Glacier National Park is filled with miles of trails and amazing hikes to do with your family. What we loved about them is most of them had an end point: a lake, waterfall, or a cool overlook. That always helps when kids know they are hiking to somewhere, not to mention the fact that the end point almost always took our breath away.
It was hard to rank this list because every hike was so unique and beautiful, but here is our list of the best hikes in Glacier National Park with kids or without. Hiking is definitely one of the best things to do in Glacier National Park and should be on every Glacier itinerary.
Table of Contents
Things To Know
***PLEASE NOTE – Glacier National Park requires a vehicle reservation ticket to access the park starting May 24th for the west side and July 1st for the east side. From 6am to 3pm.
- Going To The Sun Road (westside entrance): May 24 through September 8
- North Fork (Bowman Lake): May 24 through September 8
- Many Glacier: July 1st – September 8th
To get into these parts of the park during these times you will need a vehicle reservation AND a National Park Pass or to pay the park entrance fee.
If you have lodging, camping, transportation or a commercial activity reservation during these dates you will still be able to enter the park. But always check with these reservations/tickets to confirm.
Vehicle reservation tickets are rolled out approximately 4 months in advance and become available at 8am MDT. Always check the site for exact dates and times.
Next Day vehicle reservations will be available at 7 pm MDT for next-day entry starting on May 23, 2024 on a daily rolling basis.
Make your vehicle reservations here.
***Trails can randomly be closed due to bear activity or weather – so always be sure to ask at the Ranger Station/Visitor Center before you go.
***You always want bear spray with you while hiking in bear country! Buying your own and bringing it with you is always what we recommend. If you can’t do that make sure to check at the Visitor Center or find a local store that has some you can bring with you. NEVER approach any wildlife while in the park. Learn more about hiking in Glacier here: Bear and Animal Safety in GNP.
DON’T MISS THIS: Learn more tips and must-know-before-you-go info in our Glacier guides:
Planning a trip to Glacier? We put together a series of digital guides that take the guesswork out of planning. Stop-by-stop itineraries for making the most of 1, 3 or 7 days in Glacier National Park including where to stay, where to eat, what hikes to take and the best driving routes.
We’ve even included links for you to book your stays and buy your park passes. Everything you need in one convenient digital guide. Just download and go!
Easiest Hikes
We will list our picks for easiest, medium and hard hikes. Please note for all of these hikes we have taken our kids with us ranging in age from 7-12 at the time – who have hiked all over the US. You know your own and your kids abilities so keep that in mind when picking a hike to do!
Trail of the Cedars
This is the easiest hike on our list, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t beautiful! The trail is groomed and accessible for strollers or wheelchairs. It is also short at 1 mile roundtrip. The trail is really wide so it gives the kids room to run, plus there are multiple places where you can go off the trail a little ways to let the kids run and play.
The highlight of the trail is the waterfall. We were not expecting it, so it was awesome when we crossed the bridge and there was this bright blue waterfall and creek right in the middle of the trail. This is the definition of hiking in Glacier National Park – unexpected beauty everywhere!
The trail is a loop so you basically make a circle and you are almost back to where you started. You will have to walk on a small section of road, but this is a very populated trail and area so there are signs everywhere for cars to slow down.
There is also a picnic area across the street if you want to leave a picnic lunch or dinner in the car for after the hike.
Location: Trail of the Cedars Trailhead
Distance: 1 mile
Elevation Gain: 60 feet
Related: Trail Of The Cedars Hike In Glacier National Park
Rocky Point Nature Trail
Another shorter hike that takes you along Lake McDonald and to a lookout area where you can look across the lake at the Apgar Visitor Center area. This is a nice hike through the forest then out to the overlook or you can head down by the edge of the water and spend some time throwing rocks into the lake.
Location: Rocky Point Trailhead by Fish Creek Campground
Distance: 1.9 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 350 feet
Aster Falls
This hike is located in the Two Medicine area, so it provides a different landscape than other areas of Glacier. You hike through mostly forest and some meadow area. It is a gradual increase through the forest, but a nice short hike for kids. The waterfall is small, but works as a turn-around point.
