Many Glacier Boat and Hiking Tour Review in Glacier National Park
See Glacier National Park from 2 different perspectives when you book a Grinnell Lake boat and hiking tour!
These popular tours take place in the Many Glacier area of the park, and provide visitors with a guided boat tour of both Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine. A short hike connects to the two boat tours as visitors transition from one boat to the next.
There is also an optional hiking opportunity at the far end of Lake Josephine to see either Grinnell Lake or Grinnell Glacier.
We love this tour because there’s a way for everyone to enjoy it.
Those with limited hiking abilities or very young kids who don’t want a long hike can just do the boat rides and short connecting hike, while those visitors who want a variety of adventure types can add on the hikes at Lake Josephine.
In the review below, you’ll learn everything you need to know about this tour from booking, location of the tour, and a step-by-step look of the entire tour.
The tour boat docked on Lake Josephine while loading passengers
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Grinnell Lake Boat and Hiking Tour Overview
Who runs this tour?
This tour is run through Glacier Boat Company, who also offer guided boat tours in other areas of the park, including a St. Mary tour, a Lake McDonald tour, and Two Medicine Tour.
Glacier Boat Company has been offering boat tours in Glacier National Park continuously since 1938, making it the longest running concessionaire partner in any of the U.S. national parks!
The company is still family owned, and the entire staff is dedicated to carrying on the company’s long history here.
You can even ride some of the company’s historic fleet, like the Little Chief that runs on St. Mary Lake. It’s been around since 1926 and was recently fully refurbished.
The Many Glacier tour boats are much newer, but they retain the small, intimate feel of the older boats in the fleet.
The captains also serve as tour guides on the boats, providing commentary and answer questions as you cruise. On some tours (like the one in Two Medicine), the captains also serve as hiking guides!
The half dozen captains we’ve met on our Glacier Boat Company tours have all been personable, knowledgeable, and helpful. They’re truly what makes these tours worth the money…though the incredible views you get along the way aren’t bad!
Mountains towering over Lake Josephine
What part of Glacier National Park is it located in?
The Many Glacier Boat and Hiking Tour reviewed here is in the Many Glacier section of Glacier National Park.
Many Glacier is accessible via an entrance on Highway 89. It is not connected to the main area of the park where you’ll find Going-to-the-Sun Road, Logan Pass, Apgar Village, and St. Mary.
Since you have to go a bit out of the way to get to Many Glacier, it’s usually not as busy as other areas of the park.
There is limited parking here at the hotel, which can fill up by noon on peak season weekends.
Other than the boat and hiking tour, there’s the Many Glacier Hotel, a campground, the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, and many trailheads.
Is this tour good for kids?
My son and I on the boat tour
Yes, the Many Glacier boat and hiking tour is great for kids!
I took my 2 elementary aged children on this tour, and they enjoyed all of it.
The captains do a great job of keeping passengers engaged, including taking questions throughout the boat ride. Kids can also get up and walk out on the bow with an adult if they get antsy.
Plus, each section of the tour is between 15-30 minutes, so there’s very little time when you’re stuck in your seats. My kids loved that they were able to stay in motion—first, boarding the boat, then, asking questions of the captain, and seeing the lake from the bow.
Then, there’s the short walk between lakes, arriving at the second dock, and an optional hike before the return trip. There truly isn’t a dull moment here, which is excellent for kids.
We saw kids of all ages on these hikes, from toddlers to teens.
We loved these tours and have done all of the tours the company offers except the Lake McDonald one. And that was just because we’ve run out of time among our other Glacier adventures, including paddleboarding in Lake McDonald!
>> Check out my complete guide to paddleboarding in Glacier National Park, including the best spots, how to rent, and what to bring. <<
How long does this tour take?
If you do the two boat rides and short connecting hike, and then immediately head back to the starting point without the optional hike extension, it will take about 1.5-2 hours round trip.
The captains aren’t speeding across the lakes, so that you can take in the incredible views. So, the journey across Swiftcurrent Lake takes about 25 minutes, then the hike across to Lake Josephine is another 15-20 minutes. The boat ride to the dock at the far end of Lake Josephine is another 15 minutes or so.
Adding in boarding and disembarkation times with a full boat of people, you’re likely to spend the full 2 hours without the hikes at peak travel times.
The nice thing about this tour is that you get to pick your own adventure to an extent.
As mentioned before, you get to pick the longer, optional hikes, or just doing the basic 2 boat journeys and short hike between.
You also get to pick your tour leave time from Many Glacier Lodge when you book your tickets. And you can come back on ANY of the return boats from either Swiftcurrent Lake’s second dock or Lake Josephine’s second dock.
