Many Glacier

Many Glacier is a valley on the east side of Glacier National Park, north of Going-to-the-Sun Road, where a chain of lakes sits under the high peaks of the Lewis Range. Lake Sherburne fills the lower valley; above it Swiftcurrent Lake lies at 4,878 feet, with Mount Gould, Grinnell Point and Mount Wilbur rising about 3,000 feet straight above the water. Many of the east side's best-known hikes start here, including the hikes to Grinnell Glacier, Iceberg Lake, Cracker Lake and the Ptarmigan Tunnel, a hiking tunnel cut through a ridge in the 1930s.

The centerpiece is the Many Glacier Hotel on the east shore of Swiftcurrent Lake, built by the Great Northern Railway in 1914 and opened on July 4, 1915. The railway sold Glacier as the "American Alps", and the hotel is a long run of Swiss-chalet blocks up to four stories tall with a balconied four-story lobby. It is part of a National Historic Landmark district and opens to guests from early June to mid-September; you can walk into the lobby when it is open.

The valley is also among the best places in the park to see wildlife. Grizzly bears are often spotted on the slopes above the road and lakes, along with black bears, moose, mountain goats and bighorn sheep. Treat every trail here as active bear country.

Several things changed for 2026. The Swiftcurrent road and water-system project that limited access in 2025 is finished, and the Swiftcurrent area now has 339 parking spaces, 171 more than before; no construction is planned here this year. There were no vehicle reservations. But heavy rain on June 29 flooded the valley: the park closed Many Glacier, evacuated the hotel and the Swiftcurrent lodging, and kept most trails shut into early July while crews checked the damage. A utility replacement at the hotel's developed area is in design and may start in 2027.

Boat tours on Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine, run by Glacier Park Boat Company, cut distance off several hikes; in 2026 they ran from June 10 to September 19, and the company is taking 2027 bookings. Only non-motorized boats are allowed on Swiftcurrent Lake.

Practical tip: the hotel and most services close in mid-September, and the valley empties out quickly after that. Early morning and evening are the best hours for wildlife and the calmest water for reflections of Grinnell Point.