Glacier Itinerary: Two Days on the Highline and at Iceberg Lake, Plus Plans for 1 to 3 Days

Glacier National Park is a lot of park reached by not very much road. Most first-time visitors build their trip around Going-to-the-Sun Road, and that's reasonable: it's one of the great drives in the country. But the rules for driving it, parking at Logan Pass, and catching a shuttle change from year to year, and that's where a guide earns its keep. My new book, Glacier National Park: History, Highlights, and One- to Three-Day Adventures, is written to help you sort that out and then enjoy the place.

According to the park's foundation document, Glacier covers about 1,600 square miles of the northern Rockies in western Montana and straddles the Continental Divide, so its water drains toward the Pacific, the Gulf, and Hudson Bay. In 1932 it joined Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park as the world's first international peace park. The Blackfeet, Salish, Pend d'Oreille, and Kootenai have ties to this land going back thousands of years, and those ties continue today.

Why planning matters here

Summer is the busy season, and the park notes that September can still be crowded. For the 2026 season, there were no vehicle reservations, but the park set a three-hour parking limit at Logan Pass from July 1 to September 7, with a ticketed shuttle for people who want longer up top (see the park's Logan Pass FAQ). That same FAQ notes the rules change from year to year, so check before you go. Knowing how the current system works can decide whether you hike the Highline Trail or spend your morning circling a full lot.

The other big choice is where to sleep. The west side, around Lake McDonald, and the east side, around St. Mary and Many Glacier, are different trips. I'd pick your base before you pick anything else.

How many days do you need in Glacier?

One day is enough for the drive over Going-to-the-Sun Road with short stops along the way. Two days let you see both sides of the Divide: a day on the west side around Lake McDonald, then a day crossing to St. Mary or heading into Many Glacier. Sleep one night on each side so you're not driving the whole road twice, and know that your entrance pass is good for seven days. These are summer plans: in-park lodges open in late May or June, most close in September, and reservations open up to 13 months ahead. The guide has plans for one, two, and three days at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, each with a weather backup.

Sample itinerary: two strenuous days in Glacier

Here's a shortened version of the guide's strenuous two-day plan: the Highline Trail from Logan Pass on the first day and Iceberg Lake in Many Glacier on the second. That's about 11.8 miles with about 800 feet of climbing and 2,200 feet of descent on Day 1, then about 9.6 miles round trip with about 1,200 feet of climbing on Day 2. The plan is based on the east side: one night at St. Mary or Rising Sun before Day 1, and Day 2's night at Many Glacier or St. Mary.

Day 1: the Highline Trail by shuttle from St. Mary

In 2026 you needed a $1 Logan Pass Shuttle ticket from Recreation.gov, released 60 days ahead and the night before, which meant booking the 7:00 a.m. departure from St. Mary Visitor Center (or an early one from Rising Sun). Line up at 6:30; riders arrived 30 minutes early for a wristband. The ride to Logan Pass takes about an hour. From there, hike north along the Garden Wall to Granite Park Chalet, about 4 to 5 hours, and eat lunch there. Then descend to The Loop, about 2 hours, and catch the next posted eastbound pickup. In 2026, riders at The Loop rode up to Logan Pass, about 30 minutes, and transferred to an eastbound shuttle; pickups ran from noon to 7:00 p.m., and the last eastbound bus left Logan Pass at 8:00 p.m. Don't wait for the last one.

Backup plan: skip the Highline in lightning, high wind, or icy snow, and swap in St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls, which stay below the high ridges.

Day 2: Iceberg Lake

Leave St. Mary at 7:00 for the 40-minute drive to Many Glacier and park at the Iceberg-Ptarmigan Trailhead by the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn. Start up at 7:45 for about 9.6 miles round trip with about 1,200 feet of climbing, 5 to 6 hours in all. Ptarmigan Falls, at 2.7 miles, makes a good break. This is prime grizzly country, so hike in a group, make noise, and keep bear spray handy. At the lake, chunks of ice may still be floating beneath the cirque walls. Have a late lunch at Nell's at Swiftcurrent, walk part of the Swiftcurrent Nature Trail, watch Fishercap Lake and the slopes for moose and bears, and finish with a ranger evening program at the campground or in Many Glacier Hotel's Lucerne Room.

Backup plan: trails can close for days at a time because of bear activity or fire, so check the trail status first. Shorter swaps are Ptarmigan Falls (5.4 miles round trip) or Redrock Falls (3.6 miles round trip with about 100 feet of climbing), and in rain, a Many Glacier boat tour needs only a raincoat.

The full version in the Glacier guide adds maps, meals, and wildlife to watch for, along with the other eight itineraries.

What's inside the guide

• Nine itineraries: one, two, and three days at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, from a relaxed drive over Logan Pass to Avalanche Lake, the St. Mary Valley waterfalls, the Highline Trail, Iceberg Lake, and Grinnell Glacier. Each has a weather backup.
• History: the homelands of the Blackfeet, Salish, Pend d'Oreille, and Kootenai, the Great Northern Railway's hotels and chalets, the building of Going-to-the-Sun Road, and the shrinking glaciers.
• Highlights: Lake McDonald, the Trail of the Cedars, Logan Pass, Jackson Glacier Overlook, St. Mary Lake and Wild Goose Island, and Many Glacier.
• Wildlife: 14 animals, from mountain goats and grizzly bears to moose, pikas, and American dippers, each with a photograph and notes on where and when to look. No promises, but you'll know where to point your binoculars.
• Trip planning: seasons, fees, entry rules, lodging and camping, accessibility, pets, and bear and water safety.
• 34 photographs and 6 orientation maps.

Who it's for

If you've got one day and mostly want the drive, there's a relaxed plan built around it. If you came to hike, the itineraries reach the Highline Trail, Iceberg Lake, and Grinnell Glacier. Either way, every plan comes with a backup for when the weather turns, which in the mountains it will.

You get two files: an EPUB (about 12 MB) for Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, and most e-reader apps, with Send to Kindle for Kindle readers, and a 100-page PDF (about 29 MB, cover included) for any device or for printing. This is the first illustrated edition, with research completed October 2026. The download link arrives by email right after purchase.

Get the Glacier National Park guide

Before you go: see Glacier National Park alerts and current conditions, checked daily, for current closures and what they mean for your trip.

This is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Conditions change; check the park's current alerts before you go.