Plan with
Confidence
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. Bring bear spray. The trail has a section that has late season snow chutes with dangerous angles which melts to tricky snow bridges before it opens in early to mid-July.
Path Type
There and Back
Access the start of this route from the Grinnell Glacier Trailhead parking area, west of Swiftcurrent Lake. Start out on the first two level miles along Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine's eastern and northern shores on the appropriately named North Shore Lake Josephine Trail. Towards the end of Lake Josephine, look for the right-hand turn onto the Grinnell Glacier Trail. This is where the elevation begins to increase for the next two or so miles. As you climb up the flanks of Mt. Grinnell, the views keep getting better. From these higher vantage points, there's an increased chance of seeing wildlife in the surrounding meadows and down into the drainages below. The tall cliffs of Angel Wing rise abruptly to the south while you can begin to see Grinnell Lake's incredible emerald color. This almost artificial hue is due to very small particles of rock that have been ground down by glaciers, that are suspended in the water of the lake. These particles are called "glacial flour." You'll notice the higher up the hike goes, the more vivid the color of the water becomes. As the trail begins to level out, just below the glacier, there is a nice picnic and sitting area and a pit toilet. Please be sure to pack out any trash. Continue for the last climb up 0.34 miles through the rock until you arrive at Upper Grinnell Lake with Grinnell Glacier to your left. Straight ahead, Salamander Glacier hugs the cliffs of the Garden Wall. The Continental Divide runs along the top of the Garden Wall and Going-to-the-Sun Road is just on the other side.
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