Near South Shore Lake Josephine Trail
Along the shores of Lake Josephine. with permission from danhester
Near South Shore Lake Josephine Trail
Glacier National Park. with permission from danhester
Near South Shore Lake Josephine Trail
Lake Josephine with Grinnell Glacier and Grinnell Falls.
Near South Shore Lake Josephine Trail
Lake Josephine looking up towards Grinnell Glacier.

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Driving Directions
Hike Trail

South Shore Lake Josephine Trail

3.9 (7 Ratings)
A pleasant trail through trees and along the south shore of the beautiful Lake Josephine.
2
mi
Distance
35
ft
Gain
easy
Difficulty
BirdingFamily FriendlyLakeLakefrontRiver/CreekViewsWildflowersWildlife
Access Issues
The road past Many Glacier Hotel at the T-intersection closed due to construction. Construction began in the fall of 2024 and will continue through mid-May 2026. Please use the east side of Swiftcurrent Lake Trail to access trails. https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/mg-construction-2025.htm Bring bear spray.

Route Details

Flatter
Steeper
1.96mi
Distance
35ft
Elevation Gain
71ft
Elevation Loss
20%
Max Grade
4,947ft
High Point
4,893ft
Low Point
Path Type
Point to Point
Description
Although most people will pair this trail with the Swiftcurrent Lake Trail, the official start of this trail is located off of the road that runs past the Many Glacier Hotel to the boat house. Park at the hotel and follow the road to get to the trailhead. From the trailhead, the trail heads through a wonderful forest full of birds and small mammals. This entire area is popular with moose and grizzlies, so keep your eyes peeled for these large mammals. As you approach the creek coming out of Stump Lake to Swiftcurrent Lake, you'll meet the junction with the Swiftcurrent Cutoff Trail and continue alongside Stump Lake. The trail roughly follows the shoreline with trees partially obstructing the views. The trail leaves the creek briefly only to come to the wide outlet of the lake. The trail has a short spur to the lake, and your first amazing view of the lake. The trail, once again enters the trees into a nice, airy forest and loosely follows the lake's shore with intermittent views of the lake. You arrive at a junction with options to continue around the head of the lake, cut up to the Piegan Pass Trail, continue on to Grinnell Lake, or head to the shore of the lake at the boat dock where you can catch a ride back to the foot of the lake. This content was created by Jake Bramante of Hike 734. Visit https://www.hike734.com for more expert Glacier content and maps that help you decide which trail to hike.

Route Conditions

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Birding
extreme
30.21 mi
+5,821 ft
Contributors
Jake Bramante