Hiking Alone in Glacier National Park
Kraig AdamsOct 2024 · Solo
- Days
- 3 days
- Direction
- Loop: over Red Gap Pass first, back over Swiftcurrent Pass
- Cost
- Permit $10 plus $7 per person per night
- Lodging
- Tent
North America · United States
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park, Montana
- Distance
- 64.9 mi104.5 km
- Days
- 3 days
- Elevation gain
- 11,175 ft3,406 m
- High point
- 7,526 ft2,294 m
- Season
- Summer to early fall
- Lodging
- Tent
Hikes / North America / Glacier National Park
In October 2024 I hiked alone for three days in Glacier National Park, Montana: about 65 miles on a loop from the Many Glacier Road, over Red Gap Pass to Elizabeth Lake, along Cosley and Glenns lakes, over Stoney Indian Pass, up to Fifty Mountain, south on the Highline to Granite Park and over Swiftcurrent Pass back to Many Glacier. It's the trip from my film Hiking Alone in Glacier National Park.
Kraig Adams
Effort at this pace: Very hard · about 22 mi (35 km) and 3,725 ft (1,135 m) of climbing a day over 3 days, up to 7,526 ft (2,294 m). Our grade for the days given, worked out from distance, climbing and altitude a day; it isn't the trail's usual difficulty rating (under Basics) and doesn't rate exposure, terrain or weather.
Where these numbers come from
From Kraig Adams's GPS recording and guide.
From Kraig Adams's GPS
The route, day by day
Elevation4,485–7,510 ft64.9 mi
From Kraig Adams's GPS. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP, SRTM) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors
Tap a day for his map of it
Download GPX1.8 MB · free
Each day and variant (3 files)
- Day 1: the Many Glacier Road over Red Gap Pass to Elizabeth Lake Foot (17.8 mi / 28.6 km) 497 KB
- Day 2: the Belly River, Cosley and Glenns lakes and Stoney Indian Pass to Stoney Indian Lake (16.5 mi / 26.5 km) 463 KB
- Day 3: Fifty Mountain, the Highline, Granite Park, Swiftcurrent Pass and Many Glacier, then the road back to the trailhead (30.7 mi / 49.4 km) 891 KB
The film
Watch it first
Hiking Alone in Glacier National Park
Before you go
The basics
- Start
- Poia Lake and Red Gap Pass trailhead at Apikuni Flat, Many Glacier Road
- Finish
- Back at the Apikuni Flat trailhead, after 2.2 miles on the Many Glacier Road from Swiftcurrent
- Direction
- Loop: over Red Gap Pass first, back over Swiftcurrent Pass
- Usual difficulty
- Three passes, long days, fords in fall, grizzly country, no phone signal
- Best time
- Summer to early fall. I walked October 10 to 12, 2024
- Permits
- A wilderness permit for every night (2026: $10 plus $7 per person per night). In October, walk-up only
- Getting there
- How I got there. I flew in from New York (JFK through Salt Lake City to Glacier Park International Airport at Kalispell, FCA), arriving at about midnight, and got a hotel in Kalispell because I needed to charge batteries and get one good night's sleep. I rented a car at the airport. Then it was a bit of driving: picking up supplies, bear spray and some food, my permit, and over to the Many Glacier Road. I started hiking just before noon.
- Lodging
- Tent
From Kraig Adams's guide
Costs and gear
From Kraig Adams's guide
Safety
Rescue numbers
- Emergency: 911 where there's a signal; little or no cell service on the loop. Park main line 406-888-7800.
Phone signal
- Call 911 if you have a signal.
- Most of the park has little or no cell service, and none on most of this loop.
Insurance
- Medical treatment in the US is expensive, so make sure your travel insurance covers local treatment and medical evacuation.
Bail-out points
- Day 1, Many Glacier Road over Red Gap Pass to Elizabeth Lake. Before Red Gap Pass, walk back the way you came to the Many Glacier Road. Past the pass, the nearest road is still back over it; the Ptarmigan Trail toward the tunnel only helps when the tunnel is open. Don't start up the pass late in the day in bad weather: it's high, open and a long way from help.
