Montana: Glacier National Park

Montana’s Glacier National Park is a wilderness experience not to be missed—and this hiker’s tour lets you discover the park’s natural wonders in style! Our experienced local leaders are expert naturalists—adept at navigating Montana’s wilderness trails and rugged terrain. Under their tutelage, you’ll learn how to spot eagles, elk, and bighorn sheep among the lush slopes of the Highland Trail—and the perfect spot to photograph the stunning turquoise waters at Iceberg Lake. Hike to Appistoki Falls and enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking stunning views of the Continental Divide—and ride the parks’ famous open-top Red Jammer buses as you travel from hotel to hotel. In the evenings, relax in historic mountain lodges steeped in Glacier National Park lore, spectacular mountain scenery, and mouthwatering local cuisine.

Highlights

  • Ascend the peaks and cliffs of the Continental Divide as you cruise the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road in one of the park’s classic Red Buses.
  • Learn from passionate and knowledgeable naturalist leaders, as they bring Glacier National Park’s impressive geological history to life.
  • Traverse alpine slopes through a profusion of colorful wildflowers and grasses, all beneath the impressive face of Mt. Wilbur.

Positive Impact

Country Walkers is proud to support the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative with a donation on behalf of each guest on this tour. Stretching some 2,000 miles, the Yellowstone to Yukon region is enormously diverse and inhabited with wildlife, nature, and millions of people. The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative is the only organization dedicated to securing the ecological health of this entire region. Through their big-picture perspective they focus on local issues that have continental-scale implications. Since 1993 they have worked with over 300 partners including businesses and government and non-profit organizations on dozens of on-the-ground initiatives.

On all Guided Adventures you can count on...
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Expert local leaders to introduce you to the best of your destination
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Off-the-beaten-path places you’d never find on your own
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Delicious multi-course meals—a majority are included
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A maximum of 18 fun-loving fellow travelers to share the journey
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Gracious accommodations that are a clean, comfortable home away from home
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Experts to handle all the details
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Air Packages include plane tickets, airport shuttles, and pre- and post-tour accommodations
Itinerary

Wed, Jul 9 to Mon, Jul 14, 2025

Avalanche Lake; 5-6 miles, easy to moderate

Your leaders will meet you at the Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge at 8:00 a.m. in the lobby. They’ll be wearing Country Walkers shirts. Please be dressed for walking.

From the meeting point in Whitefish, you drive (approximately one hour) to the western side of Glacier National Park. Here, in the lush, ancient cedar rainforest, you stretch your legs on an easy walk up to the glacial meltwaters of Avalanche Lake. The path first passes Avalanche Gorge, where rushing waters have carved the stone into smooth chutes and bowls. From here, you continue climbing a moss-rimmed pathway among western red cedars and hemlock to the tranquil shores of Avalanche Lake, which rests in a cirque surrounded by the towering, layered cliffs of Glacier Park’s dramatic mountains.

Following a lakeside picnic lunch, you travel a short distance to your home for the night—a national park property that first began welcoming guests in 1895. Nestled in a cedar grove on tranquil Lake McDonald, the lodge provides opportunities to stroll the lakeshore or perhaps relax near the lobby’s giant stone fireplace. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner in your lodge’s dining room.

Country Walkers provides you with city information including recommendations on what to see and do in Whitefish if you arrive early or depart later than your tour.

Included Meals: Lunch, Dinner

7 miles, moderate

This morning, early risers may have an opportunity to view the wildlife, such as deer and elk, that make their home in the forested foothills around Lake McDonald. After breakfast in the dining area with its rough-hewn beams and hunting trophies, you depart the western side of the park in a classic Red Bus by way of the well-known Going-to-the-Sun Road. This marvel of engineering spectacularly scales the Continental Divide at Logan Pass (elevation 6,646 feet) and affords close-up views of the park’s majestic high peaks, cliffs, and lakes.

Today’s walk is the famous “Garden Wall” section of the Highline Trail, which provides excellent opportunities to view wildlife on the open mountain slopes below the rugged ridge of the Continental Divide. The trail crosses a broad ledge, then twists through fir and spruce that time has molded into eerie shapes. Strong winter winds and ice particles have left many without windward branches and, instead, with a flagpole-like appearance. As you hike, you are surrounded by the results of glacial activity, in a valley overlooking mountains that cradle a high hanging basin, from which a waterfall cascades hundreds of feet to the valley floor below. You may share the trail with mountain goats or bighorn sheep, which are at home on the ledges of the rugged, rocky terrain. After lingering near a promontory known as Haystack Butte, you then return on the same trail.

