There are no shortage of beautiful trails in Glacier National Park. With all of the options, for those who want to hike on their elopement day, it may be hard to decide which trail to chose. Do you go for the harder hike to chance at seeing more wildlife? Or do you take it easy and stroll along lakesides? Do you want something more secluded but maybe not quite as scenic, or would you prefer the more popular trails? Do you want to hike the entire way or would you prefer to ride a boat? From waterfalls, to lakes, to mountain tops -Glacier has it all. And I am here to share my favorite trails to help you build the memories you want to create on your elopement day amid the most gorgeous scenery. These are my favorite trails for a Glacier National Park hiking elopement.
Lake Josephine + Grinnell Lake Overlook
Distance: 1 mile to Lake Josephine, additional 2 miles to Grinnell Lake Overlook. Option to boat instead of hike back
Lake Josephine is one of only two designated ceremony locations within Glacier National Park that you can hike to. Now, this doesn't mean other trails are off limits for your elopement, it simply means that you must have your ceremony before or after the hike in another location. But for those who truly want to hike to their ceremony location, this is your best option. There are two trails to access this lake, but personally I like to start this hike at the Many Glacier Hotel and hike the south shore of Swiftcurrent Lake. This way you get views of Grinnell Point across Swiftcurrent Lake for the entire hike.
The Josephine Lake Ceremony site is 1 mile into the hike and adjacent to the boat dock for the Glacier Park Boat Company boat rides. For this reason the beach can become quite crowded and I highly recommend that if you chose to do your ceremony here that you chose to do it early in the morning or in the evening after boat rides have concluded for the day. If you are choosing to hike beyond, then morning is the best choice.
Once you depart the ceremony site the trail is a lovely flat hike along Josephine Lake until you reach the other side of the lake. Once you get to the other side, you have two options -Grinnell Lake or Grinnell Glacier. Both are beautiful, but this is my blog on my favorite trails, so here is where I am gonna reccommend taking the trail up towards Grinnell Glacier. You don't have to go all the way, in fact I have never had a couple make it all the way to the Glacier -it's just a little more strenuous than most people want on their wedding day (but if you are down, I am down -reach out!). But if you go even just a mile up the trail, you get incredible views overlooking Grinnell Lake - a place a lot of us locals have coined as Grinnell Lake Overlook. Don't just take my word for it, scroll through the below gallery for photos from the ceremony site to the Overlook.
From here you can opt to hike back all the way parking lot or just hike about a mile back down to the West Boat Dock on Lake Josephine -which is the opposite side of the lake from the ceremony site. If you opt to take the boat, make sure to book tickets in advance from Glacier Park Boat Co. While tickets used to be available on a walk up basis, that is no longer the case and you must book beforehand. The boat ride will save you about two miles of hiking and you will get to enjoy gorgeous views of Lake Josephine and Swiftcurrent Lake. Note that there is a short walk of .2 miles between the two lakes. I highly recommend taking this option as it will save time on your elopement day. With the boat ride I would allow 6 hours for this hike, without it I would allow 8 hours. The boat will drop you off back at the Many Glacier Hotel where you can enjoy a Hucklebery Margarita and some fine dining while admiring the views. The perfect way to end your elopement. And if you really want to relax afterwards, try and book a hotel room with a lake view. It is a splurge well worth it for the best day of your life. Click here for a more detailed blog of what a hiking elopement on this trail could look like.
A couple final tips and pointers about this hike. It is accesible typically May-December but be prepared for snow in the higher elevations May and Oct-Dec. The Boat runs from June-Early September. In years past reservations have been required from July -September but this can vary by year. A special use permit for a ceremony, a ticket for the boat ride, or a reservation at the hotel will all act in lieu of a vehicle reservation. During peak season parking can be difficult to find and 2025 will be especially challenging with most of the parking closed in Many Glacier as the Swiftcurrent Valley is under construction.
