8 Classic National Park Hikes Every Backpacker Should Do
It's hard to find an ugly spot in the national parks. But these eight hikes take it to the next level, with gorgeous scenery and wildlife. Go for a walk.
Glacier National Park ranks among North America’s most epic backpacking destinations. The park stretches across 1,000,000 acres of Montana’s northernmost reaches, right up to the Canadian border. Together with Alberta’s Waterton Lakes National Park, Glacier makes up the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.
Hikers in Glacier National Park will follow long and winding routes through numerous ecosystems, from prairie to alpine tundra. Naturalists, too, value the park for its rare red cedar and hemlock forests.
Living alongside Glacier’s magnificent flora are hundreds of animal species, including moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and coyotes. The Canadian Lynx and grizzly bear, both endangered, also call Glacier home.
For the determined outdoor enthusiast, backpacking Glacier National Park is an absolute must. Some choose to explore Glacier by way of the Continental Divide Trail, which at  110 miles runs the length of the park. The Pacific Northwest Trail, another notable long trail, crosses the park east to west. But you don’t need to be a thru-hiker to get a taste of Glacier; with over 700 miles of trails, the park has more than enough variety for hikers of all types. Even so, hiking Glacier National Park is best done in the late summer months, once the park’s heavy snowpack has melted away.
It's hard to find an ugly spot in the national parks. But these eight hikes take it to the next level, with gorgeous scenery and wildlife. Go for a walk.
These 6 miles of pristine wilderness are among the best 100 miles of trail in the whole national park system.
Lose yourself in the Lower 48's wildest park.
Windswept ridges, jigsaw peaks, and a bulldozing glacier are just few of the highlights on this 9.8-mile half-circle route near Going-to-the-Sun and Matahpi Peaks.
Can't afford a full week in Glacier? Try this daylong sampler, a 5.2-mile hike that passes waterfalls and jagged peaks, climbing to an alpine lake pinched in by 3,000-foot walls.
Pass through some of the wildest land in the Lower 48 on this stout 11.3-mile route that offers a wildlife showcase of grizzlies, mountain lions, moose, and wolverines.
This strenuous 54.8-mile, 6-day loop follows a historic abandoned trail across the true crown of the continent.
Lakeside campsites, abundant wildlife, waterfalls, and magnificent mountain views are among the many highlights on this 25.1-mile, 3-day trek in the east section of Glacier.
This 12.3-mile, out-and-back trek to Swiftcurrent Mountain is loaded with heavenly views of the Continental Divide, plus the McDonald and Many Glacier valleys.
Hike up two mountain peaks with eye-popping vistas on this challenging 7.4-mile off-trail route on the park's lesser-traveled east side.
Hike over three mountain passes into glacier-carved basins with crystalline lakes and bird's-eye views on this 17.6-mile loop. Don't forget your camera.
Ride Amtrak to Glacier's back door, then hike this 19.7-miler past glacial lakes and cascades and over two gorgeous passes.
This 16.1-mile dayhike links a string of alpine lakes, then hits a summit high above glacier-sculpted landscapes in the Many Glacier region.
Link wooded ridges and a glacier-scraped valley on this 11-miler in Glacier National Park that visits a quiet lake rimmed by rugged peaks.
Climb 5.8 miles through lodgepole pines to a fire lookout perched above the Apgar Mountains with views that extend across Glacier National Park.
Five mountain lakes, two mountain passes, and countless glacier-carved peaks highlight this epic, 29.6-mile shuttle hike in Glacier National Park.
This 28.8-mile shuttle hike travels to the southern tip of Waterton Lake, touring remote landscapes peppered with pristine lakes and glacier-covered peaks.
Travel to two quiet backcountry lakes rimmed by the rugged Livingston Range on this 24.8-mile hike in Glacier National Park.
You'll find rugged landscapes and plenty of solitude on this 33.6-mile backpacking trip that visits a secluded lake at the foot of three rugged peaks.