hiking · moderate
Highline Trail (Glacier National Park)
- Distance
- 18.50 km
- Elevation
- 250 m
- Duration
- 6.0 h
- Season
- Jul–Sep
Rae here. The Highline is one of those trails where the walking is easy but the setting does most of the work — you're traversing the Garden Wall a few hundred feet above Going-to-the-Sun Road, with the Livingston Range filling the western horizon. As an out-and-back from Logan Pass, you skip the shuttle logistics that trip up the point-to-point crowd, but you also commit to seeing the same ground twice. It's worth it.
The trail
From the Logan Pass trailhead, you cross the road and immediately start the section everyone talks about: a narrow ledge cut into the cliff with a hand cable bolted to the rock. It's exposed but not technical — kids and nervous hikers manage it fine in dry conditions. The drop to the road below is real, though, and in wind or wet weather it demands attention.
Past the ledge the trail settles into a long, gentle traverse along the east side of the Garden Wall. There's barely any climb for the first few kilometers, just contouring through alpine meadows, scree fans, and pockets of subalpine fir. Mountain goats are routine here — they use the trail as much as hikers do — and bighorn sheep show up on the upper slopes. Wildflowers peak in late July: glacier lily, paintbrush, beargrass when the cycle is on.
The route rolls past Haystack Butte, which is the one notable climb on the way out, then continues toward Granite Park Chalet. With the distance and gain you've been given, an out-and-back to the chalet area and a turnaround there fits cleanly into a 6-hour day. The chalet itself is worth the stop — water and snacks if it's staffed, plus the option to walk a few minutes farther for the view down McDonald Creek.
When to go
The Highline is a short-season trail. Going-to-the-Sun Road typically opens to Logan Pass sometime in late June or early July depending on plowing, and the trail itself often holds snow on the north-facing pitches into mid-July. Late July through early September is the reliable window. Smoke from regional wildfires is a real factor in August — check air quality before committing to a long ridge day. By mid-September you can get the first storms, and the road closes for the season not long after.
Mid-week and early starts help with crowds, but Logan Pass is busy whenever the road is open. Expect company.
What to know before you go
- Glacier requires a vehicle reservation for the Going-to-the-Sun corridor during peak season, on top of the park entrance fee. Book well in advance or plan to enter before the early-morning cutoff.
- Logan Pass parking fills by 7-8 AM in summer. The free park shuttle from Apgar or St. Mary is the realistic backup — factor an extra hour each way.
- The cable ledge near the start is the only real navigation pinch-point. Skip it in lightning, heavy rain, or icy conditions; there's no good workaround.
- Water along the trail is limited and seasonal — small snowmelt trickles, not reliable streams. Carry what you need and treat anything you collect.
- This is grizzly country. Carry bear spray where you can reach it, make noise around blind corners, and hike in a group if you can.
- No dogs on the trail.
What to bring
A light pack day with weight focused on weather and wildlife rather than mileage. Layers for wind on the ridge — temperatures drop fast when clouds come over the divide. Sun protection is non-negotiable; you're above treeline most of the day. Two to three liters of water, more in heat. Bear spray, accessible. Trekking poles help on the descent back to Logan Pass if your knees care about that. Standard ten essentials, including a headlamp in case the day runs long.
Variations
- Point-to-point to The Loop: The classic version. Continue past Granite Park Chalet and drop the switchbacks down to The Loop trailhead on Going-to-the-Sun Road, then catch the shuttle back to Logan Pass. Adds distance and a substantial descent, and removes the return traverse.
- Grinnell Glacier Overlook add-on: A steep spur climbs from the trail near the chalet to a saddle on the Garden Wall with a view straight down onto Grinnell Glacier and Upper Grinnell Lake. Short but stiff — adds meaningful gain to the day.
- Shorter turnaround: If weather closes in or the cable section spooks your group, turning around at Haystack Butte still gives you the best of the traverse without committing to the full distance.
Common questions
- How exposed is the cable section at the start of the Highline Trail?
- It's a narrow ledge cut into the cliff with a hand cable bolted to the rock for maybe a quarter mile. The drop to the road below is real, but the tread is wide enough that most kids and nervous hikers handle it fine in dry conditions — we'd skip it in wind, rain, or ice.
- Do I need a vehicle reservation to hike the Highline?
- During peak season Glacier requires a Going-to-the-Sun corridor vehicle reservation on top of your park entrance pass, or you can enter before the early-morning cutoff window. Check the park's current reservation page before your trip — the system has changed year to year.
- When does the Highline Trail open each summer?
- It tracks the opening of Going-to-the-Sun Road to Logan Pass, which is usually late June or early July depending on how plowing goes. North-facing pitches can hold snow into mid-July, so late July through early September is the most reliable window.
- Is the out-and-back to Granite Park Chalet better than the point-to-point to The Loop?
- It depends on what you want to manage. The point-to-point is the classic and gives you fresh terrain plus a long descent, but you're committed to the shuttle on both ends; the out-and-back skips shuttle logistics entirely and lets you turn around early if weather rolls in.
- Where can I park for the Highline if Logan Pass is full?
- Logan Pass typically fills by 7-8 AM in summer. The realistic backup is the free park shuttle from Apgar or St. Mary — plan on roughly an extra hour each way and start earlier than you think you need to.
- Is there reliable water along the Highline Trail?
- No. You'll find small snowmelt trickles early in the season and seasonal seeps, but nothing you'd want to count on by August. Carry two to three liters from Logan Pass, more in heat, and treat anything you do collect.
- How likely am I to see wildlife on the Highline?
- Mountain goats are close to a sure thing — they use the trail itself — and bighorn sheep are common on the upper slopes of the Garden Wall. It's also active grizzly habitat, so carry bear spray where you can reach it and make noise around blind corners.