- Day 2, Elizabeth Lake past Glenns Lake to Stoney Indian Pass. Before the pass, go back down the valley to the Belly River and out to the north, or back to Elizabeth Lake and over Red Gap Pass. Past Stoney Indian Pass you're committed to Fifty Mountain and the Highline, or the long Waterton Valley Trail north to Goat Haunt. Cross the pass early in the day if wind or snow is coming.
- Day 3, Fifty Mountain and the Highline to Many Glacier. From Fifty Mountain the Waterton Valley Trail goes north to Goat Haunt at the head of Upper Waterton Lake, a long way from any road on the US side. On the Highline, Granite Park is the main way out: south to the Going-to-the-Sun Road at Logan Pass or The Loop, or over Swiftcurrent Pass to Many Glacier, as I did. Once Going-to-the-Sun Road closes for the winter (usually around the third Monday of October), Logan Pass and The Loop are on a closed road, so in late October Swiftcurrent Pass is the way out.
From Kraig Adams's guide. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.
Their films and versions
Creators who've done it
1 creator so far: Kraig, 3 days, tent.
Hiking Alone in Glacier National Park
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Typical: 3 days (the hike's facts).
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Planning questions about Glacier National Park, answered only from this page's facts, the creators' versions and hikers' public tracks, with where each answer comes from. When the data doesn't say, the answer says "not given".
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Answered from the data
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for Glacier National Park?
I did it in three days of 17.8, 16.5 and 30.7 miles, and the last one ended after dark. My permit was for four days and three nights. Four to six days is a better plan for most people.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How much does Glacier National Park cost?
Permit $10 plus $7 per person per night (May 1 to October 31). Park entrance $35 per vehicle for 7 days, or $70 for a Glacier annual pass; non-US residents 16 and older add $100 unless they hold an annual or America the Beautiful pass. Advance-lottery applications cost $10 more. There's no gas in the park.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
When is the best time to hike Glacier National Park?
Summer to early fall. I walked October 10 to 12, 2024.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Do you need a permit for Glacier National Park?
Yes. Every night in the backcountry needs a wilderness permit, at designated campgrounds only. In 2026 it cost $10 per permit plus $7 per person per night from May 1 to October 31. Advance reservations on Recreation.gov cover trips from June 15 to September 30; the rest are walk-up permits, in person, the day before or the day you start.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How long is the Northern Loop in Glacier National Park?
My loop from the Many Glacier Road over Red Gap Pass was 64.9 miles (104.5 km) on my GPS, with about 11,180 ft of climbing, in three days in October 2024. Through the Ptarmigan Tunnel from Many Glacier, trip reports give about 53 to 65 miles; most people take four to six days.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Can you get a walk-up permit in October?
Yes, and it's the only way in October. On the 2026 schedule, Many Glacier's permit office closed September 27 and St. Mary's October 4, so Apgar, on the west side, was the only office open through October 31 (8 a.m. to 4 p.m., last permit 3:30 p.m.).
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
What are the Ptarmigan Tunnel's opening dates?
The park says its doors usually open in mid-July and close by late September. When it's closed, Red Gap Pass is the way from the Many Glacier Road to Elizabeth Lake, which is what I did on October 10, 2024.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Is it safe to hike alone in Glacier National Park?
The park advises against it: hiking in groups greatly reduces bad bear encounters, and no attack on a group of four or more has been reported in Glacier. I went alone. If you do, carry bear spray within reach, call out and clap often, and finish before dusk.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Where do you camp on the Northern Loop?
Only at designated wilderness campgrounds on your permit. I camped at Elizabeth Lake Foot and Stoney Indian Lake, and had Granite Park booked for a third night. Other camps on the loop include Poia Lake, Cosley Lake, Glenns Lake, Mokowanis Junction and Fifty Mountain.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.