Granite Park Chalet
Hiking to Granite Park Chalet
Explore Glacier National Park the way visitors did before the construction of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, by hiking to Granite Park Chalet. Accessible only by foot or on horseback, Granite Park Chalet provides an exciting destination for the whole family. more info
Built in 1914 by the Great Northern Railway, Granite Park Chalet served the early visitors of Glacier National Park in the era before private automobiles. Back then, travelers came to the park by train and explored its terrain by horseback. Guests stayed overnight in one of the eight backcountry chalets, or stone lodges, built along popular trails.
Today, Granite Park Chalet is one of two chalets still remaining.
Granite Park Chalet was recently reconstructed and converted into a hiker's shelter. Hikers are expected to bring their own food, sleeping bags, and water filters. There is a kitchen, a dining room, and 12 sleeping rooms furnished with single bunk beds. If you do not want to carry your provisions on the hike in, you may opt for the bedding/linen service and packaged meals that are provided at the chalet for a fee.
Granite Park Chalet is located along the Highline Trail and sits just below Swiftcurrent Pass on the Continental Divide. At an elevation of 6,000 feet, Granite Park Chalet sits above tree line and offers breathtaking views in all directions. From the porch you can see Heaven's Peak and the McDonald Creek drainage. Snow doesn't leave the surrounding meadows until late spring and early summer. When the snow finally does melt, yellow glacier lilies spring up and cover the ground. Later in the season, the glacier lilies are followed by a colorful spectrum of different wildflowers. Expect to see penstemon, asters, paintbrush, cinquefoil, bear grass, and many more.
A majority of the hikers reach Granite Park Chalet via the 7.4 mile Highline Trail from Logan Pass. Another option is to cross Swiftcurrent Pass from Many Glacier along the Loop Trail. The chalet is generally open from early July through September. Overnight rates range from $66 to $75.
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