Swiftcurrent Falls Trail

The Swiftcurrent Falls Trail at Glacier National Park near Babb, Montana is an easy 0.3-mile out-and-back hike that leads to the multi-tier cascade known as Swiftcurrent Falls and features views of Swiftcurrent Lake from the trail.

Hiking to Swiftcurrent Falls

Hikers will find an unmarked trailhead located along the bend in the one-way road that exists the Many Glacier Hotel parking area -- at the junction with the entrance road. The dirt trail leads toward Swiftcurrent Creek before veering eastward and heading downhill for about ~90-feet or so. Near the bottom of the hill, located on a bend in the trail, is a picnic area that visitors can use to sit and relax, have a picnic, and enjoy the sounds of the waterfall nearby. The trail then veers eastward again where it leaves the forest and reaches a cliff that sits alongside Swiftcurrent Creek. Here, you'll find a great view of Swiftcurrent Falls just upstream. Swiftcurrent Falls is not very tall -- the main cascade is approximately 8-feet tall at its highest point. Located further upstream, near the entrance road, is Upper Swiftcurrent Falls which can be viewed from the cliff area as well. Upper Swiftcurrent Falls is a similar height to the main cascade lower in the creek; however, to appreciate Upper Swiftcurrent Falls, hikers will have to head back up the trail and back toward the entrance road. Technically, there's a small off-trail path that connects this trail to a viewpoint of the Upper waterfall; however, that route is not included in this map as we decided to hike the trail in full and then walk the road to reach the viewpoint of the upper cascade.

Vehicle Reservations

Depending on what time of year you visit, you may need to reserve a vehicle entrance pass to get into the park, in addition to a park entry fee (or annual National Parks pass). Before planning this hike, ensure you've checked the NPS website for when and where Glacier NP vehicle reservations are required.

Parking at Many Glacier Hotel

This trail guide leads hikers to the parking lot at Many Glacier Hotel to start their hike, which is located at the coordinates provided. The parking lot is large enough to fit many dozens of vehicles as of September 2024. Note that if you plan to park here when the hotel is open for the season, the parking lot may be mostly-full from the visitors who are staying at the hotel.

Swiftcurrent Parking Construction (Sept 2024 - May 2026)

Additional parking note: The park began construction west of the Many Glacier Hotel access road on September 16, 2024. This closed down the road and the western parking lot for the Swiftcurrent Lake Loop Trail / Grinnell Glacier Trail trailheads, forcing hikers to use the Many Glacier Hotel parking lot until the road reopens in May 2026. For the time being, this parking lot and trailhead will be the main access to Grinnell Glacier until construction is completed. Due to this, parking is even-more limited for this hike. If you show-up before the Many Glacier Hotel closes for the season, you'll have to battle for parking spaces or show-up super early in the morning to claim a spot. We woke up at 4AM to do the 2.5-hour drive from West Glacier to snag a spot around 6:30AM to start our hike -- at the time, the hotel was closing the same day so hotel guests had filled 90% of the parking lot, leaving very-little room for day hikers traveling from other places. For more details, please see the official page for the Swiftcurrent area construction.

Pets

Dogs are not allowed on any trails at Glacier National Park.

Warning

Grizzly bears: This trail may be frequented by grizzly bears, especially during late Summer and early Fall as they scrounge for 20 hours/day bulking for the winter. Always give wild animals plenty of space, including several hundred feet for grizzlies. It's best to bring bear spray on this hike as a last defense just in case a grizzly were to charge at you. Always make plenty of noise while hiking to alert animals to your presence long before you see them. It's also smart to hike with another person.