Best things to do in Glacier National Park with Kids in 2025

Glacier National Park is one of the most beautiful National Parks I have visited in the United States. During the pandemic, I came across an instagram reel of someone hiking in the Glacier National Park. Ever since then this national park has been on top of my bucket list. The beautiful snow capped mountains, the wildflowers and the Switzerland like hotels are all nothing short of a dream. Finally, after three years our family got to see this beautiful part of the country. No doubt, Glacier National Park is one of the best places to visit in the USA.

Glacier National Park is the wilderness area located in the north west corner of the state of Montana. Not to be confused with Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. Given its close proximity to Canada, it’s also part of Waterton Glacier National Peace Park along with Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada. There a few different ways to get to the park depending on where you are coming from.

We visited Glacier after spending a few days in Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Parks. It takes about 6 hrs to drive from the Mammoth Hot Springs in the Yellowstone to Glacier National Park. A good place to stop if you don’t want to drive at the end of the day would be Helena, Montana. The closest airport to fly into Glacier Park is International Airport in Kalispell, Montana which is only around 30 minutes drive to the west side the national park. Another option would be to fly into Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Montana and drive which leaves you with a driving distance of about 5 hours to the national park.

What is the best place to stay, east(St.Mary) or west glacier?

This depends on where are you coming from. If you land in Kalispell airport , then staying in the west side is the best option. Whereas, if you are driving from Bozeman then definitely consider staying on the east side. West side definitely has a lot to offer in terms of lodging and restaurants. East side is more peaceful and calm with not many of those options. Staying in the east side also puts you closer to the most beautiful Many Glacier area.

If you want to stay inside the park and close to all the main things to do then, you should consider staying at the charming Lake McDonald lodge. If you would like to see incredible views of the Glacier and the beautiful lake, then definitely choose the most beautiful Many Glacier Hotel. It has incredible views of the lake and the mountains. It might be a little farther away from the west entrance but the views and serene beauty of the place is unmatchable. These hotels get booked up pretty quickly, so I highly recommend booking the hotels close to a year in advance.

There are many campgrounds around Glacier national park if that’s something your family enjoys doing. Camping saves you a lot of money spent on accommodation as, hotels in the area can get quite expensive.

We stayed on the east side at the St.Marys Lodge cabins. The cabin came with a queen sized bed, a sofa bed and also was equipped with a small kitchen. The cabins were clean and perfect for our family as we could cook our own food. Our girls loved running and playing outside the cabin, listening to the stream of water flowing nearby. It was a great place to sit and enjoy our morning coffee while looking at the beautiful mountains.

Glacier national park has a reservation system in place if you are entering the park from the West Glacier. So, before you visit make sure you have a reservation for the day. You don’t need any reservation if you are entering the park before 6:00 AM or after 6:00 PM and from the east entrance of the park.

How to travel to and within the park?

Having a car can give you access to a lot of areas in the park. You can travel along the Going-to-the sun road at your own pace and spend as much time as you want at every view point. But be warned, driving along going-to the sun road is not for the faintest of hearts. The road is narrow and there are some steep curves along the way.

If you do not wish to drive the national park offers a free shuttle to the Going to the sun road. You can check this page for more information.The shuttle is on a first come first serve basis.

You can also take the iconic vintage red bus tour. Not only you do not have to make the drive yourself but you will also get some valuable information about the park from the amazing guides. Check out Glacier National Park Lodges website to book your tours.

Things to do in Glacier National Park

1.Going to the Sun road

One of the best things to do in Glacier National park is to travel from either East to west Glacier on the Going to the Sun road. The going to the sun road is open only during the summer months from late June through September. There is no official date on when it opens because it depends on the amount of snow in the Alpine portion of this road.

Most people start on the West Glacier side. If you decide to do this you will need a vehicle reservation to access the Going to the Sun road.If you are driving from east side (St.Mary entrance), the vehicle reservation won’t be necessary as long as you don’t go out of the park when you reach the west side. The views along the road are just breathtaking! Definitely plan to stop at the Logan pass visitor center which is approximately 32 miles from the west entrance.