Or if everyone is ready to go you can hike up to the Aster Park Overlook. The hike has a quick elevation gain and you are doing a lot of switch backs. We decided to do it and it was a mistake. It was just too much for our kids that day.
The view from the top was pretty and a great way to get a feel of the Two Medicine area, but just be sure your kids are ready to make the hike up. We had forgotten Carson’s shoes so he ended up hiking the whole thing barefoot. Lesson learned by all of us . . . had we stopped at the waterfall, it would have been the perfect distance.
Location: Two Medicine area: South Shore Trailhead
Distance: 2.8 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 320 feet
Related: The Best Glacier National Park Itinerary From 1 to 7 Days
St. Mary Falls/Virginia Falls
This is a well known hike, and for good reason. The St. Mary Falls are beautiful! The hike there is on a downhill rocky trail through a forest. You then come to the bridge you walk across to view the falls.
There are a few rocks for the kids to climb on, but the closer you get to the water the more slippery they get. There is also a ledge around the falls and up the trail. Needless to say, this isn’t really a great place to stop and hangout since it is a stressful location with little kids!
At this point you can either turn around and walk back or decide to hike approximately another mile to Virginia Falls. If you have it in you, go for it! We are glad that we did. In my opinion the Virginia Falls were better than St. Mary Falls. You are hiking up for a lot of this stretch but it is gradual, so not too bad.
There are a few ledge areas on the hike to Virginia Falls so you want to be careful with kids, plus there are a few streams that they can choose to walk on the rocks and not get wet or, like our kids, walk right through the water . . . this means wear Keen sandals or bring a dry pair of socks!
Once you get to Virginia Falls, you cross a fun little bridge and then you are brought to the base of the falls.
We walked out and were sprayed by the freezing cold water of the falls!
From there, we hiked down a ways and found a good spot to sit and have a drink and some snacks.
The waterfall and the views definitely made it worth it to go the extra distance to Virginia Falls. The hike back was downhill for most of it, which always makes it easier and then from St. Mary Falls to the parking lot you are hiking uphill, but it is gradual and a nice path so it worked well with the kids.
Location: St. Mary Falls Trailhead (on the Going To The Sun Road) – limited parking – we ended up having to wait 20 minutes to get a spot.
Distance: .8 miles to St. Mary Falls and then an additional 1 mile to Virginia Falls for a total of 1.8 miles there and 1.8 miles back for a roundtrip of 3.6 miles.
Elevation Gain: (Mostly from St. Mary Falls to Virginia Falls) 525 Feet.
Medium Hikes
Apikuni Falls
This is a shorter hike, which makes it a great hike for kids, but a fast elevation gain. It was tough on little legs, but doable because of the distance. The trail is mostly one lane through a pretty dense forest. Then when you get to the top it becomes a really neat rocky trail.
Make sure you scramble all the way up to the big waterfall that streams down from the mountainside. It is a beautiful waterfall with a crystal clear pool at the bottom. We walked out a little ways, but never reached the waterfall. The water was freezing!!
The views from the base of the waterfall were awesome and the kids had fun climbing around and throwing rocks into the falls.
The hike down was a nice steady downhill hike. We only came across a few other hiking groups so this was definitely a more secluded hike. Make sure to bring your bear spray on this one!
Location: Many Glacier area of the park: Poia Lake Trailhead
Distance: 1.7 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 625 feet
Related: One Day Glacier National Park Itinerary
Hidden Lake Overlook
I made this #1 on the list of the best Glacier National Park hikes with kids because the area by Logan Pass is beautiful and amazing and truly takes your breath away. It isn’t an easy hike since you climb the first half of the hike, but it has a well defined trail and stairs at some points. So it is doable.
You look out over fields of wildflowers and also a few waterfalls as you are hiking up.