By late afternoon you reach your home for the next two nights, another impressive park lodge built by the Great Northern Railroad in 1915. The lodge sits on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake and offers some of the best wildlife viewing in the park. This convenient location means your next two days of walking begin right from the lodge’s front door. Built with a true Swiss flavor, the hotel features a recently renovated exterior. This evening you dine in the lodge’s Ptarmigan Dining Room, which serves Continental and American cuisine.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

5-9 miles, moderate, 1,200-ft. elevation gain

After a breakfast buffet, you set out for the striking aquamarine tarn known as Iceberg Lake. The trail climbs briskly for the first few hundred yards, then gradually ascends to the lake (elevation gain of 1,200 feet). You traverse slopes colored with a profusion of wildflowers, including creamy white beargrass blossoms in early summer and magenta fireweed spikes in mid-summer. In all seasons, you behold breathtaking views of Swiftcurrent Glacier, Grinnell Point, and towering Mt. Wilbur, known to the Blackfeet as “Heavy Shield Mountain.”

Ptarmigan Falls provides a refreshing rest spot on warm summer days. For a shorter walking option, you may turn back here and enjoy a leisurely afternoon at the lodge. For the longer option, continue to the glacial cirque that supports the frigid turquoise waters and ice flows of Iceberg Lake (elevation 6,094 feet). After the short or long option, enjoy a leisurely evening, choosing the locale for dinner on your own either at the hotel’s main dining room or the more casual “Swiss Lounge” with a full bar menu.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

5 miles, moderate, 600-ft. elevation gain OR Grinnell Glacier; 11 miles, moderate to challenging, 1,400-ft. elevation gain

The Grinnell Valley area holds two of today’s possible destinations—Grinnell Lake Overlook or Grinnell Glacier. Both options begin with a short, yet scenic, boat ride across Swiftcurrent and Josephine lakes. The trail starts with a climb through a forest of subalpine firs, then traverses ledges of sedimentary red and green argillite. The path then opens broadly to breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks, with Mts. Gould and Grinnell towering above. Grinnell Falls, with the distinctive milky flow of glacial meltwater, cascades into Grinnell Lake below. Wildlife sightings are likely as you travel through the habitat of bighorn sheep, mountain goats, bear, and moose. The turnaround point at Grinnell Lake Overlook is remarkably picturesque. It allows for a leisurely pace on the return, along the wildflower-studded shores of two lovely lakes (elevation gain of 600 feet).

For those who continue onward and upward, the trail is demanding, but rewarding, and provides access to one of the largest remaining glaciers in the park (elevation gain of 1,400 feet).

At the end of the day’s adventures, a scenic drive of just over an hour brings you to new accommodations—a historic park lodge known as the “Big Tree” hotel owing to the enormous Douglas fir trees adorning its majestic lobby. Dinner tonight is in the lodge’s dining room.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

8 miles, moderate to challenging, 2,200-ft. elevation gain OR Upper Two Medicine Lake; 7.5 miles, easy

This morning, a short drive brings you to Two Medicine Valley and the trailhead for a walk that boasts the week’s highest elevation, uniquely located here in the park’s vast, eastern prairies. From the east bank of Appistoki Creek, the trail climbs quickly, passing Appistoki Falls, then ascends steeply and steadily via switchbacks up the arid mountainside above the creek. All of today’s elevation gain (approximately 2,200 feet) is within the first three miles, and you are rewarded at the summit of Scenic Point (elevation 7,522 feet) with sweeping views. To the west are magnificent peaks, passes, and deep blue lakes along the Continental Divide, and to the east are great plains that stretch for hundreds of miles. After a picnic lunch, you return on the same trail with beautiful views of Glacier National Park spread out before you.