For example, let’s say I take the first tour out at 9 AM. I will arrive at the second dock at the far end of Lake Josephine around 10 AM. At that point, I can immediately make the return trip back to Many Glacier Hotel.
Or, I could linger around to watch the wildlife and come back on the next boat, about 45 minutes later. Or, I could hike to Grinnell Glacier and catch the final return boat around 5 PM.
We loved how flexible these tours were and how many ways there were to customize it to individual tastes and itineraries.
What should I bring on the tour?
Binoculars
These are excellent for spotting the many animals who call this area home. We’ve seen moose, mountain goats, and many species of birds around the two lakes in Many Glacier.
Taking a good set of binoculars allows you to see more of the animals while still respecting their space and not getting too close to them.
We take along our Vortex Optics binoculars on most of our hiking and camping trips. They’re a great mid-level binocular option that’s still fairly lightweight. My husband loves the chest strap that they come with, which keeps the binoculars conveniently at hand.
Snacks
Once you leave Many Glacier Lodge, you don’t have any more options for purchasing food. There are no food sales on the boats, and you’re definitely not going to find a food truck on any of the trails around here.
Especially if you’re planning on adding any of the optional hikes, you’ll want to pack some snacks to tie you over until you’re back at the lodge.
Of course, be bear aware! Keep all of your food packed away until you’re ready to eat it, and then pack out your trash. The same time of the year when Glacier explodes with human activity is also the same time that bears are roaming around, starving after a winter of hibernation.
Water
There is also nowhere to fill up your water bottles after Many Glacier Lodge, so it’s a good idea to bring full water bottles with you.
My kids manage to go from not thirsty at all to parched in about 30 seconds, so we try to always have water on hand while we’re out hiking, camping, or adventuring.
More fun in and around Glacier National Park:
How to Book Tickets
You’ll want to book your tickets as soon as you are confident in the dates that you’ll be in Glacier National Park. You can do this through the Glacier Boat Company’s website.
These tours are very popular, and while the company does run between 4 and 7 tours per day, they still often sell out.
The tours do not begin until mid-June each year, thanks to the late spring snow and ice that is still present at lower altitudes well into the summer. (And if you’re driving Glacier’s Going-to-the-Sun Road, which tops out at 6600 feet above sea level, you can’t even get all the way through Logan Pass until late June or early July!)
They do run until early September, usually through the first full week of the month. Be sure to check the Glacier Boat Company’s website for exact season dates.
That means that these limited tours are packed into the already very busy summer season, so you want to plan ahead.
While you can purchase tickets at the dock, that only works if the tour has not already been sold out. I wouldn’t recommend waiting until you get onside to purchase tickets because you’re likely to be disappointed.
What to Expect on the Tour
Arrival at Many Glacier Lodge
Many Glacier Lodge
You won’t need any reservations to enter the Many Glacier entrance of the park, though you will need a valid entrance pass.
Once you’re inside the park, head to the Many Glacier Lodge. You can walk through the lobby even if you’re not a guest.
Head down the wide spiral staircase at the left of the main lobby. At the bottom, you’ll find the last normal toilet you’ll see for a while, so it’s not a bad idea to stop here—especially if you have kids.
There is also a small coffee and snack shop if you need some last minute fuel, and a cute gift shop with a good variety of sweatshirts, jewelry, books, and kids’ items.
Head through the wood and glass door at the back of the lodge, and you’ll find yourself on a gravel walkway of sorts. From the lodge’s back door, you can’t miss the tour check-in, which is at the foot of the boat dock just steps away.
Be sure to arrive at least 15 minutes ahead of your scheduled tour time. The boats stay on a regimented schedule, and they don’t linger for latecomers.
Show the attendant at the booth your reservation email, and you’ll then get a corresponding number of tickets for each person in your party.
Until boarding, hang out around the dock. There aren’t any chairs, but you hopefully won’t have long to wait.
First Boat
When the captain is ready to board your tour group, there will be an announcement from one of the Glacier Boat Company employees. At this point, you’ll make a line, show the ticket to the boat captain or other employee, and hop on the boat.
There are two rows of wooden benches onboard, and you can select whichever seat you’d like. Keep in mind that peak season tours can and do sell out, so you won’t be able to take up an entire bench until you have the correct number of people to do so.
In other words, if you’re on a sold out tour and you have an uneven number of people, someone will have to share a bench with another passenger.
Once everyone is on board and in their seats, the captain will run through a quick safety briefing outlining where the lifejackets are on the boat.
My daughter on the boat on Swiftcurrent Lake with the Lodge behind her
Before you know it, you’re off across Swiftcurrent Lake.
