1 Day in Glacier National Park: Fun Weekend Travel Guide

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Yanno, I honestly think Glacier National Park miiight just be my favorite. Or at least a strong contender from my top 3. It’s kind of wild considering out of my other favorites, I’ve spent the least amount of time in Glacier, only 2 days. But since I couldn’t get enough and basically did the exact same thing on my second day, it really feels like I only had 1 day in Glacier National Park. AND IT’S STILL MY FAVORITE. That’s how great of a National Park it is.

Glacier is not the easiest or cheapest National Park to get to, and most visitors might only have a weekend to take it all in. Our (Americans) vacation time is abysmal at best, and what a lot of non-Americans forget to take into account is that about 25% of Americans don’t get ANY paid vacation or time off. That means if they travel, not only are they spending money but they are also losing money.

Americans want to travel more, truly, but this country intentionally makes it hard man. Anyways, I almost got on a soapbox there.

So, let’s say you want to visit Glacier National Park, but you’re really short on time. Is 1 day in Glacier National Park enough?

Well, no, not really hahah. It’s a huge, beautiful, stunning park. BUT!!! I will say 1 day in Glacier is 100% still worth it. Even if you don’t do any hiking, Glacier has some of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen. I visited as part of my three week road trip through Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana where I also stopped by Grand Tetons National Park and Yellowstone National Park. In my humble opinion, Glacier knocked both of them out the water and it’s the one I spent the least amount of time in.

So if you’re short on time (or just need help prioritizing your itinerary), these are my recommendations for seeing the highlights for a 1 day in Glacier National Park itinerary.

1 Day in Glacier Itinerary

If this is your first time visiting Glacier National Park and you want to make the most of your 1 day in Glacier, here’s the perfect itinerary to help you see the “best” things in the park. I’m using best in quotations because of course that’s subjective, but I do feel it encompasses the things that most visitors would really enjoy.

NOTE: This 1 day in Glacier National Park itinerary is based on a summer visit when most parts of the park will be open. If you plan to visit during the winter season, when significantly less parts are open (like Going-to-the-Sun road RIP), check the National Park Service website to see the status of road and visitor center closures.

First Things First – LITERALLY!!!

During our time around Glacier, we stayed in Whitefish, so it was only a short 30 minute drive to get to the park. Even then, I’d recommend starting your day AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!! Most National Parks are open 24 hours a day, so if you can head out at sunrise or maybe a bit before if you want to hike to watch the sun come up, that’ll get your day started on the right foot.

Arriving to the park early, especially when you only have 1 day in Glacier, is one of my best tips to avoid crowds at National Parks and allow you to see more during your short visit.

The farther away you stay, the earlier you’ll have to set out to make a good call time, so be mindful of that. I’d recommend aiming to get to the park no later than 8:00am, and ideally earlier if you can manage. You’ve only got 1 day in Glacier National Park after all, so make the most of it!

If you stay somewhere close or even within the park itself, I’d recommend booking as soon as possible because lodging will fill up and prices will skyrocket the longer you wait.

Going-To-The-Sun Road

Once you get to the park, we’re gonna do my absolute favorite item on this itinerary: driving Going-To-The-Sun Road. It’s like a Pimp Named Slickback, ya gotta say the whole thing.

If you can only do one thing in Glacier, drive Going-To-The-Sun Road. This 50-mile road will give you and overview of the best places in the park with the most gorgeous scenery in the shortest amount of time. You’ve only got 1 Day in Glacier, so start it off with a beautiful bang. While there are places to pull over and stop, you don’t have to, also making it super accessible.

From June 3 – September 28, the busy season, popular parts of Glacier National Park require a vehicle reservation, including the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road. Visit the Glacier NPS website for details and the most up-to-date information on the vehicle reservation system. If your travel schedule allows, you can visit outside of these dates and not have to worry about reservations or the busy summer crowds.

But don’t worry, even if you visit during those dates and don’t get a reservation, it’s not the end of the world. You still see incredible views from the Going-To-The-Sun Road portions that don’t require reservations!

Sections of Going-To-The-Sun Road closes in the winter or for occasional road work and weather, so it’s always helpful to check the NPS website for your visit. The rangers will likely also give you a reminder once you arrive.

Take A Hike

If you’re able, you gotta do at least one hike during your 1 Day in Glacier National Park. Lucky for you, there are plenty of hikes to choose from regardless of your fitness level and time frame. Even if you don’t really like to hike or if you have little kids, there are a couple of short hikes that are quick, easy, and suitable for everyone!

Most of the popular trails are right along Going-To-The-Sun Road, so you can drive the road until you get to your preferred hike, or find one with an open parking spot, and then continue the drive afterward. This is another reason you’ll want to arrive at Glacier as early as possible so you can have your choice of hike!