Once you get past that point it is a nice gentle incline up to the lookout. While you are hiking up, be sure to stop and turn around to see the beautiful views behind you.
Once you get to the lookout you are rewarded with a breathtaking view of Hidden Lake and mountains.
If everyone has more energy you can take the additional 1.4 mile hike down to the shores of the lake. I was ready to go, but the kids weren’t. So we didn’t. Instead we walked a little ways down the trail and were rewarded with a herd of mountain goats walking right in front of us!
The hike back is much easier since you are going downhill. So be ready, you may either have to run to keep up with your kids or keep telling them to slow down.
Location: Behind Logan Pass Visitor Center
Distance: 2.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 1325 feet
Glacier Guides
Planning a trip to Glacier? We put together a series of digital guides that take the guesswork out of planning. Stop-by-stop itineraries for making the most of 1, 3 or 7 days in Glacier National Park including where to stay, where to eat, what hikes to take and the best driving routes.
We’ve even included links for you to book your stays and buy your park passes. Everything you need in one convenient digital guide. Just download and go!
Avalanche Lake
This hike is very populated – we saw people constantly on this trail. This one starts on the Trail of the Cedars, then you take the route to Avalanche Lake where you start climbing up and pretty much don’t stop until you get there.
The trail is a lot of fun with logs to jump on and boulders to climb along the way. This definitely helped to keep the kids interested. This by no means was an easy hike but it was worth it! The trail follows along and crosses Avalanche Creek at some points.
Once you get to the top you walk out into a clearing that has a Lake (really more like a shallow pond) with mountains surrounding it and waterfalls coming down the mountains into the lake. Yes, it is as beautiful as it sounds!
When we got there we walked out to see the lake and then, boom, there was thunder and rain started pouring down on us! We found a hiding spot under a tree and waited it out and were able to enjoy the lake for a little bit before the rain started again!
We started to hike back and got stuck in a downpour, so we made a run for the pit toilet that was about 100 yards from the lake on the trail. Yup, we hung out in one of those stinky pit toilets until the heavy rain stopped.
Then, with one umbrella and a couple of beach towels for the 6 of us, we made our way 2 miles back down the trail . . . lesson learned. Always have ponchos with you when you hike up a mountain. You never know what the weather is going to do.
Even with the rain, we were glad we did the hike. Avalanche Lake was amazing and the trail was a lot of fun.
Location: Trail of the Cedars Trailhead
Distance: 4.5 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 730 feet
Related: Hiking Avalanche Lake In Glacier National Park
Grinnell Lake
I included this one of the kids hikes because our kids did it. However, this isn’t a hike for a kid that has never hiked before. Round trip it is about 7 miles. The good thing is, it is relatively flat. Just long.
At one point you come to a spot where you can choose to go to the Grinnell Glacier instead of the lake. This would have added miles to our hike and a large elevation gain. For those reasons we did not do it. Even though I really wanted to!
If the hike is too far for your family you can also pay to take a ferry ride across the lake just a short distance from the trailhead parking lot. You can then continue the hike from there or you can jump on another ferry that will take you within 1.3 miles of the Lake (so 2.6 miles roundtrip to get to the lake and then back to the boat). We thought about it but the ticket prices were pretty expensive so we figured we would hike it.
You can learn more about tickets here: Glacier Park Boat Company
The lake was beautiful! You again walk through a forest and over a couple cool bridges – including a suspension bridge. So much fun! Don’t worry, it was sturdy and the creek was just a few feet below you and very shallow.
Then you reach the lake and it opens up to a beach area with the lake surrounded by mountains and waterfalls. The lake was pretty shallow, but deep enough that you could walk out and dive under if you wanted to. You can also see the people hiking the Grinnell Glacier trail up on the mountain surrounding the lake.
This really was a great spot to get out a picnic lunch, bathing suits, and just hang out for a while before making the hike back. Yes it was long, but the kids did it!
And if you want to take the hike to Grinnell Glacier check out our friends post about their hike to the glacier!
