Exploring Glacier Park | 6-Day Guided Hike in September

Exploring Glacier Park | 6-Day Guided Hike in September

Hike Overview Continued

Educational Guided Tour

John Muir encouraged visitors to Glacier National Park to “give a month at least to this precious reserve.” He said that time in Glacier “will not be taken from the sum of your life. Instead of shortening it, it will indefinitely lengthen it and make you truly immortal.” Although we cannot promise that this trip will result in immortality, we can promise a week of camaraderie, learning, and world-class hiking that you will remember for the rest of your life. Join like-minded adventurers for a weeklong exploration of the ‘Crown of the Continent’ Ecosystem. Venture out each day with outdoor education specialists to see and learn about cerulean lakes, meadows bursting with wildflowers, the iconic Going to the Sun Road, and Glacier’s famous bears and goats. This trip is designed for those that want to see and learn as much as possible about Glacier over the course of a single week.  

Itinerary: (subject to change due to trail closures and weather) 

Day 1: All travelers should arrive at the Glacier Institute Field Camp between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
At camp, you will settle into your cabins, familiarize yourself with the campus, and meet other travelers. Then, over a happy hour with lemonade and appetizers, we will review the schedule for the week, go over risk management policies, and answer questions for the week ahead.
After dinner we will enjoy a short evening talk to introduce you to Glacier National Park and the week ahead. If time permits, we will take a short walk to Quarter Circle Bridge.
**Please note: we will schedule an airport pick up to best suit everyone’s needs. Please let us
know your travel information.

Day 2: Our morning drive takes us along Going-to-the-Sun Road, over the Continental Divide at Logan Pass, to the east side of the park where we are welcomed by St. Mary Lake. The hike begins at Sun Point. It is home to the site of the Reynolds Creek Fire, where old charred snags and new flourishing flora create a great opportunity to discuss fire ecology. We will first pass the smallest fall, Baring Falls. Continuing along the trail, sounds of cascading waters echoing through a gorge draws us to St. Mary Falls, an ideal place to spot American dippers. The trail then ascends along Virginia Creek past a series of waterfalls and cascades to our destination of thundering waters in free-fall. Virginia Falls main tier drops 50 feet, creating a cool and misty moment for any hiker in its presence. After enjoying the hike, we will stop in Apgar Village for some ice cream and souvenirs.

Length: 6.3m roundtrip, Elevation Change: 682ft

Evening Program: Native America Speaks Program: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Day 3: Our morning drive will take us around the southern boundary of the park, back towards the Two Medicine valley, with our eyes set on Scenic Point. The raging torrent of Appistoki Falls is hardly out of earshot before the first few switchbacks carry one into a bleached graveyard of Whitebark Pine. The decline of this keystone species is reverberating throughout the forested zones of the Rockies with grave ecological implications! Switchbacks of dusty scree and a moonscape tundra contrast with hemispheres of green, plants inches-tall clinging to the thinnest skein of soil while bighorn sheep graze at elevations of the eye that defy pastoral possibilities.
We will eat lunch atop the mountain with grand sweeping views, the Two Medicine valley one way and, in the other, the Sweet Grass Hills nearly 100 miles afar on a raven’s line. 

Length: 7.9mi roundtrip, Elevation Change: 2,350ft

Day 4: We will travel into the most remote area of Glacier National Park, the North Fork.
Managed as a wilderness area to provide a quieter, more rugged experience, travel will be on a dirt road to reach Bowman Lake. Once on trail, we will hike along Bowman, then climb steeply up the Numa Ridge Trail to the lookout. The Numa Ridge Fire lookout is a historic staffed wooden lookout structure built in 1933. During the summer of 1975, naturalist and writer Edward Abbey was the staffer. Enjoy the views at the lookout, and perhaps a sweet treat at the Polebridge Mercantile on the way back to Field Camp!

Length: 11.3mi roundtrip, Elevation Change: 2,992ft

Evening Program: Glacier Institute Outdoor Education Specialist: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 

Day 5: Today will begin with a drive up to Logan Pass along the stunning Going to the Sun Road. We will hike along the Highline Trail, one of the Park’s most remarkable trails. Our local expert guide will give us an overview of the park’s geology and the mile high glaciers that once carved these landscapes. Logan Pass is a wildlife-rich area, and we will keep an eye out for mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and the gregarious hoary marmot along the trail, discussing how these alpine species survive in this harsh environment.  

Length: 8.4mi roundtrip, Elevation Change: 1,758ft

Evening Program: Closing Fire: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 

Day 6: The trip will end after breakfast, and packed lunches will be available to take with you. All travelers should plan to check out by 10 a.m.
**Please note: we will schedule an airport drop off to best suit everyone’s needs. Please let us
know your travel information.

