backpacking glacier national park montana

Quick View Itinerary

Distance: 38 Miles, Point to Point (43 if you detour to Hawksbill)

Time: 3 days, 3 nights

Difficulty: Moderate to Advanced (4/5)

Highest Elevation: 7,475 ft

Ascent: 4342 ft

Descent: 4,365 ft

Day 1: Kintla Lake Trailhead to Upper Kintla Lake. ~ 6.5 miles

Day 2: Upper Kintla Lake Campground to Hawksbill Campground. ~ 14 miles

Day 3: Hawksbill Campground to Head Bowman Lake Campground. ~ 8.5 miles

Day 4: Head Bowman Lake Campground to Bowman Lake Camp. ~ 9 miles

Good to Know

Bear Safety. Glacier National Park is home to a thriving population of Grizzly and Black Bears. Bears are solitary and mostly docile animals, usually wanting nothing to do with humans. However, there is always the possibility of a bear encounter taking a turn for the worse. This generally happens when the animal is surprised. You can read all about bear safety and other safety considerations at the Glacier National Park website. You’ll also be required to review a safety video at the ranger station prior to entering the park. Too much safety is never a bad thing, so here are a few of the most important tips to get you started.
Travel in Groups. There has never been a documented bear attack in Glacier on a group of three or more people. Consider bringing at least three people along for your trip, and stick together whenever possible while you are in the park.
Make Noise. We all like to get away and spend time in nature for a change of pace from the hustle and bustle of civilization, but I would prefer to have some noise distracting me from that than to get mauled by a bear. Frequently shouting “Hey Bear!”, talking in loud voices, or singing as you hike can help deter bears from hanging around in your area.

Carry and Know How to Use Bear Spray. Chances are you’ll never have to discharge bear spray, but knowing how to equip and use your bear spray is critical. Keep it on your belt at all times, and practice drawing, arming, and aiming frequently.
Exercise Food Safety and Leave No Trace. A friendly bear is a dead bear. Once a bear gets used to the presence of humans, they become a danger to people and will need to be removed from the park. Know how to tie a bear bag or bring a bear canister. Don’t leave trash out. Pack your food separately from your sleeping bag and pad, and don’t bring food into your tent at night. Always hang your bear bag or canister in the specified area of your campsite.
Weather can change in an instant in the mountains. Prepare for hot days, freezing nights, beating sun, and high winds.
Thunderstorms can pop up quickly in the mountains. If you find yourself caught in a storm, stop hiking, take shelter in trees or under rocks, and do not touch anything made of metal.
Elevation sickness can strike anyone, no matter how fit. The best cure for elevation sickness is to descend.
Depending on the time of year there may be snow in the passes. Check with the ranger station before you depart, and bring along ice axes and crampons if needed.
The road between the two lakes is rough. A higher clearance vehicle is recommended, but not required.

Now that we’ve gotten business taken care of, onto the fun part of the trip!

Day 1 - Going to the Sun Road, Camping at Bowman Lake

The sun gleamed overhead as we sped across the plains of Montana. Through the windshield we could see the rocky mountains rising up from the level fields in staggering relief. Snow dotted the highest peaks, some of which stood out in crazy, jagged angles. We had gotten our first glimpse of Glacier National Park, and had slipped into the beginning of an unreal five days of backpacking through unbelievable scenery and topography.

Before going to Glacier I hadn’t exactly understood what it meant to, well, go to Glacier. I would talk with those who had been there and they would get a faraway look on their face, start talking in excitedly hushed tones, and gush about how magical their experience was. It fed the fuel propelling me towards the park, but took me no closer to empathizing about the way they felt. The instant I arrived in the park and took in my first grand vista, an understanding of all of those conversations came rushing to me, and I got the feeling.

Our party of six would be spending the next 5 days in this magical place, taking in the scenery and solitude of a backcountry backpacking trail. Starting at Lake Kintla, we would make our way to Upper Kintla Lake, through Boulder Pass, then Brown Pass, and finally down along Bowman Lake to end our trek. It’s important to note that this route can be done either direction - starting at Kintla Lake or Bowman Lake works out just fine. If you follow the normally prescribed route, you’ll skirt past Thunderbird pond and Falls. Wherever you decide to start, I would highly recommend that you take the short detour to at least get a glimpse of the falls. It’s more than worth it.

As we rolled into East Glacier to scoop up our friend who had taken the Amtrack there, we began to notice the increase in elevation that matched our rising excitement levels. It was the end of August, and a hustle and bustle filled the area as visitors flocked to the famous park over their Labor Day vacations. We had chosen a busy time to come visit, but we would find in a few days that in the backcountry, it didn’t matter.