*UPDATE* We have since been back and hiked the Grinnell Glacier trail, read on below to find out more!
Location: Many Glacier – Grinnell Glacier Trailhead
Distance: 7.2 miles roundtrip – or much shorter (but expensive) on the ferries.
Elevation: 220 feet
Hardest Hikes
Grinnell Glacier
We did this hike our last time in Glacier – the kids were 11, 9, 9 and 7 at the time. It was challenging but totally worth it. The beginning of the hike is pretty flat. Then for the second part you have some elevation gain but the views help make it worth it! Plus at one point you walk under a small waterfall so you can cool off.
As you make your way around the corner to get to the Glacier you are awarded with an amazing view of the Glacier and the lake below. When we were there we were lucky enough to see the lake filled with icebergs! It was such a cool site! Note – the icebergs aren’t always there. I am guessing it depends on the weather that week.
We hung out by the lake for a while, had drinks and snacks and the kids played with some of the icebergs they could reach. Just be really careful since the water is FREEZING and you don’t want anyone to fall in.
We could have hung out by the lake all day but we could tell it was getting late and we didn’t want to be hiking in the dark so we started to head back. The views of the Glacial Blue water on the way back is unbelievably beautiful. The hike was definitely a challenge but so worth it!
Location: Many Glacier
Distance Roundtrip: 11.3 miles
Elevation Gain: 1840 feet
Highline Trail
The Highline Trail in Glacier National Park starts at Logan Pass and follows the Continental divide, or Garden wall. In the beginning you walk along a ledge with a chain rope you hang on to. It is about a 4 foot wide trail with a huge ledge and drop – so you want to hang on!
It was definitely stressful with kids but they did great. Once you are past this section you walk through a trail with a few random cliff edges but for the most part it is a nice trail for walking on.
We only went about 1 mile out and then turned around and walked back. We had already done the Hidden Lake Overlook trail that day so we knew the kids wouldn’t make it much farther.
The trail has gorgeous views at every turn due to the elevation, but it is over 11 miles roundtrip, so be prepared for that.
Location: Logan Pass
Distance Roundtrip: 11.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 1950 feet
Some of these hikes are on the longer side, but if your family can do it they are worth it. These best day hikes of Glacier National Park with kids definitely gives you such a great feeling for what the park is actually like versus just driving around and stopping at the lookouts.
Honorable Mentions
We haven’t tried these hikes ourselves but have heard they are great hikes.
Sunrift Gorge
This one isn’t a hike so much as a short trail, just off the Going to The Sun Road, with an awesome view of the naturally formed gorge and the waters that rush through. A super short, easy trip with a great payoff! If you want to hike a bit farther, the trail continues on to several additional waterfalls.
Location: Sunrift Gorge parking area, near marker 39 on Going to the Sun Road
Roundtrip Length: 1.3 miles
Total Elevation Gain: 360 feet
Iceberg Lake
This is a longer hike, but with the amazing payoff of seeing Iceberg Lake at the end, along with beautiful alpine meadows along the way. This hike is also in prime bear and wildlife territory, so it is definitely recommended to have appropriately strong bear spray and travel in large groups.
Location: Iceberg Lake Trailhead
Roundtrip Length: 9.7 miles
Total Elevation Gain: 1275 feet
Where To Stay
Camping
Both of these sites offer reservations instead of just first come first serve camping, to make your trip a little smoother!
Fish Creek Campground is located on the West side of the Park, and is the second largest campground in Glacier.
St. Mary’s Campground is located on the East side of the Park, just next to the entrance to the Going to the Sun Road.
Edgewater RV Resort and Swan Lake Trading Post are a bit of a drive but still good options for staying near Glacier National Park. Check those out if you don’t mind driving in!
Glacier is an awesome place for an RV road trip. Consider renting an RV for your Glacier trip! Learn more here!
Hotel
Meadow Lake Resort is a family friendly resort located just 10 minutes from Glacier National Airport. The resort contains a family recreation center and a special area called Hucklebear’s Den with boardgames, arts and crafts and other family activities, as well as scheduled activities throughout the day. It also has excellent reviews!
