Glacier National Park: Grinnell Glacier

Hurry Up and Visit Grinnell Glacier

A trip to Glacier National Park's Grinnell Glacier provides a geological window into the past as well as the future. Grinnell Glacier is one of two easily accessible glaciers in the park, and has been heavily studied throughout the years. Even if you are not a scientist, the hike to Grinnell Glacier will definitely be a worthwhile adventure as it might not exist in a few years.

All glaciers in the park are rapidly retreating. In the 1800s, there were about 150 glaciers hanging in the park's rugged peaks. Today there are only 27 remaining. Scientists predict that all glaciers in the park will be melted away by 2030. In 1850, Grinnell Glacier covered about 576 acres. By 1993, it had melted 62% and covered only 226 acres. The rapid rate of melting is due to the fact that global temperatures have risen since the Industrial Revolution, and has doubled in the past 10 years. If you would like to see a live glacier, now is the time to do it.

Grinnell Glacier is the easiest glacier to access in the park. Start your adventure by taking a boat ride across Lake Josephine and begin your 3.8 mile ascent. If you choose not to take the boat, the hike will be 5.5 miles. The trail is steep and climbs 1,600 feet from the lake to the base of Grinnell Glacier. Views of the green and shimmering Grinnell Lake are rewarding. As you near the end of the trail, you will see glacial icebergs floating in the lake. Most visitors find that walking on Grinnell Glacier is the highlight of the trip. Stepping onto the glacier can be tricky, as stepping stones placed by previous hikers tend sink in the melting ice. If you are brave enough to venture onto the ice, you will see many rocks that the glacier has picked up over its years of travels. In a few years, only the rocks will be left.