Highline trail to the Grinnell glacier overlook. 🙂. There will also be a gem colored lake sitting at the base of the glacier, which will make you believe in fairy-tales, or maybe that blue Gatorade comes from someplace other than a factory. It was out down the loop the third day. CLOSED as part of general east side closure due to pandemic. Reaching the Grinnell Glacier Overlook: This route can be found in Volume 3 of Climb Glacier National Park. Organization, jobs, budget After your first mile or so there is a marker indicating the trail and the remaining.6 miles you have left to hike. A steep hike up to the Grinnell Glacier Overlook in Glacier National Park puts you at the top of the Continental Divide. On this site you may find affiliate links. There's a hiker shuttle bus service that makes this possible. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is best used from June until October. It is unlike anything previously seen on Highline Trail. The Grinnell Glacier Overlook. Projected initial clearing date: 7/30/2020 per 658 Permission may be required for use. Contact, chat, social media. As you can see in the above photograph, as you make your way upwards it’s sheer cliffs to your left – so if you find yourself leading that direction, steer right. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Glacier Overlook peers eastward on to the ice fields and melted pools of Grinnell Glacier. The ‘Other’ Overlook (aka The Grinnell Glacier Overlook from the Highline Trail) In theory, this overlook doesn’t exist. Grinnell Glacier: Is another epic hike in Glacier. Take a good look, because glaciologists estimate that by 2030, this glacier and all of the others in the park will have melted completely. So far, this was a pretty fabulous walk in the park – literally. There are many trails to explore in Glacier National Park, a good first choice would be the Highline Trail that leads to the overlook above Grinnell Glacier. The Grinnell Glacier Overlook trail will bring you above one of Glacier National Park’s most prominent glacier formations. It’s also a great place to get out of the wind for a bit, and eat some lunch. The Banff to Jasper area is so large with so many amazing sites to see! Some even asked us if it’s worth it, to which we replied ‘yes it’s so worth it!! On the other side, you’ll see down into the Many Glacier region of Glacier National Park with a fantastic view of Grinnell Glacier, (of course). You can learn more about what affiliate links are and how we use them on getinspiredeveryday.com by reading our affiliate links policy here. Image Use. Great tips! The view from this overlook is absolutely spectacular, and it's very much worth the hike up the, The Grinnell Overlook Trail branches off the, The semi-frozen lake just off Grinnell Glacier is Upper Grinnell Lake. ©Copyright 2013 - 2020 Get Inspired Everyday!™. The view of Grinnell Glacier from the viewpoint on the Many Glacier trail. A man strikes a similar pose in the 2008 repeat photograph. The glacier spills into Grinnell Lake and a string of lakes to the northeast in the Many Glacier region of the park. PS hope you had an awesome Thanksgiving! Mt. Stunning. This is where the Grinnell Glacier Overlook side trail shoots off. Sheer cliff faces add more drama as if more drama were necessary. Read more…. Something about the steepness or possibly that you’ve already hiked 7 miles to get there, but this shoot to the top can be taxing, especially in hot weather. If you do not have plans to hike to Grinnell Glacier on a separate day, I recommend adding this detour onto your day. Kari, these photographs are breathtaking. Top 10 Tips for Visiting Glacier National Park. My name is Kari. The Highline Trail runs along the Garden Wall which you will see on your drive up the Going to the Sun Road to Logan’s Pass in Glacier National Park. Sheer cliff faces add more drama as if more drama were necessary. If you encounter an aggressive bear, bear spray is … Trailhead: Logan Pass visitor center, on the Going-to-the-Sun road. It is approximately 1.6 miles to reach Grinnell Glacier Overlook. Go to Road Information for road conditions, road repairs and delay schedules as well as estimated opening information. Earlier that morning, we were told that Grinnell Glacier Overlook was actually located somewhere else in Glacier National Park. Very doable for most. Grinnell Glacier Overlook Not very many people know about this trail, and it’s a real gem! Most of the repeat photography images available on this website are in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission. Yes the view is worth the extra effort! Grinnell Glacier: Grinnel glacier overlook - See 651 traveler reviews, 737 candid photos, and great deals for Glacier National Park, MT, at Tripadvisor. When I hiked the Highline, a missing person sign was posted at the trailhead. See evidence of glaciers all around. The Grinnell Overlook Trail takes you on a shoot right to the top of that wall! Find it when you arrive in the area from local retailers or order it from the author on line at Volume Three. Wonderful…, Hope you enjoy it, we can’t wait to go back because we feel like we missed so much! Images from the K. Ross Toole Archives, University of Montana: Images that were acquired from the University of Montana may be protected by copyright. It’s actually a spur trail that starts about 1 mile from Granite Park Chalet on the Highline Trail, (you can also reach this lookout via the loop trail that leads up to the Granite Park Chalet). The detour to Grinnell Glacier Overlook is the trail to the left. 