the most popular points of interest in the park. Many trails depart from here, so you need to arrive very early (before 7:30 am) or later in the day (after 4 PM) in order to secure a parking spot. Otherwise, you can take the park shuttle.

Late afternoon was the perfect time to hike the Hidden Lake Overlook Trail as the light was beautiful! This short trail has incredible views the entire way. We were in awe of all of the wildflowers. Remember not to walk on wildflowers or pick them.

We caught sunset from the visitor center before heading to our accommodation for the night, Swiftcurrent Motor Inn. It was a bit of a drive from the Logan Pass Visitor Center, but we planned it this way to be close to the next day’s hike.

DAY 2

Sunrise at Swiftcurrent Lake

Day 2 started bright and early with another sunrise! Located right next to the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn is Swiftcurrent Lake. The alpenglow on the mountains was unbelievably beautiful and the whole lake lights up orange. Don’t miss this epic sunrise spot!

Hike to Grinnell Glacier

Luckily it’s nearby your next destination, the Grinnell Glacier Hike. This 11.2 mile strenuous trail (2,200 elevation gain) takes you past gatorade blue Grinnell Lake, past wildflower fields and stunning mountain views, then finally ends at a glacier with icebergs and milky blue water. This is one of the most stunning hikes we’ve ever done!

Lunch and Relax at Many Glacier Hotel

You’ll definitely be hungry after the hike, so grab lunch and a prickly pear margarita from Many Glacier Hotel. After lunch, we changed into our bathing suits and went for a refreshing swim in Swiftcurrent Lake! We loved relaxing by the shore and drinking huckleberry cider after our hike.

Sunset

To top off an amazing day, catch sunset at Wild Goose Island Overlook. You can also stay in the Many Glacier area for sunset if you prefer!

Tonight, we would recommend staying in East Glacier or the Rising Sun Motor Inn. We stayed at an BnB in East Glacier, but had a bad experience so won’t name it.

DAY 3

Hike the Highline Trail

Another early morning to tackle one of the most popular trails in the park, the Highline Trail. This 15 mile round trip hike (2578 elevation gain) starts from the Logan Pass Visitor Center. Theres a few different options for this hike, but all begin at Logan Pass:

1. You can do the loop which ends at a section of the Going to the Sun Road known as the loop and requires you to take the shuttle back to Logan Pass Visitor Center. We actually did this version and wouldn’t recommend it as the entire 2nd half of the hike is downhill and very hard on the knees.
2. You can do the hike as out and back which is what we would recommend! This is a lot less downhill overall and the loop doesn’t give you much more scenery as most of it through forest.
3. Add on Grinnell Glacier Overlook. We would consider this a must! Be prepared though as adding on this overlook requires you to gain nearly 1,000 ft of elevation in a mile. It’s incredibly steep, but the reward is worth it!

Go for a swim

The Highline trails took us about 6 hours and we were spent after! Here’s where you have some options depending on when your flight is the next day. Our flight wasn’t until later the next day, so we opted to stay in East Glacier again so we could swim at Rising Sun Boat Dock and then see sunset at Two Medicine Lake. If your flight is early the next day, we would recommend staying in West Glacier for easy access and to avoid driving Going to the Sun Road again. You could catch sunset at Lake McDonald and stay in Kalispell, Hungry Horse or Columbia Falls. Glacier National Park 3 Day Itinerary

It’s finally time to return your rental car and leave this magical park. Don’t forget to recycle your bear spray by leaving it with your rental car company. 3 days is definitely not enough time in this park, but you can still see so much in this Glacier National Park 3 day itinerary! We can’t wait to return for more epic hiking.