Stop at Wild goose Island lookout on the Sun road. This mini island only 14 ft from the surface of St.Mary lake. This is one of the stops on the going to the Sun road, close to the east entrance. The view from the overlook is also amazing! My kids loved spotting this little island.

2.See the Many Glacier Hotel

Switzerland feels in the USA! Who wouldn’t want that. This is the most beautiful hotel location and is a must visit when you are at Glacier National Park. The hotel is free to enter even though you doubt have a stay booked. As you enter you can take a moment to admire the beautiful European style architecture. There is a restaurant and a cafe in this hotel. Grab a coffee and head out the deck to take in the breathtaking views of the Swift current Lake.

Many Glacier hotel is located further out from the St.Mary visitor center. The road that leads to the Many Glacier are has a small unpaved section but most of the cars would travel just fine. There are hiking trails and boat rides that you can take on the lake.

3. Go on a wildflower scavenger hunt

If you happen to visit in early summer, Glacier national park will be filled with plenty of colorful wildflowers. There are so many different varieties of them that is hard to keep count of. We even saw Beargrass and found out an interesting fact that an individual plant produces flower in every 5-7 years. Although wild flowers are everywhere, the best hikes to see them are Hidden Lake and Preston park on the way to Siyeh pass.Be sure to check with a park ranger about what and where should you look for the best flowers. On a side note, let your kids admire the beautiful blooms and encourage them to leave them where they belong and not pick them. This helps the entire eco system stay balanced. Here is a book recommendation for kids, that talks about why we should leave the flowers alone and the book is It’s only one.

4. Go on a boat ride on the lake

Boat rides in Glacier National Park is one the best things to do here. You get to soak in the beautiful views as you enjoy riding on the water. There are four different lakes to choose from – Lake McDonald, St. Mary, Many Glacier(Swift Current lake) and the Two medicine lake. However, the most popular one is the Many Glacier. If you would like to take a boat ride make sure to book your tickets well in advance especially for the Many Glacier Lake tour and this tour gets filled up quickly. You can book the tickets from the NPS authorized concessioner on their website here.

5. Hiking

A visit to the National park is incomplete without going on a hike. Glacier National Park offers plenty of hikes that are perfect to do with little ones in the tow. The most popular hikes are Avalanche lake hike starting from the Trail of Cedars trailhead and Grinnell Lake hike from the Many Glacier area. Avalanche lake hike is about 5 miles round trip and the Grinnell Lake hike is 7 miles loop but if you take a boat tour on Many Glacier hotel it will reduce the hiking distance by four miles make it a 2 miles hike(round trip) and perfect for families with young kids. You can check out my post The best kid friendly hiking trails in Glacier National Park for more information on hiking in the park.

6.Visit it the Logan Pass Visitor center

Logan Pass sits along the continental divide at 6,646 ft and offers some of the breathtaking views in the park. The Logan Pass visitor center is a good mid-way stop while driving on Going-to -the sun road. You can pick up or turn in your Junior ranger books, learn some geological information about the park and also access a great hiking trail known as the Hidden lake Overlook (1.5 mi). If you visit in early summer month there could still be snow around this area which makes it look like a snowy dream ! Be sure to have your cameras ready or phones charged to take some great pictures in this beautiful location.

7. See a glacier

This is something I was really excited about when we decided to visit Glacier National Park. Although many glaciers require you to hike, not all hikes are suitable for families with young kids.If you are traveling with little kids, you can still view some of the glaciers just by getting off the car at an overlook. Be sure to have your binoculars handy like this Nikon ProStaff Waterproof Travel Binoculars if you want a better view of the glacier. Here is a list of glaciers that you can see without a lot of hiking.

