Even among an absolutely breathtaking suite of American national parks, Glacier National Park is an exception. With soaring snow-topped peaks, shining alpine lakes and stunning stands of forests, this northern Montana park (which technically extends all the way into Canada) truly feels surreal in its level of beauty.
Because it’s so far north, though, many of the most beloved sights in Glacier National Park are only accessible for a very short window of time—mostly just July and August. Couple that with an annual average of three million visitors, and you can quickly understand why some of its most beautiful hiking trails are also among the most crowded.
Fortunately, it is possible to enjoy the majestic scenery of Glacier National Park—without the constant presence of strangers in your photos. We’ve coupled with AllTrails to bring you the best hidden gem crowd-free hiking trails in Glacier National Park (and many others, which you may have seen on the blog lately!). And, of course, we’re always here to help make it clear that RV camping is the very best way to enjoy any outdoor adventure destination with all the creature comforts of home.
Best Crowd-Free Trail Suggestions by AllTrails
If you’re on this page, it’s safe to assume you’ve heard of AllTrails, the all-in-one app that puts the great outdoors in your pocket. Along with the trail maps, user reviews and other helpful information available to its free Base members, AllTrails offers upgraded paid services—and they’re well worth their weight in gold.
For example, AllTrails Plus members can download trail maps ahead of time so they’ll be ready to go once you’re out of signal range, along with offering wrong turn alerts to keep you heading in the right direction. Better yet, an annual AllTrails Plus membership is now available at a 30% discount to our readers, but only for a limited time—so don’t hesitate!
Alright, without further ado, let’s get to the recommendations!
Skip Avalanche Lake; Try Kootenai Lake Instead
Not every trail on AllTrails has more than 26,000 reviews (and a star rating that darn close to five), but Avalanche Lake does. And to be honest, from the photos, it’s pretty easy to see why: at the destination viewpoint of this moderately challenging hike, which is less than six miles long and sees under one-thousand feet of elevation change round trip, you’ll arrive at a pristine, mirror-like alpine lake fed by multiple waterfalls. It’s pretty hard to imagine anything more beautiful.
However, that’s exactly the set of reasons that Avalanche Lake is also one of the most crowded trails in the park, with potentially thousands of visitors clomping along the trail all on the same day. A solution: head for Kootenai Lake via the Wateron Valley Trail instead, and enjoy a very similar hiking profile with far, far fewer interlopers.
This trail to Kootenai Lake is also just about six miles round-trip and is slightly flatter than Avalanche Lake Trail, putting it on the slightly lower end of moderately challenging. As you make your way through the lush valley between towering stands of trees, chances are good you might run into wildlife such as deer or even moose, which famously call this area of the park home, and you’ll also have the opportunity to cross a stream on a wooden bridge. When you arrive at the lake, you’ll again be greeted by the reflections of the surrounding mountains, as well as the clouds floating through the blue sky above and the water below. Best of all, compared to Avalanche Lake’s 26,000 reviews, this trail has a whopping 24 total. Which is to say, if you’re looking for peace and quiet, congratulations: You’ve found it.
Here’s what real-life hikers have to say about Kootenai Lake via the Wateron Valley Trail:
- Beautiful trail. Quiet and woodsy.
- Very easy hike with minimal elevation and great views all around!
- Wilderness at its best.
Before You Go Considerations
Every outdoor adventure has safety considerations to keep in mind. Here are a few for Kotoenai Lake.
- Be bear aware. Glacier National Park is one of the premier homes of grizzly bears in the lower 48, and black bears live here too. Visit the NPS website for information about how to spot the difference—and what to do should you encounter either kind.
- Wear long pants and sleeves. Because this is a trail less-traveled, it tends to be more overgrown than others. Keeping your body covered helps guard you against any irritating plants as well as ticks and, of course, the sun.
- Make sure you’ve packed right. Water, snacks, and sun protection are key—and bear spray can’t hurt when you’re this deep in the northern mountain wilderness, either.
Skip the Highline and/or Grinnell Glacier Trails; Try Beaver Pond Loop Trail Instead
For those looking for a more rugged adventure, Glacier National Park treks like the Highline Trail or Grinnell Glacier Trail have a compelling appeal. Both of these trails figure in the double-digits as far as mileage, and each sees more than 2,000 feet of elevation gain along the way. Of course, the views they offer, including up-close encounters with glaciers and waterfalls as well as sweeping park vistas, make them worth every step and drop of sweat.
They are, however, overflowing with visitors—and not accessible for newer hikers, those who aren’t acclimated to elevation gain, or those traveling with kids. For a crowd-free hiking trail inside Glacier National Park that offers lakeside views as well as passing through aspen groves and wildflower-filled meadows, AllTrails recommends Beaver Pond Loop, decidedly on the easy side at just over three round-trip miles and only a few hundred feet of elevation change.
Although it might not be as dramatic as some of the other trails in the park, Beaver Pond Loop is pleasant and relaxing—and let’s be real, in a place as beautiful as Glacier National Park, the stunning views truly are everywhere you look. Like elsewhere in the park, wildlife encounters are common here, perhaps especially because it’s a trail less traveled by.
Here’s what real-life hikers had to say about their experience on Beaver Pond Loop:
- Very peaceful.
- Gorgeous brisk hillside walk.
- Very quiet relaxing trail for a morning hike.
Before You Go Considerations
Even easy hikes require preparation up front! Here’s what you need to know.
- Consider a satellite device. Beaver Pond Loop is in an extremely remote part of Glacier National Park, and chances are very good you won’t have cell signal. Even on easy hikes, accidents can happen, and a satellite device puts help just a call or text away.
- Consider the season. While during the long winter many parts of Glacier National Park are simply snowed over and inaccessible, even during the warmer months, weather can be unpredictable—and after rain, trails can be excessively muddy. Be sure to bring the right gear for any kind of conditions you may face, and check the weather forecast often.
Post-Hike Resources for Glacier National Park
While visitors could easily spend weeks in Glacier National Park without seeing all of its majesty, there’s plenty else to enjoy while you’re in this neck of the woods, too. (For starters: Check out the best local RV campgrounds, both inside and outside of the park, from rugged adventuresome options to more luxurious digs.)
The nearby towns of Whitefish and Columbia Falls are chock-a-block full of fun food options, art galleries, and good vibes. We recommend a stop at Montana Coffee Traders for your quick caffeine hit in the morning, and a nice hearty post-hike dinner at Whitefish Lake Restaurant—whose views prove that all the best ones aren’t just inside the park.
Additionally, keep in mind that although Glacier National Park is, of course, stunning, it’s hardly the only vast wilderness in this area worth exploring. If you’re taking a longer RV trip, consider making stops at nearby Helena National Forest, Lewis and Clark National Forest, or Flathead National Forest. (That’s the best part about RV camping: It makes long trips into a breeze so you can see even more while staying comfortable!)
We sincerely hope you get a chance to take advantage of the stunning beauty of Glacier National Park, truly one of our national treasures—and that you’ll book an RVshare vehicle to do so. It’s the best way to enjoy rugged adventures from a cozy position, and since they’re owned by real people, RVshare rigs are always well-loved and homey. (Psst: Just don’t forget to download AllTrails before you get to the park—or about that 30% discount we mentioned!)