One of my favorites and first recommendations is the Trail of the Cedars, and then if you want a little something more, continue on to Avalanche Lake. I actually did both hikes on the first day of my visit, so you’ll have enough time for both if you only have 1 Day in Glacier, but again arrive to the park early so you’re not speed running through.

The Trail of the Cedars is an easy 1-mile hike that takes you through some beautiful trees to the stunning Avalanche Gorge. It’s accessible for all mobility devices as the bit not on the platform is flat packed dirt, and the trail is mostly shaded as well. From there, you can choose to continue the loop back to the parking lot, or turn off and follow the trail to Avalanche Lake.

The trail to Avalanche Lake is listed as moderate and comes out to about 6.7 miles round trip, including the Trail of the Cedars loop. It has a lot of gorgeous scenery and is a nice way to get your blood pumping first thing in the morning. It’s one of the most popular hikes in the park, so getting here before 9am will make your life a lot easier.

However, even if you only have 1 Day in Glacier (or maybe because of it), you’ll have to be flexible and a little patient. The hike might have a full parking lot and for anything over 3 miles, it might not be worth it to wait around for a spot to open up. The hike might also be closed for bear activity or maintenance.

It happens.

So have a second and third option picked out just in case! Some other great hikes to check out are:

• Hidden Lake Overlook (2.7mi, moderate – one of the most popular)
• St Mary/Virginia Falls (3.1mi, moderate – did this one on my second day!)
• Highline Trail (14.9mi, hard – did part of this one on my second day, will be back to finish)
• Grinnell Glacier Trail (10.9mi, hard – one of the “shorter” glacial hikes)

And just like any time you are out in nature, don’t forget to practice the Leave No Trace principles and make sure you are properly prepared (food, water, gear, etc) at all times!

Food Time

After your morning hike, you’ll probably be ready for a good snack. Continue driving Going-To-The-Sun Road for a bit and enjoying more of the scenery until you find a nice pull-off to have lunch.

I 100% recommend you pack a lunch for your day in Glacier. Not only will it save you from having to leave the park to get food, wasting precious time for your 1 Day in Glacier, but you can eat your lunch with a million-dollar view.

The night before you head out, stop by a grocery store to pick up a simple (aka doesn’t require heating) meal and some snacks. Some of my favorite options are pasta salad, sandwiches, pickled vegetables, protein dense snacks like jerky, and the classic trail mix. This works best if you have a cooler or at least a lunch bag with an ice pack (which most grocery stores also sell if you don’t bring one).

There is a small restaurant in the park, but it does get crowded. It’s also at one of my favorite places to go for sunset (I went both of my days in Glacier and it hits every time), so it’s an option but I’d personally prefer to leave that location for later in the day.

After you enjoy your lunch, you have a few options as you continue on your drive.

St. Mary Visitor Center*

I touched on this earlier, but while you are driving around, you will come across so much beauty that you will want to stop at every single pull-off and take pictures of everything.

Obviously, if you did that, you would have time for almost nothing else.

So what I recommend is to make minimal stops on your drive out to St Mary Visitor Center and make note of some of the places you would like to stop on the way back. This way you can see how long it takes you to drive the whole road, see how you are doing on time, and prioritize what you want to see on the way back.

Then again, if you see an open parking spot…by all means make a quick stop hahah.

*Now, St. Mary Visitor Center is a tricky one and is closed (along with the Going-To-The-Sun Road) mid-October until about late-May, so depending on when you visit might determine if you can go here. But if it’s open, it’s a must-see in my opinion. Not only is the building itself beautiful, but it is also located on the Blackfoot Nation Reservation, which is dope and contains a lot of information and context on the land’s Indigenous past, present, and future.

All of the National Park lands should be managed by their ancestral stewardesses if I’m speaking frankly, but we’ll leave that convo for another post.

On your way back, some of the popular areas to stop are Logan Pass Visitor Center (the highest point on the road), Jackson Glacier Overlook, Sunrift Gorge, and Wild Goose Island Lookout (highly recommend). All gorgeous and can take as short or long as you’d like.

Glacial Lakes

Glacier National Park got its name for a reason. There are currently 26 glaciers in the park (and counting…), and many of the lakes in the park were created from melted glaciers and glacial runoffs. So I mean…it would be pretty iconic to see one during your 1 day in Glacier, no?

Yeah, you can choose to hike to one of them, but if you want a chiller route, here’s my insider tip. You can get to a glacier lake at Wild Goose Island Lookout! Most folks just stop for the pullout picture (and yeah, it’s super picturesque), buuut for an even better view, there’s actually a trail that leads down to St. Mary Lake from the pullout.

