Journey to the Glacier
The Grinnell Glacier Trail is one of the most celebrated hikes in the entire Rocky Mountain chain. It takes you face-to-face with one of the park's remaining glaciers, a living remnant of the Ice Age that scientists estimate could disappear entirely within the next few decades. This hike isn't just beautiful; it's an encounter with geological time that puts our fleeting human presence into breathtaking perspective.
The trail winds along the shores of stunning turquoise lakes, through wildflower-carpeted meadows, past thundering waterfalls, and up to the glacier itself, where icebergs calve into a milky, mineral-laden lake surrounded by towering cliffs. Few hikes in North America offer such a dramatic and varied journey.
What You'll See
Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine, two of the park's most photogenic bodies of water. Cascading waterfalls fed by glacial melt. Bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and grizzly bears are regularly spotted along this trail. The glacier itself, nestled in a massive cirque beneath the Continental Divide, with icebergs floating in the glacial tarn. The views of Mt. Gould, Angel Wing, and the Garden Wall are spectacular throughout.