🙂, Your email address will not be published. The above photo is what you can see when you first reach the overlook – with views of Grinnell Glacier and Grinnell Lake. Length 13.8 mi Elevation gain 3,015 ft Route type Out & Back Grinnell Glacier is in the heart of Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. 🙂, Oh, I will definitely check that out! This is a moderate one way trail to Grinnell Glacier Overlook in Glacier National Park.. Not very many people know about this trail, and it’s a real gem! ... Jackson Glacier Overlook. Highly recommend this route as Nevertheless, it’s still quite an impressive sight. 5.1 miles one … Grinnell stands tall between two incredible drainages in the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park. This route leads to the highest point accessible via trail in Glacier National Park, which arguably features some of its best views. Using binoculars, you can see hikers taking a break at the top of the Grinnell Glacier hike. Walking up a little further is totally safe as long as you never venture near the cliffs! Hiking info, trail maps, and 9 trip reports from Grinnell Glacier Overlook (7,516 ft) in Montana Required fields are marked *. Grinnell Overlook via Granite Park Trail is a 11.4 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Lake Mc Donald, Montana that features a lake and is rated as difficult. July 2018 Third hike in three days. You're standing on an impressive notch on the Continental Divide overlooking (you guessed it) Grinnell Glacier and the various turquoise-colored lakes that it feeds. The huge mountain directly above Grinnell Glacier is the iconic. Thanks Mike I’m glad you enjoyed the post, and we had a great Thanksgiving (no mountain adventures but plenty of good food)! Length 11.4 mi Elevation gain 3,710 ft Route type Out & Back Grinnell Glacier Trail From Josephine Lake to Glacier Overlook/ 3.7 mi. Learn how your comment data is processed. Great post Kari, I love every single picture: AMAZING! The water from this lake then flows about a thousand feet down several waterfalls until it empties into Grinnell Lake, which is located to the extreme left on this photo. Your email address will not be published. This is a strenuous hike but completely worth it for the views! A panorama of … This is probably best done as a one way hike finishing at either The Loop (further west along the road) or at the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn in the Many Glacier area. You may … The scenic overlook is accessed from the Swiftcurrent Pass trail just west of the actual pass. With Grinnell Glacier access restricted (Covid), we accessed via the Highline trail (Logan Pass visitor center), climbed to the Grinnell Overlook (via Garden Wall trail), and returned via the Loop trail (to the Loop parking lot for pickup). While not on the Garden Wall, the easiest way to access it is from the Lake McDonald side via the Grinnell Glacier Overlook. If you’re well-versed in snow travel and are prepared, there are usually several snowfields to cross if your destination is Grinnell Glacier. The glacier is named for George Bird Grinnell, an early American conservationist and explorer, who was also a strong advocate of ensuring the creation of Glacier National Park. We hiked into Granite Chalet day one, then hiked Grinnell Overlook and Swiftcurrent Lookout the next day. I love to create mostly healthy recipes, and occasionally a chocolatey indulgence. !’ and even with a recommendation people chose to keep going because they were on a time crunch and already tired – so be sure to start early in the day for this one! About. See park web site for map with latest area closure. If you stay at the chalet be sure to work this into your hiking plans. It is a day long hike along the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine. From the trail junction, you can see the lookout which seems deceptively close. From the higher lookout point, you see Grinnell Glacier, Grinnell Lake, Lake Josephine, and Swiftcurrent Lake – the entire mountain corridor comes into view! Grinnell Glacier is steadily melting, having shrunk to almost in half its former size in the last forty years due to rising temperatures. If you hike just 10-15 minutes farther up to the right, the views will take you breath away because you can see twice as much (refer to the photo below)! This trail goes by Granite Park