The Highline Trail Guide — Glacier National Park

This is Page 2 of the hike description. Click here to read Page 1.

The Route

The entire Highline Loop is 11.8 miles roundtrip, and the elevation gain is about 800 feet (not including the optional Glacier Overlook spur trail).

The hike is outlined in green below:

Getting Here

The Highline Trail begins at Logan Pass along the Going-to-the-Sun Road.  After you park, you’ll need to cross the road on foot to start the hike.

Logan Pass is located 32 miles from Apgar Village or 18 miles from St. Mary as you drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Logan Pass and the Cables

The Highline Trail begins at Logan Pass along the Going-to-the-Sun Road.  After you park your car, you’ll need to cross the road and look for the sign that marks the start of the trail.

Immediately, the views are spectacular! Dramatic, jagged peaks line the horizon ahead. Mountain goats and bighorn sheep will often congregate here as well.

After hiking roughly one-quarter of a mile from the trailhead, you’ll reach the first steep dropoff of the hike.  The trail has been carved into the side of the mountain, also known as the Garden Wall.

The National Park Service has installed hand cables along this 0.3-mile long ledge, and it is absolutely thrilling!

The trail is typically 6-8 feet wide through the cable stretch of the trail, with approximately 100-foot (or more!) dropoffs to the Going-to-the-Sun Road below.

Many people will be able to get through this part of the trail with fun stories and cool pictures, but someone with a severe fear of heights may have a hard time completing this section of the Highline Trail.

Views and Wildflowers

Shortly after the hand cable section ends, the trail mellows out.  Small streams, vibrant wildflowers, and spectacular scenery will now be your focus! Don’t forget to look behind you every once in a while for some of the best views. The scenery is amazing in all directions!

The trail is phenomenally carved into the mountainside and is often exposed with very few larger bushes or trees. With every step, the sensational views continue.

You’ll hug the cliffs as you hike along, adding a large dose of excitement and adrenaline to your day!

When you get past the rocky section pictured above, the drop below the trail starts to mellow out.  You’ll start to notice more foliage, such as larger trees and beautiful wildflowers.

At this point, you’ve hiked about 2.5 miles from Logan Pass.

(As a slightly awkward side note, if you need to use the bathroom, then this is the section of trail to do it. If you don’t go here, you’ll likely have to travel a few more miles to get to another good spot that provides some privacy. Just be sure to pack out your toilet paper — leave no trace!)

You can see the only major climb of the day, Haystack Pass, from this vantage point.

The views are unmatched as you approach Haystack Pass!  It’s fun to look back toward Logan Pass to see how far you’ve traveled.

Haystack Pass

Climbing up the slopes of Haystack Pass is done in one relatively mild switchback.  The views as you work your way up the trail will likely distract you from the climb!

After about 275 feet of elevation gain, you’ll reach 7,024 feet above sea level as you enjoy the view from the top of Haystack Pass.

The top of Haystack Pass is dramatic and breathtaking!  From here, you’ve got views of the Garden Wall and the trail you’ve already traveled.  BUT now you can also see a whole new set of mountains and landscapes off of the backside of the pass.

Absolutely gorgeous!

Many people stop here for lunch and then turn around.  The trail to the top of Haystack Pass is about 3.6 miles one-way from Logan Pass, making this a 7.2-mile round trip trek along the Highline Trail.

The Section Less-Traveled

If you decide to hike on (which I highly recommend!), you’ll notice the crowds thin out considerably from here. The trail continues to gradually climb up the cliffside and offers phenomenal views of Haystack Butte.

This section contains the highest point of the trail at 7,280 feet and then begins the gradual descent toward the historic Granite Park Chalet.

The trail just past the top of Haystack Pass is one of the most dramatic and daring parts of the Highline Trail. The mountain views are magnificent, and the trail drops hundreds of feet below you.

Take time to savor this part of your hike!

As you hike along the cliffs, check out your first glimpse of Lake McDonald from the trail!

The landscape begins to mellow out again as you make your way closer to the Granite Park Chalet.  You’ll notice fewer jagged peaks in this area as you stroll along a nice, flat, and enjoyable trail.

