UPDATED: In my first post on our family's recent trip to Glacier National National Park in Montana I focused on the hike to Hidden Lake and mentioned only in passing the nearby Highline Trail, which you can pick up right across from the Logan Pass Visitors' Center on Going to The Sun Road. But it deserves your full attention if you visit Glacier, especially if rewarding day hikes are your holy grail.

As bigskyfishing.com explains, the full Highline Trail runs 20 miles from Logan Pass to 50 Mountain Campground and then feeds into the Waterton Valley Trail running to Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park. BUT, there's a far shorter one-way option geared for day hikers seeking minimal pain and maximum scenery. That's the 7.6-mile "Garden Wall" stretch of the Highline Trail running from Logan Pass to the Granite Park Chalet, which accurately bills itself as "a national historic landmark hotel reached only by trail." You can then either stay overnight at the Chalet, with advance reservations (the whole idea sounds great to me); or hike another 3.8 miles downhill via the Loop Trail to the Loop Trail parking lot on Going To The Sun Road. Keep in mind that the Glacier shuttle bus is a great resource in planning one-way or even carless hiking excursions in the park. The 2006 season shuttle schedule here will give you an idea of locations and frequencies. More here on the Highline Trail from about.com.

From the second you set out on the Highline, you can tell you're in for a treat. Here's a digipic I took shortly after we entered the trail near Logan Pass. That's the Garden Wall formation looming above.

Below is a wider-angle shot I took of the Garden Wall. It's technically described as an arete, which according to Wikipedia means a sharp edge has resulted from the erosion of two glaciers forming parallel U-shaped valleys. The small pointy peak is named Bishop's Cap.

Along the way, we encountered an adult Mountain Goat and one kid. They were lounging right above the trail. Here's the Big 'Un, transmitting a weary, "Yes, Can I Help You?" On our way back, the two were doing some al fresco dining on local vegetation.

We only hiked briefly on the Highline Trail during our recent visit to Glacier, after a full day of excursions elsewhere in the park. But we saw enough to know it's at the top of our list when we return.

TECHNORATI TAGS: MONTANA, TOURISM, VACATION, GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, HIKING, HIGHLINE TRAIL, GARDEN WALL, GRANITE PARK CHALET, WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at September 1, 2006 02:30 PM