On our first visit to Glacier I enjoyed all the hikes we did, but the Highline Trail was the highlight of that trip. The Highline Trail offers amazing views, yet it doesn't require tremendous elevation gain, it is relatively flat over the distance. The first time we skipped the side jaunt up to the Grinnell Glacier overlook, so I was determined to go to that viewpoint on this visit - check out my pictures and you will agree that the overlook deserves a visit, despite the fact that you have to do some climbing to get there. Also on that first trip, we took the route from the Granite Park Chalet down to the loop. The longer, more scenic route, is to leave the Granite Park Chalet via Swiftcurrent Pass and hike down to Many Glacier Campground. Taking the Swiftcurrent Pass option requires some preplanning to get between the trailheads, so on this visit we got all the logistics worked out regarding hiker shuttles. The result was a fantastic hike. I really do consider the Highline Trail to be one of the best trails I have hiked.
We got up early to catch the first shuttle at 7:30 AM. We were the first to arrive at the shuttle pickup point out side of Swiftcurrent Restaurant - there are no reservations for the shuttle, it is first come/first serve. A big group of people showed up later, but fortunately a second van was commissioned to take their party. The shuttle only holds 12, but we managed to squeeze 15 people in. Note that you need to show the driver your park pass (I had left mine on the dashboard of our car and so had to run back and get it) The shuttle was completely full when it went to the second pickup point at Many Glacier Lodge - there were a few hikers waiting there, but they were told to wait for the 9:00 AM - I felt sorry for those hikers because that could really delay their plans for the day.
The hiker shuttle took us to St. Mary's, where we could catch the free shuttle along the Going-To-The-Sun Road up to Logan Pass. Logan Pass is the trailhead for the Highline trail, and we soon started our hike.
We were blessed with beautiful weather on this day - the views from the Highline Trail stretch for miles in all directions; obviously an overcast day would obscure the distant peaks and reduce some of the dramatic views. We took the side jaunt up to the Grinnell Glacier and found it unexpectedly steep, but looking down on the glaciers made the ascent worthwhile. Since Swiftcurrent Pass lies along the Continental Divide, just like the Grinnell Glacier Overlook, I expected another arduous climb when we left the Granite Park Chalet, but we reached the pass without too much effort.
From Swiftcurrent Pass the trail descends quickly for about 3 miles until we reached level of the lakes, and from there it is another four miles across relatively flat terrain through forests back to the campground. Overall, the Highline Trail is about 15 miles, with another 1.2 miles tacked on for the Grinnell Glacier Overlook. This was an all day hike - what a terrific day it was. I highly recommend the Highline Trail on a sunny day!
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Highline Trail Photos