Hidden Lake and/or Overlook
Distance: 1.5 miles from Logan Pass VC to Hidden Lake Overlook, 3 miles to Hidden Lake
If there was a designated ceremony spot anywhere along this hike, it would for sure be in my number one spot and it's only because there isn't that I list this in second. Out of all the hikes in Glacier, this is my favorite and as a family we hike to the Overlook about once a week in the summer because I just can't get enough. This is also the trail that convinced us to move to Glacier and to name our son Logan. You are almost guaranteed mountain goat and bighorn sheep sightings along with spectacular views from every inch of the trail. It is especially nice at sunset when the crowds are gone and the wildlife are more active. Bring your bear spray as this is a known grizzly hotspot and the trail between the overlook and the lake is typically closed until August because of bear activity due to the cutthroat spawn in the lake and it's outlet.
The trail starts at Logan Pass which is the busiest place in Glacier National Park, and for good reason. Its one of the most gorgeous spots in the park with the best trails and the parking is limited. For this reason, I highly suggest only planning on hiking here in the early morning or evening (or after dark? If the KP index is good this one of the best places in the park to view the Northern Lights -and I do love a good Aurora night with my clients). Many clients chose to stop here for photos even if they aren't hiking, but if you do choose to hike it just gets more and more gorgeous with every step.
The first mile or so of the hike takes you up a somewhat steep boardwalk through alpine meadows and alongside waterfalls with an elevation gain of 529 feet. While I don't particularly love hiking uphill, as mentioned we do this hike about once a week and the elevation gain has never personally effected me on this trail as I am too captivated by views. You reach the waterfall at the top of the hill, turn around the corner to the last stretch of boardwalk and then the scenery transforms from meadows to beautiful tarns (another word for small alpine ponds) that offer reflections of all the surrounding peaks. If you are planning to hike and do a first look, I always recommend changing and doing it at this last stretch of boardwalk. Trust me, you are going to want photos along the last half mile before you reach Hidden Lake Overlook.
This last half mile before the overlook and the overlook itself are also your best chance of seeing mountain goats in the park. They love the salt left behind from people's sweat at the Overlook and are often seen licking all of the railings.
The hike to the Overlook is a mile and a half each way and for most of the summer, this is as far as you can go. Access to Logan Pass is typically from late June to mid October -weather dependent- and the hike between the Hidden Lake and the Overlook is usually closed for bear activity at the lake until early to mid August and can close again at any time. I would allow at least 3 hours but ideally 4 for a hike to the Overlook which would give plenty of time for photos and you can include it as part of your elopement day with other locations. If you opt to continue down to the lake I recommend planning on no less than 8 hours.
The 1.5 mile hike between the Hidden Lake Overlook and the Lake itself is probably the most gorgeous stretch of trail in the entire US in my opinion (You may disagree, that's fine), but it is extremely steep and very strenous. You drop down steep switchbacks of about 1000 feet down to the lake and then you must climb back up. However, you won't ever stop to catch your breath in a more beautiful place.
The lake itself is an incredible place to relax, enjoy a meal, go fishing, and of course take photos. The fishing here is the best both my husband and my father (both avid fly-fisherman) have ever encountered. So if that is up your alley, pack your poles and get ready to catch some large cutthroat. Rest as much as you can because the hike out is a strenuous one.
Highline Trail
Distance: As long as you want up to 11 miles from Logan Pass to the Loop -you can turn around whenever you want. For elopements, usually we just stick to the first half mile to a mile.
While we are at Logan Pass, the net hike on the list is the Highline. The Highline Trail is definitely on the list of most iconic Glacier hikes, especially if you go the entire 11 miles. However, I wouldn't recommend that for an elopement. If you are looking for some photos on the iconic chain section, that is in the first half mile of the Highline Trail. This could be done in as little as 30 minutes, so if you are looking for some great hiking elopement photos without the hiking, this trail is for you. Mountain goats and bighorn sheep are also frequently seen here so its ideal for wildlife lovers. I won't dive too deep into this trail but all of the same logistics for time of day and parking for Hidden Lake are true for this trail as well. Definitely only recommend shooting here in the evenings. The photos below were all taken within the first half mile of the Highline Trail.
Avalanche Lake & Trail of Cedars
Distance: Trail of Cedars Loop 1 mile RT, Avalanche Lake 2.5 miles that includes Trail of Cedars
The first elopement I ever shot was at Avalanche Lake and it remains a popular choice for many couples that want to add a hike into their elopement day. Same with many of the other hikes, it can be very crowded and parking difficult to come by. I recommend that if you want to include either Trail of the Cedars or Avalanche Lake in your elopement itinerary that you plan to do it around sunrise or sunset. There is a designated ceremony location at the beginning of this trail at the Avalanche Amphitheater which makes combining it with your ceremony a very easy choice. I would allow about 45 minutes for the Trail of the Cedars or at least 4 hours if you plan to do the entire hike to the lake. This hike is accesible from about May-December.
