Swiftcurrent Lake Loop Trail

The Swiftcurrent Lake Loop Trail at Glacier National Park near Babb, Montana is an easy 2.6-mile loop hike that encompasses Swiftcurrent Lake and features stunning views of the neighboring alpine mountains that tower high above the water.

Partial Trail Closure

Please note that part of the north and the entire western side of this loop is closed as of September 2024 and will be closed for repairs until sometime in 2025.

Hiking around Swiftcurrent Lake

This hike begins at the southern trailhead, located just south of the Many Glacier Hotel, and follows the trail clockwise around Swiftcurrent Lake. Hikers will find a paved and universally-accessible path which follows along the water's edge, passing through the forest, as it makes its way around the lake. Throughout the trail are various viewpoints that can be enjoyed by simply hopping off-trail to take-in views of Grinnell Mountain, the hotel, Altyn Peak, and other mountains in the distance. The trail will pass a private residence (for park staff) before crossing a footbridge that spans a connecting creek between Stump and Swiftcurrent Lakes where you'll find more scenic views of the surrounding landscape including views of Allen Mountain to the south.

The trail reaches a junction with the North Shore Lake Josephine Trail where the Swiftcurrent Lake Loop Trail turns right to head north, located near mile 0.9. This is also where the paved and universally-accessible portion of the trail ends. The trail then leads north along the shoreline, passing through another section of shaded forest before it leads hikers alongside the parking lot. Once at the northern parking lot, the trail then connects back to the Many Glacier Hotel by heading east and following the northern shore of Swiftcurrent Lake. Hikers will finally hike across the bridge and back to the Many Glacier Hotel, passing arguably some of the best views on the trail, before ending the hike back at the trailhead.

Universal Access

This trail is paved and universally accessible only from the trailhead south of Many Glacier Hotel up to approximately 0.9-miles in, which is located around the North Shore Josephine Lake Trail. This section of the loop provides stunning views of the lake, hotel, Grinnell Mountain, and more.

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.

Wildlife

This trail is great for possible wildlife viewing opportunities including mountain goats and longhorn sheep high in the cliffs, moose, elk, deer, and even grizzly bears on occasion.

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.