For those looking for something more leisurely, a walk is offered to Upper Two Medicine Lake. Starting at the foot of Two Medicine Lake with magnificent Rising Wolf Mountain towering to the north, the trail gently winds through forest, where avalanche chutes open to views of this gorgeous valley. While eating a snack at impressive Twin Falls, you may catch a glimpse of an ouzel (or American dipper), which makes its home in a nest under one of the falls. Continuing to Upper Two Medicine Lake (elevation gain of 300 feet), you unpack your picnic lunch before making your way back to Two Medicine Lake and returning by boat. Tonight’s farewell dinner is at a local restaurant known for its casual menu and lively atmosphere.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

1 mile, easy. Depart from Whitefish

Conclude your Glacier National Park hiking tour with a pleasant hike around the Forest and Fire Nature Trail loop, near the Camas Creek entrance to Glacier National Park. Previously called the Huckleberry Mountain Nature Trail, this hike takes you through areas that were severely burned in 1967—and scorched yet again in 2001. Visible regrowth here is a testament to nature’s determination. Determined pine saplings, young aspens, and fragrant wildflowers surround the trail as you walk through the rebirth of the forest.

Soon you’ll ascend vantage points to see thousands of charred trees and spreading views of the Flathead River. Once this hike is complete, you’ll shuttle to Apgar Village on the shores of Lake McDonald, for a picnic lunch before returning to Whitefish for departure from the airport or downtown.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Montana: Glacier National Park

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Accommodations

What's Included

Tour Only
Exceptional boutique accommodations Included
15 on-tour meals: 5 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 4 dinners Included
Local leaders with you throughout tour Included
Local wine and/or beer with dinner Included
Telescopic walking sticks provided on tour Included
A passport on top of a paper map with pins stuck in it.

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Reviews
43 out of 44 (97%)
4.9 out of 5 stars.
Read More Reviews

Glacier National Park was on the top of my list for a while. Friends of ours did this trip last year, highly recommended it and so we booked with CW. First – the guides – Jennifer and Gabby. WOW! They are an amazing part of your organization and truly made this trip for us. They were expert guides, lunch makers, nurses, gear providers, cheerleaders, driver and simply anything and everything that was needed. They are the ultimate hosts offering exceptional hospitality. They are the sole reason I gave this trip Five Stars. Itinerary – I would give it 3.5 stars. For me – our day started too late. I would have preferred an early start with a bit of time to relax in the afternoon before lunch. I know others preferred to sleep in – simply a preference thing - perhaps you could alternate each day. The hikes were well planned – but the pace was a bit slow for me. We also encountered a some rain. Had I been solo – I would not have pushed for the extra 1 mile back and out in the rain for a view that was not really good. Lots of days of continuous hiking – I would have preferred mixing it up a bit – as they did on our day to the Museum of the Plains Indians. Lodging I would give this 2 Stars– While the lodges were Historic and beautiful in all the common spaces. Our rooms were a disgrace. Small, cramped, showers with moldy curtains. Our group was given sub par accommodations. I saw other rooms in the lodges – they were remodeled and far nicer. Since you are all one company (Xanterra) I would think you might giver preference to your groups. In the Many Glacier hotel we had one bed that was so small we had to sleep head to feet. Really? The rooms were very disappointing – and it was not because the lodge is historic – it was because you gave us unremodeled rooms that easily could be updated to be more appealing and appropriate. Food – overall 4 stars – food was well presented and tasty. I would have enjoyed a more healthful, contemporary selection but I did appreciated we had unrestricted choices in the dining rooms. The menu was OK – the service mixed – I expect that if I booked my own reservations they would be exactly the same. Perhaps in your dining rooms you might offer a more casual section – burgers, wraps, larger salads for dinner etc….. Guests – Overall 3 stars - I took this trip very seriously and had all the recommended gear. I am a capable hiker and expected, based on your description and requirement that other guest would be too. Some arrived without the appropriate gear (Jennifer and Gabby anticipated this and had tons of spare gear). Some arrived not knowing how far or high we would hike. And some were simply too slow and fragile to be in the “faster” group. I’m not sure I would book another CW trip. While I appreciated the itinerary and planning that went into making this happen – the value proposition for my time and money was simply not a good fit for me.

smahk, Long Island, NY

Montana: Glacier National Park

My husband and I went on our first Country Walkers trip to Glacier National Park in August, 2024. Everything about the tour was excellent. The guides, Jennifer and Wade, were so knowledgeable, enthusiastic and helpful. Scenery was spectacular and the Park Lodges so unique. We got a choice of hikes daily and guides adapted them for the group’s needs. Moose and bear sightings were incredible.

Dan and Maura, Maryland

Montana: Glacier National Park

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