Enjoy the solitude along the trail.  After a busy morning with hikers everywhere, the last half of the Highline Trail is a welcome dose of peace and quiet.

Grinnell Glacier Overlook Trail

At the 6.9-mile mark, you’ll reach a small junction. This area will likely have quite a few people congregating while trying to decide if they want to take the side trip that travels up the mountainside.

This side trail is called the Grinnell Glacier Overlook Trail.  It travels steeply up the rocky mountainside for 0.9 miles to give you an astounding view of the Grinnell and Salamander Glaciers clinging to the rocks below.

The picture below was taken from the Granite Park Chalet and gives you a good idea of the elevation gain and exposure of this trail.  Look closely at the left side of the photo in the gray area.  You can see a small trail that’s quickly working its way up the cliff.

If you decide to extend your Highline Trail experience and hike the Grinnell Glacier Overlook spur trail, factor in at least an extra hour. The trail is incredibly steep, gaining 900 feet, and is very exposed, so you’ll need to take your time.

As you reach the end of the spur trail, enjoy the commanding views of Lake McDonald in the distance.  Hold on to your hat up here! The wind often whips powerfully at the top!

The real stars of the show are the fabulous glaciers that lie directly below your feet.

At the far end of the sparkling blue lake sits Grinnell Glacier, with Mount Gould dramatically above it.  Salamander Glacier is clinging to the rocks directly below you.

You’ll love this view! It’s definitely worth the extra effort!!

Granite Park Chalet

After hiking back down the spur trail and meeting up with the Highline Trail, it’s time to continue hiking toward the Granite Park Chalet.

This chalet was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1914 and offers basic sleeping arrangements for backcountry hikers. For more information on this national historic landmark, click here.

You’ll reach the chalet after hiking 0.7 miles past the junction leading to the Grinnell Glacier Overlook. Follow the sign to reach the Granite Park Chalet!

A Fork in the Road

Ok my friend, at this point, you have a decision to make. If you want to hike the traditional Highline Trail route by connecting to The Loop Trail, continue reading below.

But the truth is, these days, when I hike the Highline Trail, I usually turn around at the Granite Park Chalet and just head back to Logan Pass via the way I came. That way, you stay on the prettiest parts of the trail the whole time and don’t have to worry about taking the shuttle back up to your car at Logan Pass.

This video explains why I do this, so if you’re ok with a little more mileage in order to skip the hot and dry section of this hike, be sure to watch it!

The Loop Trail

If you’re at the Granite Park Chalet, head back down to the Highline Trail. Take a right when you get back to the Highline Trail to continue the rest of your hike.

You are now on the Granite Park Trail, better known as The Loop.  This is the final leg of your Highline Trail adventure!

Heavens Peak dominates the distant skyline.  Enjoy the trees that surround the trail…unfortunately, they’ll be gone after just a few steps.

The Loop trail travels steeply down the mountainside for 4.2 miles.  A forest fire in 2003 cleared out many of the trees in the area, and regrowth is still occurring.

It gets hot, hot, hot on this section of the trail and can be a little miserable during the summer months.  Be sure to have plenty of water and take breaks when needed.  The Park Service has had to make numerous rescues here because of dehydration-related sicknesses.

At about 11.2 miles from the beginning of your hike, your descent will be complete, and the trail will level out.  From here, it’s 0.6 mostly flat miles to The Loop parking area.

And you’ve made it!  You can now cross the Highline Trail off your bucket list — that’s a huge accomplishment!

The Shuttle

You only have one last thing to do — get back to your car in the Logan Pass parking lot. The Park Service offers a complimentary shuttle that stops at The Loop and then heads directly up to Logan Pass.

The shuttles are small and can fill up fast, so you may have to wait for a while to get a seat. I’ve had to wait 1.5 hours to get on the shuttle before, but usually, it’s closer to an hour.

For the shuttle schedule and more information about what to expect, click here.

Have an amazing time on Glacier National Park’s most famous trail!

Click NEXT to read about the 10 things you can’t miss on your first visit to Glacier!

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