A hiker with a sun hat on the Highline Trail at the edge of a rock wall, looking across a cliff-lined valley to flat-topped Haystack Butte and Mount Cannon

Highline Trail Glacier: 2-Day Itinerary, Permits and Shuttle

11.8 miles (19 km) along the Garden Wall, one exposed ledge near the start and a shuttle ride to get back to your car.

11.8 mi · 2 days · Moderate
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Photo: oliver.dodd, CC BY 2.0

The Highline Trail is Glacier's best-known walk: 11.8 miles (19 km) one way along the Garden Wall, from Logan Pass over the Continental Divide, past Granite Park Chalet and down to The Loop on Going-to-the-Sun Road. The park lists 2,388 feet (728 m) of gain and 4,773 feet (1,455 m) of loss for the whole thing, and it is point to point, so the question is never only the hike. It is how you get back to your car.

The park lists it as a full-day hike: ride the shuttle up to Logan Pass, walk to The Loop, ride the shuttle back. The 3 Days in Glacier guide treats that as an honest extra, not a default. This page also covers the two-day version: 7.6 miles (12.2 km) to Granite Park Chalet or the Granite Park campground, a night on the Divide, and 4.2 miles (6.8 km) down to The Loop the next morning. It costs a bed, but the day-two descent starts rested.

Three things decide the trip: the ledge near the start, the shuttle and parking rules for your year, and, if you stay the night, which bed. The chalet is booked with the chalet; the campground needs a park wilderness permit. Dates change every year, so use this page for the rules and the park's pages for the dates.

The Route on the Map

Each day in its own color, with the start and every night's stop numbered along the way.

Loading map...

Elevation Profile

Highest 7,270 ft (2,216 m) · lowest 4,270 ft (1,302 m)

7,270 ft4,270 ft1
0 mi11.8 mi (19.0 km)

Route line: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), simplified. Elevations: USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain).

Day by Day

2 legs and 1 night on the way, each in a different place.

  1. The flat-topped cliff of Haystack Butte above a green slope of alpine meadow and spruce, seen from the Highline Trail
    Day 1

    Day 1: Logan Pass to Granite Park Chalet

    Highline Trailhead (Logan Pass)toGranite Park Chalet

    Distance
    7.6 mi 12.2 km

    The ledge comes in the first 100 yards (91 m), before you have warmed up; see the safety notes. After it the trail stays on the side of the Garden Wall for most of the day, and the park calls much of it exposed. The climb to the chalet is modest, about 800 feet (244 m) by the park's count, so the 7.6 miles (12.2 km) are long mainly because you keep stopping to look.

    A short side trip to Grinnell Glacier Overlook or Swiftcurrent Lookout is possible from the chalet area and changes the distance and climb; the park's pages list both as optional. The chalet is reached only on foot, and the campground is run by the park, not by the chalet. Turn back at a set time if the weather turns or you are behind schedule, as the park advises, rather than trying to push on in the afternoon.

    Sleep
    Granite Park Chalet or the Granite Park campground · Hut · How to book
    Water
    Drinking water at the Logan Pass trailhead; none at the chalet, where the nearest source is a quarter mile (0.4 km) off on a rough trail.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Not confirmed by the park; do not count on a signal.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: oliver.dodd, CC BY 2.0

  2. A stone-and-log chalet on a gravel ridge under a clear blue sky, with mountains and a valley behind
    Day 2

    Day 2: Granite Park Chalet to The Loop

    Granite Park ChalettoThe Loop

    Distance
    4.2 mi 6.8 km

    The park lists 2,200 feet (670 m) of climb from The Loop trailhead to the chalet, so this is the steep direction down, on legs that carried a pack all of yesterday. Take it slowly; the knees notice. Leave the chalet early enough to reach The Loop for the pickups, which in 2026 ran from 11:00 a.m. westbound to Apgar and from 12:00 p.m. eastbound to Logan Pass, and needed a ticket and a wristband.

    If your car is at Logan Pass (overnight parking is for permit holders and chalet guests), the eastbound shuttle takes you up to it, about 30 minutes. If you rode up from Apgar or Lake McDonald Lodge, the westbound pickup takes you back to where you boarded. The Loop itself is a stop, not a boarding location, and the times are approximate.

    Water
    Nothing confirmed on the descent. The Loop has restrooms but no drinking water.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Not confirmed by the park; do not count on a signal.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: Criz067, CC BY-SA 3.0

Permits

A permit is required

The park lists no permit for a day hike on the Highline, only the park entrance pass (and, in 2026, a shuttle ticket). Sleeping out does: the Granite Park campground needs a park wilderness permit, and the chalet needs a booking with the chalet itself. For the campground, the park holds about 70 percent of wilderness campsites for advance reservations on recreation.gov and about 30 percent for walk-up permits issued the day before or the day of the trip. In 2026 the fee was $10 for the permit plus $7 per person per night, an advance reservation is not the permit, and you collect the permit at a park permit office by 4:30 p.m. on the start date or the reservation is cancelled. Each campsite holds four people. The park's 2024 wilderness campground map listed Granite Park as opening on July 15 with 4 sites and carried a note that it must be part of a trip of two or more nights in July to September; that is not confirmed for later years, so check the recreation.gov listing before you book a single night.

The lottery

The park ran a lottery in March 2026 (standard groups of 1 to 8 applied from March 15), then opened the general booking window on May 1, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. Mountain time. The 2027 dates are not published yet; check the park's wilderness reservations page.