Food: The following meals will be provided by the Glacier Institute staff: Dinner on Day 1 through lunch on Day 6. We can accommodate any dietary restrictions upon request. Breakfast and dinners will be eaten in camp while most lunches will be eaten out in the field.  

Accommodations: 5 nights of lodging are included into the course fee. Our student cabins are basic, hostel-style cabins with 5 single beds, bedside lights, and electrical outlets. Students should be prepared to share a cabin with up to 4 other people, cabins are separated by gender. Couples may be paired up in the event there is ample space. We provide a bottom sheet for your bed as well as a pillow and pillow case, but please bring a warm sleeping bag. Be sure to bring a flashlight or headlamp for night trips to the bathroom. The community bathhouse has flush toilets, sinks, and hot showers.  

Park Entrance Fees: Participants are responsible for purchasing their park entrance passes prior to the course. These can be purchased online at: https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/74280.  

Physical Requirements: Moderately-strenuous. Participants will hike an average of 10 miles each day over uneven terrain with an average elevation gain of 1,600 feet. See hike-specific trail stats on itinerary below (these are approximations).

Equipment: You will receive a Field Camp gear list once you register. Most importantly are comfortable hiking shoes, snacks, water bottle at least 1-2 liters, backpack, rain gear, hat, and sunscreen. Weather can be varied, especially in the higher altitudes, so please be prepared with appropriate clothing, with extra warm layers. We will be hiking in varied elevations throughout the course so expect cold, potential snow and high winds.

Suggestions on Getting There: The Glacier Institute Field Camp is located just inside the West Entrance to Glacier National Park. The nearest airport is in Kalispell, Montana, about 30 minutes from Field Camp. Travelers should plan to arrive at Field Camp on arrival day between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to check in and get settled. Travelers should plan to depart Field Camp by 10 a.m. on departure day. If you find airline reservations are difficult to make by flying into Kalispell, an alternative is to fly into Missoula, which is about three hours from the park. If you fly into Missoula you will need to rent a car for the drive up to the park.
*Note: airfare and car rental are not included in the trip price.

Notes on our Itinerary: It is common for many of our days to start early with breakfast between 6 a.m.
and 7 a.m. We plan accordingly to beat the heat as well as the crowds, and allow ourselves ample time to reach the trailhead each day. The early bird gets the worm, especially in Glacier National Park. We allow ample down time in the evenings, upon returning from our daily excursion. Due to the nature of experiencing a natural place such as Glacier National Park we are constantly adjusting our plans to
accommodate road and trail closures (due to bears, weather and wildlife). Therefore natural circumstances may arise that warrant us adjusting some of the above itinerary. *Be sure to also check out our adult day courses going on. If there is one you are interested in joining during your week, please inquire upon registration.

Trip Difficulty: Most of our hikes will range from 8-12 miles in length. The hikes will be moderate to moderately strenuous with elevation gains of 400-2,700 feet. All of the hikes are on maintained trails and will take place between elevations of 5,000 to 8,100 feet. In order to comfortably complete the hikes on this trip, all hikers should be participating in regular aerobic activity four to five days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes duration — jogging, bike riding, or using the aerobic equipment at your local gym are just some examples. To help build your endurance, you should begin weekly hikes a few months before the trip of 8-10 miles that gain at least 1,500-2,000 feet of elevation. By the time of the trip you should be able to comfortably maintain an average hiking speed of 2-2.5 mph for six to eight hours — the key word being comfortably. Because of the small, but real potential for grizzly bear encounters while hiking in Glacier National Park, it is not safe for people to become separated from the group. Therefore, it is imperative that you are able to maintain the hiking pace recommended by the leader.   

Weather: Field Camp is located in West Glacier, roughly 3,600ft above sea level. Glacier National Park covers quite a large spread of land, and straddles the continental divide. On any given day, the weather on the west side of the divide can be quite different from the weather on the east side of the divide. The best way to be prepared for ever changing mountainous weather is to have layers! See our gear list for recommendations on what to bring. We recommend checking the weather prior to your trip. NOAA Weather Forecast is a great resource for this. Although we will be lodging in West Glacier we will also travel to the eastern side of the divide near East Glacier & Saint Mary; checking the weather for these different locations can help to provide a big picture of the forecast.

Gratuity Guidelines: Gratuity for Outdoor Education Specialists and/or Instructors is not included.  

Fellow Travelers: This is a group travel adventure. All participants are encouraged to review the itinerary and trip difficulty. It is inevitable that some travelers will have different goals, perspectives and abilities. We ask that the group respect each individual’s conditions and needs throughout the course or trip. We want everyone to enjoy themselves to the fullest!