Glacier National Park: Many Glacier Loop
This magnificent, 55.5-mile northern loop accesses the moose-filled Waterton Valley backcountry, and finishes with a grand finale along the Highline Trail, a topo line below the Continental Divide.
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Start from Many Glacier’s Ptarmigan Tunnel trailhead. Ascend past waterfalls to the tunnel at 7,248-feet. Descend to Elizabeth Lake and pass 50-foot Dawn Mist Falls at mile 11.2. Continue to the wire-assisted crossing of Cosley Lake’s outlet and camp at the lake.
The next day’s 14.5-mile section passes Glenns Lake and enters a glacial runout en route to 6,908-foot Stoney Indian Pass at mile 23.1. Descend 600 feet in .8 mile to Stoney Indian Lake (with camping), then reach a T-junction at mile 26.3. Turn right toward Kootenai Lake, and camp along this grouping of reedy ponds with resident moose.
Head south to pick up the Highline Trail. Snake across mountainsides and under pine canopy to Fifty Mountain Pass at mile 35.7. Camp 1.3 miles later at the Fifty Mountain site.
The next day starts with .3 mile across tundra and climbs to 7,422 feet, just below the Continental Divide. Stay high, enjoying big views of the Livingston Range as you contour past Cattle Queen Creek and over Ahern Pass. Take a break at the historic Granite Park Chalet at mile 48.6. Continue up to 7,161-foot Swiftcurrent Pass. Descend through bighorn habitat, and bottom out at Swiftcurrent Creek. Then it’s 3.9 lakeside miles back to Many Glacier.
Map Trails Illustrated Glacier/Waterton Lakes ($12, natgeomaps.com)
Permit $5/person per night; $30/trip for reservations
Season Ptarmigan Tunnel is typically open from mid-July through September. Late August is ideal.
Contact (406) 888-7857; nps.gov/glac
-Mapped by Casey Lyons
Trail Facts
- Distance: 89.4
Waypoints
Wpt 051
Location: 61.53748, -142.906577
Turnaround
Wpt 050
Location: 61.53748, -142.906577
Crampon up!
Wpt 049
Location: 61.53748, -142.906577
Turn left to glac
Wpt 048
Location: 61.53748, -142.906577
Camp 1
Wpt 047
Location: 61.513084, -142.892696
Rubbly mor x
Wpt 046
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Toilet
Wpt 045
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Go strait to access better gl spot
Wpt 044
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Food lockr
Wpt 043
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Jumbo cr cross confusing
Wpt 042
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Cont lft hard to ree
Wpt 041
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Turn left at jumbo cr
Wpt 040
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Wpt 039
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Lnch
Wpt 038
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
View
Wpt 037
Location: 61.491112, -142.892696
Root glac th