The first half mile of this hike is along the stunning Trail of the Cedars. This trail is technically a loop but recommend taking the north side along the boardwalk both ways instead as it is more scenic than the south gravel trail. Right when you reach Avalanche Gorge you can take the trail up towards the Lake. Unlike all of the other trails on this list, the hike to Avalanche Lake will not have wide open mountain views the entire way. Instead, you will mostly be hiking through a dense forest, which does have it's own beauty. But the hike itself is not as scenic as the other hikes in Glacier. For Avalanche Lake it's all about the destination.
Once you arrive at the lake, you immediately come to a large beach. Often this beach can be crowded, but it is possible to find a private place the further you walk away from the beach and there are lots of boulders on which to stop and enjoy a sandwich before hiking back to the car. Click here for a separate blog on an Avalanche Lake Elopement.
St. Mary & Virginia Falls
Distance: 1 mile to St. Mary Falls, 1.5 miles to Virginia Falls
When looking for a shorter hike to fit into a longer elopement day itinerary, St. Mary & Virginia Falls is an excellent choice. It's one mile from the trailhead to St. Mary Falls and an additional half mile beyond that to Virginia Falls. This trailhead is accesible usually May-November. Parking here is about 12 spots so I highly recommend going early morning or evening to guarantee you get a spot (notice a theme here). Another alternative is parking at Rising Sun or Sun Point and taking the shuttle here. While it can be gorgeous at any time, I recommend May or June as the waterfalls will be at peak flow and at their most gorgeous. I would say allow about 3 hours for this hike.
The first mile of the hike to St Mary Falls you are hiking through the remmants of 2015's Reynolds Creek fire and it is extremely exposed, I would not recommend hiking in the middle of a hot summer day. Once you reach St. Mary Falls at a mile in the trail becomes a lot more scenic and follows Virginia Creek and many small waterfalls for the next half mile.
Virginia Falls itself has two different levels, the top and the bottom which has a bridge to take you to the pit toilet. I like both locations for photos. The spray from the waterfall can be quite cold and it can be next to impossible to stay dry so definitely bring a coat and prepare to hike back a little wet, which can be absolutely refreshing on a hot day. Click here for a full blog about this hike.
Twin Falls
Distance: 1 mile from Two Medicine Boat Dock, requires boat ride
Whereas Avalanche Lake is all about the destination, the Twin Falls hike is all about the journey to get there and much lass about the destination. The waterfalls are beautiful, but they are not as impressive as St. Mary or Virginia Falls. However, taking the boat across Two Medicine Lake and then hiking to the falls is a perfect adventure for your elopement day. I would allow about 4 hours total for this hike which includes the boarding and riding time for the boat. If you want to pack a little bit of everything -mountains, waterfalls, forests, lake, boating and hiking than this is the ideal aventure for your elopement day. If this sounds good to you, but you want to pack a little bit more in -Upper Two Medicine Lake is another mile beyond the falls and is one of the quietest and most scenic lakes in the park. I have yet to shoot an elopement at Upper Two Med so I don't have photos t share, but if you are interested I am happy to plan one for you. For now, here are photos from the boat ride and one mile flat hike beyond the boat dock to Twin Falls.
Running Eagle Falls
Distance: .3 Miles from Running Eagle Falls Trailhead
Last but not least is Running Eagle Falls. This spot is the second designated ceremony site that you can hike to in Glacier National Park and it allows up to 15 participants. It is a short .3 mile hike to the falls and is accesible typically from May-December. While not usually crowded, you can usually expect to see a handful of folks here cycling in and out taking photos of the waterfall.
And that's a wrap on this blog. If you are interested in planning your own hiking session whether it's a short pre/post wedding shoot in bridal attire or a full day elopement please inquire here
I loved reading this, and enjoying your stunning work! Thinking about a 10 year vow renewal in the park after this 🤩🤩