After a quick stop for lunch in St Mary, we set off on Going to the Sun Road. You’ll have your last chance for gas in St Mary, so make sure you top off. We had heard that Going to the Sun was the most beautiful road in the country, and it’s damn hard to argue with that claim. From the St Mary’s visitor center to Apgar at the end of Lake MacDonald is only about 50 miles. It took us the better part of three or four hours to drive the entire road. As you’re driving the scenery continues to blow you away, and you’ll want to make sure you stop frequently to take in the views.

Once we had reached the end of the road, we rendezvoused at the Lake MacDonald Visitor Center and took off to our overnight campground at the head of Bowman Lake. We passed through Polebridge on the way - if you take this route, the Polebridge center will be your last chance for vittles and other supplies, so cross your t’s and dot your i’s here. After about 30 minutes on gravel roads we arrived at our secluded campsite in the Bowman Lake Campground. Our afternoon was spent unpacking all of our gear, double checking our inventory, and then repacking to prepare for the next day. Several hours had passed and we still had not made it down to the lake, so we grabbed our fishing rods and a few beers and trekked down.

Nobody could have imagined the majestic view that awaited us. Jagged mountains towered above us, feeding into a U shaped glacial lake. We stood speechless for several moments, admiring the scenery and appreciating the quiet. A few halfhearted casts were sent into the water, but all of us were feeling a bit giddy from the day’s drive and the unbelievable views that we had witnessed earlier. We could have cared less whether we caught anything (maybe Andrew would have cared…) - we were simply enjoying the moment and the fact that we had been granted the blessing to see such a wondrous place. The sheer number of trees in view was unreal - we passed the time trying to guess how many trees we might be able to see at that moment in time. Guesses ranged from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions - I’m sure none of us were close. Dinner was cooked over the campfire, and for a nightcap we had a serving of the Milky Way in the skies above.

Day 2 - Kintla Lake Trailhead to Upper Kintla Lake Campground

Another day, another early morning. The gang piled up six deep into Forest - packs included - and we set off for our starting point, Lake Kintla. I had never been so glad that I was the driver in my whole life. We needed to leave one vehicle at the Bowman Lake trail so we could pick up our second car after the hike was completed, which was why we were packed like sardines in my tiny Subaru. The roads left much to be desired, flinging more than one unwanted rock up into the undercarriage.

After about an hour and a half of driving we arrived at the starting point of our hike. Stiff legs were stretched, packs were shouldered, and before long the trail was in front of us. The sun had been out in force, and it was a beautiful day for a walk in the woods. The first day took us 11 miles and 6 hours, leading us through pristine forests, crystal clear lakes, and insane mountain ranges. About two hours into the hike we had our first wildlife encounter. We had stopped on the trail for a quick break and were discussing what I am sure was a very important topic. All of a sudden Andrew stiffens, points up the trail, and exclaims in a hushed but excited voice, “Look, there’s a bear right there!”. Sure enough, a small black bear was in the trail about 30 feet in front of us. The bear minded its own business, scooting up off the trail and up the hill away from the woods with astounding quickness. Once it was a safe distance away it stopped and looked down towards us, as if to say, You go on past, and I’ll get back on the trail once you leave. We did just that.

Halfway through we stopped for lunch at the end of Lower Kintla Lake. This is where the majesty of Glacier really hit us. We could see along the length of almost the entire length and the grandeur of the mountains was in full display. Everyone kicked off their shoes, waded in the water, and enjoyed being dried by the warm sun as we ate jerky, salsa, nuts, and the other staples of the trail.

The first day of a backpacking trip is always the toughest. Your body isn’t used to the trials of the trail. Shoulders and hips are rubbed raw by straps, joints ache, blisters form on feet. Our party was feeling the side effects of carrying 40 pound packs all day through the mountains as we limped into our first camp. We tied our food in the communal food area of the camp, setup our tents, and promptly rushed into the inviting, crystal clear water of Upper Kintla Lake. The water was so cold that it took our breath away, but after a minute the coolness eased our sore knees, growing blisters, and other ailments. A few of the guys even found energy to play an animated game of water frisbee. We were truly in heaven on earth - focused on nothing but the environment around us and the people that were there with us. Night crept upon us, and once we had cooked and eaten our dinners, one by one we retreated to our tents for an early bedtime.

Day 3 - Upper Kintla Lake Campground to Hawksbill Campground

This would be our longest day of the trip. We would be hiking almost 14 miles, trekking through the famed Boulder Pass and down through Brown Pass, all the way to the Hawksbill campsite lower in the valley.

For the first part of the day we climbed up, up towards Boulder Pass. The wet plants were covered in dew, and they left their marks on us as we made our way up the switchbacks. As we kept increasing our elevation the vegetation slowly thinned out. On our exposed side you could see the peaks of Kinnerly and Kintla Mountains, each coated by a massive glacier that ran down and fed the lakes below. After several hours of strenuous but enjoyable uphill climbing we reached Boulder Pass. A stunning, barren landscape showed itself. Huge rocks coated the landscape; towers of mountains reached for the sky above us. Several groups of hikers passed us in each direction, but not too many to be intrusive. Rumors of bears circulated everywhere. Without the benefit of technology or the internet information circulated in the old fashioned way - word of mouth. We heard similar stories as we passed different groups, each slightly different. Apparently one guy had to discharge his bear spray on a grizzly cub. One couple that camped at hole in the wall could hear bears bellowing throughout the night. With these stories on our mind we made our way through the pass, heads on a swivel, expecting to see a bear cub emerging from behind every rock.