Cedar Creek Lodge combines rustic mountain charm with great amenities like a free shuttle to Glacier in the summer and Whitefish Mountain for skiing in the winter, as well as a complimentary hot breakfast buffet.
VRBO
Check out this Family cabin 7 miles from Glacier Park Entrance. This adorable, rustic cabin is a nice combination of seclusion and proximity to civilization to meet your needs. Bicycles are also available to rent right next door at the Lodge!
Or check out this amazing Montana Treehouse Retreat near Glacier Park. This is what Glacier dreams are made of. Enjoy your stay in this home right out of your children’s wildest dreams!
To prepare for these hikes, here are our tips for Hiking With Kids.
If you want more information on hiking in Glacier check out this site.
If you need assistance or trail status updates you can contact the ranger stations or visitors centers (list here.)
Also, if you’re looking for other things to do while in the Glacier area, check out our posts on visiting Polebridge Mercantile and Bowman Lake, Whitefish Mountain Resort and Montana Raft!
Let us know if you have any other favorite hikes in Glacier National Park with kids in the comments below. We will definitely be visiting this park again!
Learn more about: America’s National Parks For Kids and if you love National Parks check out our National Park Road Trip ideas!
That was a lot! We know! Be sure to check out our Glacier Guides to help plan your trip!
Planning a trip to Glacier? We put together a series of digital guides that take the guesswork out of planning. Stop-by-stop itineraries for making the most of 1, 3 or 7 days in Glacier National Park including where to stay, where to eat, what hikes to take and the best driving routes.
We’ve even included links for you to book your stays and buy your park passes. Everything you need in one convenient digital guide. Just download and go!
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7 Awe Inspiring Things To Do In Many Glacier in Glacier National Park
Tips For Driving The Stunning Going To The Sun Road
Visit The Magnificent Bowman Lake and Polebridge Mercantile
Rafting With Kids With Montana Raft
Whitefish Mountain Resort Summer Activities
23 Exciting and Fun Things To Do In Bozeman, MT
22 Amazing Things To Do In Red Lodge, Montana
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She loves being outside and exploring new places which is all made better when doing it with family and friends!
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Your photos are absolutely beautiful. We have to visit here one day, good to know there are so many kid friendly hikes for families. We will have to keep this in mind when/if we decide to start a family! Either way we have to see Glacier National Park with or without kids!
You would totally love Glacier and these hikes with or without kids!
Glacier National Park is one of our favorites!! Such a beautiful area. We loved hiking to the Hidden Lake Overlook. I’d love to do all of these hikes sometime–Avalanche Lake and Grinnell Lake book look so gorgeous!
It is one of our favorites too!
Montana looks amazing. What beautiful scenery. Glacier National Park is one place I definitely have in my sights – mountains, lakes and waterfalls. What more could you ask for?
Exactly!
That’s one of the most comprehensive list of hikes and that too in just one of the national parks! Hope to make it there sometime. And, of course, you have awesome kids! 🙂
Thanks! I hope you make it there too! It is amazing!
I love that you manage to get your kids hiking. If we ever took the kids out for walks they whinged so much it ruined it. Toilet picture rocks!
It has taken time to get to this point and their is still whining :)!
I would love to get to Glacier National Park – it looks stunning for both adults and kids! Lets say you wanted to take in as many of these hikes as possible – roughly how many days would you suggest to spend in the area?
It really depends on how in shape you are. With the kids we stick to one a day but as an adult we could do 2 a day. That being the case and given the driving distance between where the hikes start I would recommend at least 5 days if not a whole week. We always encourage people to stay as long as possible so you can really get a feel for a location and take time to just sit on the beach or rent a paddle board and hang out for a day or two.
