Glacier National Park is a spectacular combination of scenic vistas, alpine lakes, and mountain wildlife. It is hard to choose just one Glacier National Park must-see sight. The obvious choice is the Going to the Sun Road. However, I’m going to just assume that one is a given.
My selection for a Glacier National Park must-see sight is Swiftcurrent Lake. This mountain lake is located in the Many Glacier area. The entrance to the Many Glacier section is on northeast side of the park.
I chose Swiftcurrent Lake because of the ease of access, proximity to awesome hiking trails, and it’s tranquil beauty. The Many Glacier Hotel is located on the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake. It is a great place to begin your adventure whether it be big or small.
I recommend that you take one of the boat tours offered at Swiftcurrent Lake. Tickets are available through Glacier Park Boat Company. Be sure to plan ahead for your boat tour as tickets often sell out! Another option is to rent a non-motorized watercraft to explore the lake on your own.
A Swiftcurrent Lake Boat Tour actually offers 2 lakes in one tour. After boarding a vessel at Many Glacier Hotel, you’ll journey across the Swiftcurrent Lake and disembark on the opposite side. After a short .2 mile hike, you’ll reach Lake Josephine where you board another boat. Once you’ve crossed Lake Josephine, you have several choices. Options include returning by boat the way you came, hiking back to Many Glacier Hotel alongside the lakes, or enjoying a longer hike to scenic destinations such as Grinnell Lake or Grinnell Glacier.
A great way to end your day at Swiftcurrent Lake is dining at the Many Glacier Hotel. The Ptarmigan Dining Room offers a great meal in a beautiful historic structure with spectacular views of the lake and the mountains beyond. It’s hard to get much better than that!
Tip: If you’re heading to Glacier, be sure to pick up this book of day hikes. I used it to find out more about various trails and marked the ones we wanted to explore. As a bonus, it is a good size to toss in your backpack (Amazon affiliate link):
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Dress code in Ptarmigan dining room is casual?
We were dressed casually as were others and were fine.