Since international travel has crawled to almost a halt, I’ve really been enjoying getting to visit the places that have long been on my USA bucket list. Glacier National Park was a relatively new addition but I was so excited to cross it off recently. Best part? It’s easy to get a decent taste of Glacier National Park in 3 days.
Check out my tips to stay safe traveling during the pandemic here.
Guide to Glacier National Park in 3 Days
Is Glacier National Park safe to travel to as a solo woman traveler?
Glacier National Park is safe for a solo woman traveler. There is no cell service in the park so I would highly recommend hiking during daylight hours and sticking to trails that are more well known. Be sure to also download google maps offline so you have it just in case!
Note: the photos in this post may look a little hazy and that’s because the smoke from the Oregon fires were rolling into Montana when we were there.
Know Before You Go
The closest airport is Glacier Park International Airport (FCA) located in Kalispell, MT. The airport is 30 miles from the West Entrance of Glacier National Park and 12 miles from the town of Whitefish.
I highly recommend renting a car. You’ll need it to drive to the different parts of the park plus the drive is so incredibly scenic that you’ll want to take your time and stop where you can.
It’s recommended to rent bear spray to have on you at all times. We didn’t have to use ours but it’s good to know that you’ll need to have this. Check with the place you’re staying to see if they have any you can use, otherwise you can get it at the airport.
Figure out what time you need to be at the parks to avoid the crowds. Depending on the time of year you visit, this can differ! Even though we elected to go later in the day, we still ran into some of the rush from the morning hikers and it made parking very very difficult.
Where to stay near Glacier National Park
I truly can’t say enough good things about where we stayed on our trip to Glacier National Park. We decided to stay in the town of Whitefish given it’s proximity to the park (40ish minutes to the entrance) and all that there is to do/eat in the town of Whitefish. You absolutely have to stay at Good Medicine Lodge. This quaint B&B has everything you can ask for from scrumptious cookies that I ate way too many of to a delectable breakfast to comfortable, detail oriented rooms to the nicest B&B owners you will ever meet. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
Things to do in Glacier National Park
Day 1
Going to the Sun Road
This drive is absolutely stunning and is known to be one of the most scenic drives in the US! This is the road you will be taking to a majority of your hikes so be sure to make a few stops to not only take in the view but also get some epic photos as well.
Hidden Lake Overlook
Hidden Lake Overlook is an easy hike that should definitely be on your Glacier National Park list. It will take you about 2 hours from the Logan Pass Visitors Center. This is the hike that we had the most trouble finding parking on so be sure to keep that in mind as you budget your time. It ended up taking us a full hour to find a spot so that did change how we did our hikes this day. Once you do make it to the top, you’ll be treated to stunning vistas of the lake.
You have the option to continue down to the Hidden Lake once you reach the viewpoint. It’s important to note that sometimes this portion of the trail is closed due to bear activity, as it was the day that we visited.
St. Mary and Virginia Falls Trail
Just a few miles past Logan Pass Visitor Center, this was one of my absolute favorite trails! The waterfalls truly blew my expectations out of the water (hehe see what I did there?). This short 2.9 miles round trip hike is easy to do after the Hidden Lake Overlook. We did have to turn back after seeing the St. Mary’s fall since our earlier parking fiasco cut into our day and we didn’t want to drive back to Whitefish in the dark. Definitely keep hiking on to Virginia falls if time permits for you! For the St. Mary’s falls I recommend climbing up the rocks and going around and then down to get a closer view of the falls.
Curious where to get dinner after a long day in the park? Check out my guide to restaurants in Whitefish here.
Day 2
Sunrise at Lake Mcdonald
Rise and shine. If you aren’t a morning person, grab your coffee because it’s time to see the sunrise (except not in our case due to the smoke). Lake McDonald normally boasts stunning mountain views and makes for the perfect way to start your day. Even with obscured views, we still thoroughly enjoyed our eerie morning.
Avalanche Lake Trail
This is probably the easiest trail you’ll do your whole trip. It’s basically a walkway for most of the way with a moderate portion with some uphill hiking. All in all, not too bad! This trail is 2 miles to Avalanche Lake and then you can either double back or continue on for the loop trail.
The lake itself on a normal day is absolutely stunning but with the smoke, the gorge that we passed on the way was the real showstopper for me!
Day 3
Highline Trail to Grinnell Glacier Overlook
As I mentioned, we were impacted by the smoke from the Oregon fires so we were unable to do this trail. If you have the time (and the energy), I highly recommend the highline trail to Grinnell Glacier Overlook. This hike will give you stunning views at the top and is a little under 8 mies one way so plan on this being an all day feat that takes you around 8 hours! Don’t worry, everyone I’ve talked to say it’s completely worth it!
Bottom Line
Glacier National Park is a destination that should be on everyone’s list. And it is completely doable in just three days. Follow this guide if you’re looking for an active adventure!
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