We’ve been on the road for a week and Glacier National Park has definitely been one of the highlights so far. From crystal clear, light turquoise water to breathtaking views, the park definitely packs in the awe factor. Of all we did while in Glacier, our favorite was hiking the Highline Trail.
At 7.6 miles with another 4 in descent (11.6 total) it’s the longest hike we’ve done on the trip so far. But, that’s far from what made it so memorable.
I have to stop here to point out that when we say the Highline Trail is amazing, we really mean it, because we hiked the trail in some of the worst conditions possible and still loved it. On a crisp, clear day, Highline would be nothing short of incredible.
For us, it was still awesome, despite temperatures in the 40s and a mix of high winds, rain and hail (yes, hail) hitting us at varying points throughout the hike. The wind was especially unsettling on the first mile of the hike, where the trail runs alongside a very steep cliff. The only comfort is a rope that runs along the mountain wall next to the trail. (I have to admit I was holding onto it at times, justincase!)
Despite conditions that were far from ideal, what you can see from the trail and along the way makes it all worthwhile. The photos below hardly do the breath-taking views justice. And while we didn’t see any wildlife, bear sightings along the trail are not uncommon.
At the end of Highline, before you start down the Loop trail, you reach Granite Park Chalet, a fully functioning inn at 6,693 ft. (accessible only by hiking trails), which offers a place to have a quick snack or put your feet up by the fire and relax for a while. Mike and I agreed that if we got too cozy, we might never make it back down, so we only stayed for a few minutes. But, for anyone considering staying in Glacier for a week or so, a night or two at the Chalet would be a cool thing to add to the itinerary.
On the way down the Loop trail, you walk through a massive burn scar leftover from the Trapper Creek Fire of 2003. What remains of the tall trees is charred and leafless, leaving underbrush of ferns and wildflowers to flourish. The contrast between the white trees and the vibrant fauna below is gorgeous.
Let’s talk logistics: To hike Highline, you have a few options. You can drive up Going-to-the-Sun Road to Logan Pass, park your car there and hike out, either turning around at some point to return to Logan Pass or doing what we did, continuing down the Loop trail to end up back down on Going-to-the-Sun, 8 miles from Logan. Because you’d then need to go get your car, you’d need to catch one of the free shuttles that run up and down Going-to-the-Sun and pick it up back at the top. We parked our car at the Loop trailhead and caught one of the first shuttles up to Logan. Then, we hiked the nearly 12 miles across and down, ending up back at the car. This is preferable since it saves time - by the time you get back to Loop, you’ll be so exhausted that the sooner you make it back to camp, the better.