I love the Queen of the Jungle picture, as it looks like she owns this world. I amtraked through the mainland USA and the train suppose to go around the Glaciers National Park in the late afternoon but somehow the train was delayed for nearly three hours and by the time we entered the park it was dark. Bummer. Hope to get to visit the park and do all these beautiful hikes someday.
That is a bummer! It really is a cool place!
I’d be happy to take any of these hikes, and I don’t have kids. What lovely scenery!
It really is an amazing place!
WOW! It looks beautiful! There are so many falls that I want to visit now. We usually try to stick with 1-day hikes with my kids. My daughter starts to get grumpy 🙂
It is so beautiful! We know all about grumpy kids on hikes. But they are getting better!
Great views! I love hikes and I’d take any of them even though I don’t have kids 😉
Yes they would be great with or without kids!
Great list! We love hiking and national parks so Glacier sounds like the ideal destination for our family. They all seem to come with wonderful views as well. Did you do all these hikes on one trip or after several visits?
We were there for a month so we did all of these hikes within that timeframe. We would normally go hike then take a break for a day or two before going again.
I’ve fallen in love with hiking over the last year! And this is just making me want to go out an explore right now! Unfortunately, it’s pouring rain here in the UK right now – not the most inspiring weather!
Hiking in the rain is no fun!
Wow, this place is SO beautiful!! I love the variety of hikes available and, like you, that they all have an end point! It’s always so much easier to encourage kids to actually get somewhere…rather than just walking around in circles. I would love to visit Glacier National Park one day.
We highly recommend it. It definitely ranks up there with the best places we have visited!
Argh! I’ve wanted to go to Glacier National Park for sooooo long. SUCH gorgeous photos!!!!
It is an amazing place to visit!
Fabulous post Bryanna! Looks like you’re having an awesome family adventure!
Thanks! Yes we are!
Awesome post you guys! I love all the great photos! We’ll be starting our own National Park adventures this year and are really looking forward to it.
Thanks! Enjoy your National Park adventure! We highly recommend Glacier, Yellowstone, and Dry Tortugas! Let us know if you have any questions!
These hikes look amazing. I’ve been wanting to go to Glacier National Park for a while and would love to try a few of the walks when I do. Bookmarked this post for a hopefully not so distant visit 🙂
They are amazing! You will love it!
Glacier is amazing! We braved the Grinnell Glacier hike with our toddler – maybe not for older kids but it was perfect for a toddler you can put in a hiking pack. I just put some pictures up https://thepaciport.com/grinnellglacier . We loved Hidden Lake too! All the goats!
We really wanted to do the Grinnell Glacier hike, but the Grinnell Lake hike was more than enough for them!
This is such a helpful list as we plan our summer days in Glacier. Thank you for the effort you put into sharing!
Hi Erin! Glad you found it useful. Enjoy your visit to Glacier! It’s one of our favorite parks!
Wow! I will have to visit this places and go for a hike there soon! They are all outstanding, Craig!
I definitely recommend it. Glacier is our favorite!
These hikes looks awesome! I have a 6 and 8 year old and it looks like they would love it! Where did you stay?
We stayed at Timberwolf Resort in Hungry Horse, which is 9 miles from the West entrance. We did a work exchange to stay there for a month. It’s a great park and very close to the entrance. But, like with any National Park, our advice is to stay in the park if you can.
Thank you for all this advice! How do you afford to travel? Do you both work from home? Just wondering how I can do it too lol! Also, where did you camp at in Glacier National Park and what time of year did you go? We are thinking early to mid June.
We both work. Here’s some info on our business and how we make money to travel https://www.crazyfamilyadventure.com/work/.
We were in Glacier August and September and it was a great time. I’d think mid June would be good, just take a look at park conditions/road closures as sometimes Logan Pass doesn’t open up until late summer due to snow fall.
Planning to visit Glacier in mid September with 2 kids (3 and 5 years old) any suggestions on where to stay?
Thank you!
Definitely recommend staying in the park if you can. Lake McDonald has a really cool lodge and cabins otherwise there are campgrounds in the park for certain sized rigs/tents.