8.Junior Ranger Program

If you have been to a national park before with kids, I am sure your kids would have done the Junior Ranger Program. Junior Ranger program is an activity for the kids visiting the park (typically for ages 3-13) where they are given an activity booklet corresponding to their age and as your family explores the park , the kids will have to fill out the booklet as needed according to their age. When they are done, you can head over to any of the Visitor centers and the kids show their book to the park ranger. This is also a great timer ranger any questions they might have. If everything looks good , the park ranger will hand over a Junior Ranger Badge after a small oat ceremony. This is one of the moments the kids look forward to. It can get a little tome consuming sometimes, but the kids really enjoy this program.

9.See sunrise at Sun point on St.Mary lake

Sun point is a short hike of about a mile each way. Once you reach the sun point you will be eyes will be in treat by the beautiful St. Mary lake surrounded by mountain peak.The morning light truly adds a magical touch to this location. If you are staying on the east side, this is a perfect location for watching sunrise in the park. Make sure you have headlamps and bear spray on you plus don’t forget some warm layers.

10.Participate in the ranger Led programs

There are many Ranger led programs in the park that you can take advantage of. As these programs can be a great opportunity to learn more about the national park. There can be ranger talks and guided hikes that you can participate and the best way to check the schedule will be on the map/newsletter provided upon arrival or check with a park ranger at any of the visitor centers. One of the unique programs that Glacier National Park offers is the Native America speaks evening program and cultural representations.

11.Go kayaking on the lake McDonald

Want a serene day on the water? Then definitely consider kayaking on the Lake McDonald. You can get gorgeous views of the mountains above and the glistening emerald hued water below. Glacier Park Boat co has locations for rental in Apgar(near west entrance) and also near McDonald lodge. If you are bringing your own kayak a free launch permit is required which can be attained after inspection at Glacier. Check the NPS website for more information on how to get a permit.

12. Look for wildlife

Glacier national park is home to so many species of mammals, birds, amphibians and fish. Some of the animals include Grizzly bears, black bears, moose, wolves, elk, pikas, big horn sheep, Canada Lynx, Badgers, Beavers, etc. We were lucky enough to see a Grizzly bear with her cubs through our binoculars from the Many Glacier Hotel. We also saw a black bear cub on the side of the road , big horn sheep up in the mountain and lynx all while driving. We saw Moose, elk, pikas along the trail while hiking.

13.Treat yourself to the delicious Huckleberry Ice cream

Ever since I hear about Huckleberries in this part of the country, I wanted to try some of the desserts. Since we were early in the season, we couldn’t see any actual ripe Huckleberries in the bushes we did not find any actual berries sold at stores. But we did get to try a Huckleberry pie at the  Snowgoose Grille at St.Mary village and of course the famous Huckleberry ice cream.

14.Cross to Canada to visit the Waterton Lakes National Park

If you want to cross an international border while you are hiking in Glacier National Park, then do pack up your family’s passports and other necessary documents and cross over to Canada from one of the several ports of entry. We didn’t get a chance to do so this time but I am definitely adding this to my to-do list for next time we visit Glacier. There are many family friendly trails in this part of the national park as well.Just add an extra day or two to your itinerary.

15. River rafting on the west side

Several raft companies offer rafting tours on the Middle fork and the North fork of the Flathead river. The rafting company operates mostly in the West Glacier. Minimum age for white water rafting is five and the minimum age for scenic float is three. The minimum age might be set higher at any given time depending on the river conditions.If your family loves adventures like river rafting, Glacier national park has got you covered. To know more about the companies that offer rafting tours check the website here.

Conclusion

As you can see Glacier National park offers a wide variety of things to do with kids young or old. The geography is diverse and offers something for everybody. You just can’t beat the amazing views as you drive along the Going-to-the-sun road. The park offers serene beauty and calmness which does wonder to your brain. Nature is just amazing! If you are thinking about/planning a trip to Glacier National Park with your kids then definitely go for it. You won’t regret, I promise 🙂

*Disclosure: Some links in this post are referral links. smilingmamma.com is also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising revenues by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Thank you for supporting this blog !