It’s a bit hidden, but start making your way toward the lake and you’ll see a trail. Keep following it down until you get to the rock beach. There were only a handful of people there and the beach was large enough that we could spread out and have some privacy.

It was the perfect little break to just sit down, relax, and feel the icy cold glacial lake water. If you’re brave enough, you could go for a swim. EYE don’t recommend it as a good time, but if you’re inclined…it’s technically an option. You could also eat your lunch or a snack here if you wanted.

McDonald Lake

Ahhh yes, my favorite area of the park. Along with driving the Going-To-The-Sun Road, you have to see McDonald Lake. I mean…it’s kinda hard to miss, it’s the first main sight you see after entering the park (if you’re coming from the West entrance), but my favorite time to visit is in the later afternoon into sunset.

So after you make your way back from Going-To-The-Sun Road, I recommend ending your 1 day in Glacier National Park at McDonald Lake.

McDonald Lake is the largest lake in Glacier National Park. It is also the most popular lake for water sports like kayaking and paddleboarding. You can also swim, take a boat tour, or just sit and relax, maybe even eat your dinner at one of the picnic tables if you packed it along. Otherwise, you can grab dinner at one of the restaurant in Apgar Village (also where you’d rent kayaks and paddleboards).

Whatever you do, stay for sunset. I still think about the light reflecting off the lake’s multi-colored rocks. McDonald Lake is the perfect way to end your 1 day in Glacier National Park itinerary.

Go Stargazing

Now, most park visitors leave after sunset, but if you aren’t too tired and the sky is clear, extend your 1 day in Glacier with some good ol’ fashioned gazing at the night sky! Glacier National Park is a designated dark sky park, which means not only is the sky so clear and dark that you can see so many stars, you can also see the Milky Way with your own eyes.

It’s breathtaking.

There are plenty of places you can go to look at the sky – any of the visitor centers would be a good choice, or even Lake McDonald if you don’t want to venture too far into the park.

Just remember that in the summer, the sky doesn’t get completely dark until pretty late (like 9pm!). That gives you a lot of sunlight to explore during your 1 day in Glacier, buuut that also means you’ll need more food and water. You’ll also be out later so keep that in mind depending on how far you have to drive to your lodgings.

TLDR; 1 Day in Glacier Sparknotes

• Arrive no later than 8 am
• Drive Going-To-The-Sun Road
• Take a hike (I recommend Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake)
• Pack a lunch and have a picnic with a view
• St. Mary Visitor Center
• St. Mary glacial lake
• Lake McDonald
• Stargazing

Best Time To Visit Glacier National Park

Glacier is open all year round and there are neat things to do during all seasons, but there are certain things that are closed during the snow/winter months.

Parts of Going-To-The-Sun Road are closed much of the year, and the whole road is only fully open to motorists between mid- to late June until late October, although this does change every year based on snowfall (check the Glacier road status page for up-to-date information). Visitor centers are also only open seasonally, typically between May and October, and there tends to be limited accommodation and restaurant options in the off-season.

But don’t let that discourage you from coming if your travel dates fall outside of those windows! Even if you do find yourself here when parts of the park are closed, there is still lots to do. Plenty of hiking and biking trails are accessible all year, and backcountry camping and fishing is allowed all seasons too.

In the winter, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are great activities that…technically you can only then, and will give you a complete unique experience. That said, if you want the best chance of avoiding the crowds and still having everything open, early to mid-September is going to be the preferred time of year.

Are there Bears?

LOLL yeah, and if you’re asking that question, it’s either a huge pro or a scary con. There are both black bears and grizzly bears in Glacier, but don’t stress about it! If you plan to do some hiking, just make sure you hike with at least one other person and potentially carry bear spray (and have it easily accessible and know how to use it). Pay attention to your surroundings, make plenty of noise, and you’ll be fine!

NOTE: You can’t fly with bear spray so I’d recommend purchasing it once you arrive if you are traveling by plane.

With any and all wildlife, you should also give any animals you encounter an abundance of space. You could see anything from deer to mountain goats to bighorn sheep during your 1 day in Glacier. Wildlife can and WILL be unpredictable. Keep both you and the animals safe and maintain a healthy distance.

Conclusion

And there you have it! I hope this was helpful for you planning your future 1 day in Glacier National Park! It’s a lot of park to try to squeeze into one day, but it’s surprising what you can get in when you arrive early and leave late! For my next visit, I’d love to stay at least three days and camp (let’s be real, stay in the lodge) so I can do longer hikes and see more dramatic views.

Have you ever visited Glacier National Park? What would you add as a ‘must-see’ if someone only has one or two days? Let me know in the comments below!

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