At the end of the pass an unreal view of the valley awaited us. It may have been the most drastic scenery I have ever seen. Jagged mountains rose up on each side of us, cascading down into a drastic valley. We chose a flat spot overlooking the scene for lunch, then moved on down the mountainside. We passed tons of bear scat on the trail. The environment around me made me feel as if I was a part of a Lord of the Rings movie. Small waterfalls formed by snow or glaciers above rolled down from one side of the trail; sheer drops faced us on the other.

Eventually we made our way down to Brown Pass, then from there it was a long final two miles to our campsite. We had to stay at Hawksbill because the campsite at Brown Pass was booked up - traditionally this route camps at either Brown Pass or continues on to the Bowman Lake campsite, which would have cut our mileage down by about four miles. We lamented this at the beginning of the day, but it was meant to be. On the way down to Hawksbill a massive waterfall roared down into the valley from the glacier that resided high up at the top of the mountain. If we had gone straight onto Brown Pass, we would not have been lucky enough to see it.

The skies turned overcast and threatened rain as we setup camp at Hawksbill, so we retreated to our tents and learned how to play Hearts. Down along the stream that provided us with water access we had spotted a fresh bear print. The bear sign combined with the scat we had seen earlier and the rumors of bear activity we had heard from passing hikers put us slightly on edge, and we all felt much more comfortable spending time closely huddled in a tent. As our 14 mile day begin to take its toll on our weary bodies we all eventually made our way to sleep. Thoughts of bears, the events of the day, and the amazing time we were having in this place with our best friends were all fresh on our minds.

Thunderbird Falls Glacier National Park Montana

Day 4 - Hawksbill Campground to Head Bowman Lake Campground

Our second to last morning took us uphill immediately, then downhill basically the rest of the way to our site at Bowman Lake. By this time we were grizzled veterans of the trail and the miles melted away like warm butter on toast. We made it to the head of Bowman Lake in no time, and executed our well practiced routine of tying up our bear bags and setting up camp. Glacier’s backcountry camping sites are communal, which makes for a fun time meeting other hikers along the way. After arrival at our site we had plenty of time to spare, so we passed it visiting with our camp neighbors and swimming in the absolutely frigid water. There were tons of cool people hanging out at this site. One crew was from Canada, and we became fast friends with them as we discussed the similarities and differences we had with our Northern neighbors. They needed a lift back to their car at Kintla Lake, so we agreed that we would all finish the final leg of the hike together and shuttle back to Kintla with each other. The quote of the night came from Grey when he asked about whether any of the Canadians were interested in becoming US Citizens through marriage - he made it very clear to the two gentleman and the lady that he was quite single and open to discussion. With thoughts of camaraderie and reflections of the past days wonders in our heads, we set off to bed, prepping for a final sunrise awakening and our last day in the park.

Day 5 - Head Bowman Lake Campground to Bowman Lake Camp, and the End of the Trail

Darkness greeted us the next morning, and we packed up with the efficiency that comes with several days on the trail. We loitered around the campsite for a little while, not yet ready to say goodbye to this place. Each day of our trek up to this point had brought bluebird skies, but today a heavy mist settled over the land. The tree-line was visible up a few hundred feet; past that everything was completely obscured. We gave thanks that our views weren’t blocked while we were going through the pass the days before.

As a trip comes to an end and the realization settles in, you start to long for the little things that make civilization so comfortable. A hot shower. Greasy food and cold beers. Comfortable beds. Even though we were melancholy at the fact that this was our last day in the park, we were all excited at the prospect of scrubbing the filth off our bodies and sleeping in late. The final nine miles of the trail passed quickly and uneventfully. We spent the time chatting with our newfound Canadian friends and reflecting on our trip. In what seemed like the blink of an eye we reached the head of Bowman Lake, and it was time to head off to grab our cars. A 3 hour round trip along gravel roads isn’t ideal, but you gotta do what you gotta do. On the way back the lead car stopped and waved wildly; the two of us behind him missed it, but a giant black wolf had run out in front of his car, stopped in the road to look at him, and loped back into the woods. You never know what might happen in Glacier National Park.

Our time in Glacier could not have lasted long enough. I think I could spend years there and still be content exploring its landscapes; five days was hardly adequate. It was just enough for me to know I need to return there one day, hopefully with many of the same people. It is truly a special place, and one that needs to be seen to completely understand its power and majesty.