The official permit page

Getting There and Back

How to reach the start of the Highline Trail Glacier, and how to get home from the end.

The start

The trail starts across Going-to-the-Sun Road from the Continental Divide sign at the Logan Pass parking lot. In 2026 there was no vehicle reservation anywhere in the park, but private vehicles were limited to 3 hours at Logan Pass from July 1, and the park's ticketed shuttle was designed for people doing the Highline. Overnight parking at Logan Pass was allowed only for wilderness permit holders and registered chalet guests (hangtag or proof of reservation on the dash). If you are not sleeping out, arrive by shuttle from Apgar or Lake McDonald Lodge.

The end

The hike ends at The Loop, a switchback on Going-to-the-Sun Road. There is no parking plan that returns you to a car at Logan Pass without a ride. In 2026 the park's shuttle stopped at The Loop at set times in both directions (westbound to Apgar and eastbound to Logan Pass), for ticketed passengers only, with a wristband from your ticket check. The park says the stop lets riders start or end the Highline at The Loop and return to the place they boarded; its eastbound afternoon pickups ran from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Pickup times are approximate and not guaranteed. The last departures from Logan Pass were 7:30 p.m. to Apgar and 8:00 p.m. to St. Mary.

Shuttle

The 2026 Logan Pass shuttle ran July 1 to September 7, with tickets at $1 per person aged 2 and up, sold only on recreation.gov or by phone at 877-444-6777, never in the park. Tickets are tied to a date, time and boarding place, and a portion is released 60 days ahead at 8 a.m. Mountain time, the rest at 7 p.m. the evening before. Arrive at least 30 minutes early to get the ticket validated. The 2027 system is not announced at the time of this check; the park has changed the system several times, so read the shuttle page for your year.

Parking

At Logan Pass: 3 hours free in 2026, with a free timestamped permit from the kiosk, first come, first served, and no guarantee of a space. Overnight parking was only for wilderness permit holders and registered chalet guests. At Apgar and Lake McDonald Lodge, where the shuttle boards, the park's rules for the year apply.

Safety

  • The ledge is the first thing to decide about. The park says exposure is most noticeable about 100 yards (91 m) from the Logan Pass trailhead, that the trail can be 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 m) wide in places with a large drop-off on one side, and that a hand cable runs for about 50 yards (46 m). Walk it slowly, keep children close and stay off the edge to take photos. Turning back here is a fine outcome.

  • Snow decides the dates. The park says the trail is often closed well into summer by snow, and discourages standing or walking on snow along the road and nearby trails. If a snowfield blocks the way, turn back. Check the park's trail status before you leave.

  • Weather changes fast on an exposed trail along the Divide. The park says exposure raises the risk of being caught by bad weather, so start early, carry rain gear and decide on a turnaround time. Do not rely on a phone signal; the park publishes no coverage information for the trail.

  • Bears live along the whole route. The park says to carry bear spray where you can reach it (not stowed in the pack), hike in a group (it reports no attacks on groups of four or more), make noise at regular intervals, be extra careful at blind corners and near streams, and stay at least 100 yards (91 m) from bears. The park posts trail closures for wildlife activity, so read the trail status.

  • At the campground, store all food, cookware and trash in the food-hanging equipment or in a bear-resistant container, day and night.

  • Water and a plan. Carry water for the whole day and filter whatever you take from a stream, because the park says to filter water from streams and lakes. The park also asks day hikers to leave a trip plan at a visitor center or lodge desk.

Highline Trail Glacier: FAQ

How long is the Highline Trail?

The park lists 11.8 miles (19 km) one way from Logan Pass to The Loop, with 2,388 feet (728 m) of gain and 4,773 feet (1,455 m) of loss. Granite Park Chalet is 7.6 miles (12.2 km) from Logan Pass and 4.2 miles (6.8 km) from The Loop.

Can you do the Highline Trail in one day?

Yes, it is the park's full-day version. Board an early shuttle and be at The Loop by the last pickup; in 2026 that was 7:00 p.m. eastbound and 8:00 p.m. westbound. Check the shuttle page for your year.

Do you need a permit or reservation for the Highline Trail?

A day hike needs only the park entrance pass. In 2026 there was no vehicle reservation, but the shuttle needed a $1 ticket and Logan Pass parking was limited to 3 hours. To sleep at the campground you need a wilderness permit; the chalet is booked with the chalet.

Where do you sleep on the Highline Trail?

Either at Granite Park Chalet, booked with the operator (advance payment required, no meals included), or at the park's Granite Park campground, which needs a wilderness permit.

When does the Highline Trail open?

It depends on snow. The park says the trail is often closed well into summer; in 2026 it was still closed at Logan Pass when the road opened on June 22. Look at the park's current conditions page before you go.

Is the Highline Trail dangerous?

The exposed ledge is the hard part and it comes first, so you can judge it before committing. Past it the park still calls much of the trail exposed, mostly in the weather it creates. Turning around is a normal outcome.

Do you need bear spray on the Highline Trail?

The park advises carrying it within reach, hiking in a group, making noise and staying at least 100 yards (91 m) from bears. Trail closures for wildlife activity are posted in the park's trail status reports.

Is the Highline Trail open in winter?

No. The trail is snow-covered in winter and the road to Logan Pass closes. In 2026 the shuttle ended on September 7 and the chalet closed on September 12.

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