Chalet. Max Elevation: 6515 feet Glacier National Park   I  Yellowstone National Park  I  Grand Teton National Park  I  Waterton Lakes National Park Thank you for sharing your experience…my husband and I (a very long time ago) had the pleasure of visiting Lake Louise, and your photos are taking me right back. Highline Trail Hike in Glacier National Park Grinnell & Salamander Glaciers overlook trail also. Pinned to my Bucket List Adventures! But at the 7-mile point, that changed. The trail is about 1 mile from the Highline Trail to the top of the overlook, but trust me, 1 mile never seemed so long! Grinnell Glacier from Overlook (2004) (Image credit: 2004 photograph by Karen Holzer (USGS)) AFTER: The 2004 photo shows a dramatic increase in the size of the lake as a result of melting ice. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. There’s so much beauty in the Rocky Mountains, I don’t think we’ll ever come to the end of it! Grinnell Glacier Overlook. This is an updated book featuring full color photographs of routes and much more. Views from the top look down on Grinnell Glacier, the Salamander (formerly part of Grinnell Glacier, but now a separate, hanging glacier) and the surreal, turquoise Upper Grinnell Lake. EnjoyYourParks Blog     I     Suggested Itineraries     I    Gift Shop    I     Our Favorite Businesses    I    Images For Sale    I    Contact Us    I    About Us, The Grinnell Glacier Overlook is a very special place that is thousands of feet above the Grinnell Glacier in, . I hope you find something inspirational; let me know what you think. The Grinnell Glacier Overlook is a very special place that is thousands of feet above the Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park. Grinell Glacier and Wing Lookout [CLOSED] is a 13.8 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Browning, Montana that features a lake and is rated as difficult. View along the Highline Trail Best done as a one way hike from Logan Pass to Loop pass using the park shuttle (13 miles, 1400ft). Here we are eating my Mediterranean Pasta Salad at the top of the world! The best overlook area of Grinnell Lake is just off the trail to Grinnell Glacier and before the park service’s snow hazard sign on a chain across the trail. The Grinnell Glacier Overlook is also accessible from Logan Pass via The Highline Trail but it is nearly 7 miles on relatively easy miles. Hi everyone! I tried just to focus on the trail going up so it isn’t so daunting. Contrary to what you might think the wind dies down as you go upwards – it’s worst at the lookout because it’s a mountain saddle. We did not do this, since the day before we hiked to Grinnell Glacier from Many Glacier. Visible by a very challenging day hike from the Many Glacier area. We watched so many people pass this extra trail up in favor of continuing to the chalet. The view from this overlook is absolutely spectacular, and it's very much worth the hike up the Highline Trail on the Going-to-the-Sun Road at Logan Pass to see it. Grinnell Glacier Overlook Portrait 1910. This is definitely one of the best views I’ve ever seen, and it’s not to be missed if you’re coming to Glacier National Park! Grinnell Glacier. Home Page   I   Glacier Park    I    Top Ten Things To Do    I    Glacier Park Hikes/Places    I    Where to See Animals     I     Views from the Summits We’ve partnered with brands we trust and only recommend products we use and love. I forgot about the Swiftcurrent Lookout option, so thanks for mentioning it – it’s another fabulous option while you’re in the area! The 1920 photo shows National Park Service Director, Steven Mather, on Piatt Path near present day Grinnell Glacier Overlook. If you Google this trail, as I did before doing the Highline, you will see that everyone says that the Overlook side trail is strenuous. I catch all the views I missed going down. Then the trail gains elevation with views of Grinnell Falls, Angel Wing, Mt. It’s actually a spur trail that starts about 1 mile from Granite Park Chalet on the Highline Trail, (you can also reach this lookout via the loop trail that leads up to the Granite Park Chalet). If you’ve been to Lake Louise, be sure to check out our Canada category because we did a 3 week trip in that area last fall that you might be interested in! 🙂. Views from the top look down on Grinnell Glacier, the Salamander (formerly part of Grinnell Glacier, but now a separate, hanging glacier) and the surreal, turquoise Upper Grinnell Lake. I’m enjoying country living here in the Flathead Valley, Montana. Grinnell Glacier Overlook. During our trip, we saw a black bear next to Going-to-the-Sun Road. The overlook stands roughly one thousand feet above Grinnell Glacier, which was discovered in 1885 by George Bird Grinnell, an early American conservationist, … A little less than 7 miles into the 11-mile hike, there’s an overlook that looks down on Grinnell Glacier in the Many Glacier Valley. 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