Views of the lake and mountains from the tour boat bow
On this leg of the tour, you’ll be able to get excellent views of the Many Glacier Lodge, Altyn Peak, and Mt. Grinnell.
The captain will share information about the Many Glacier Lodge’s history and fun facts about this area of the park.
My favorite: during the winter, snow will often reach up to the lodge’s second or third story, and the property manager will have to chase mountain goats off of the roof!
Once the tour is underway, the captain will also make an announcement when it is safe for passengers to head up to the bow for another viewing opportunity.
Up to 3 passengers are allowed here a time—it’s not the largest space—and people are usually very good about not overstaying their welcome so others can have a turn.
Once you reach the far end of Swiftcurrent Lake, the captain will dock the boat, and you’ll need to hike to your second vessel.
Short Hike
Once the captain gives the all clear, you’ll be able to disembark from your first vessel.
You’ll then complete a very short (1/4 mile) hike from the first boat to the second.
There is a small stream that connects Swiftcurrent Lake—the one you were just on—to Lake Josephine—the one you’re hiking to—but this stream is too little for the tour boats to function in.
And, portaging a tour boat constantly between the two areas just isn’t feasible, so the easiest thing to do is to get the passengers to get themselves to the second boat.
My son making his way from Swiftcurrent Lake to Lake Josephine
The hike is quick and fun, and it’s the perfect way for kids to burn off some steam before they board the second boat.
The trail is well defined, and you’d be hard pressed to lose it as you’re hiking alongside the other 45 people or so from the first boat.
There is a steep portion as you leave the dock on Swiftcurrent Lake, but it was manageable by everyone in my party from my 7-year-old son to my 70-year-old parents.
If you do think you’ll need some extra time to ascend that section, hang to the back of the crowd. This will allow you to take the elevation at your own pace. The second boat knows exactly how many passengers were on the first boat, and they will wait for you.
If you’re concerned about the hiking portion, let the captain of the first boat know. He or she will radio the captain of the second boat, so that the second boat’s crew will know there’s someone coming a little slower than the rest of the pack.
As you make your way down to Lake Josephine on the back half of the hike, you’ll be struck by the incredible color of the water.
While Swiftcurrent Lake is a deep, dark green, Lake Josephine is more of a dark aquamarine. (For an even more brilliantly blue lake, do the optional hike to Grinnell Lake! Details on that below.)
The second boat will be waiting for you at the dock.
Second Boat
Traveling on the aquamarine waters of Lake Josephine
The captain of the second boat will carefully count the passengers to ensure that everyone has made it over from the first boat.
Then, you’re off across Lake Josephine!
As your captain navigates this beautiful lake, keep a look out for moose and bears, both of which frequent the area in the summertime. You may also see hikers over to the right who are on the popular North Shore trail.
This second boat ride is over quickly, and you’ll dock at the far end of Josephine Lake.
If you’d like to simply take in more lake views and hear more of what the captain has to share, simply stay on the boat. You do not have to disembark and wait in line again if you want to do the entire round trip continuously.
If you’d like to get off and explore a bit before returning to the Many Glacier Lodge boat dock, head down the small wooden dock.
Optional Hiking Opportunities
Time to make a tough decision!
I strongly encourage you to add on one of these hikes during your time on this tour! There are some beautiful trails right off of the dock here with access to Grinnell Glacier, Hidden Falls and Grinnell Lake.
It doesn’t cost anything extra to take any of these hikes; access is included with your park entrance fees and tour ticket.
From the dock, you can turn right to start the hike to Grinnell Glacier, Hidden Falls, and Grinnell Lake.
There will be a branch just ahead where you’ll need to either bear to the far right for Grinnell Glacier via the North Shore Trail, or continue straight on for Grinnell Lake and Hidden Falls.
If you have young kids or want an easier hike, Grinnell Lake Trail is an excellent choice.
You’ll be able to add on the Hidden Falls spur trail along the way if you’d like. From the dock area, Grinnell Lake is just under 2 miles round trip.
If you want more of a challenge, try Grinnell Glacier Trail (but know that the elevation gain on this hike is no joke).
Much of it is also on trails with steep drop-offs. This hike is 7.6 miles round trip from the dock, so you’ll want to catch one of the earliest boats if you plan to complete this one.
At Grinnell Lake, which really is that color!
Final Thoughts on the Grinnell Lake Boat and Hiking Tour
Inside the tour boat
While you could simply set out on your own to hike in Many Glacier via the Swiftcurrent Lake Trail, this is one of those situations where the journey is just as important as the destination.
We found that the captain’s commentary on the boats gave us a context for the landscape and history that we wouldn’t have gotten by simply hiking to Lake Josephine.
Plus, my kids loved the experience of riding on the boats with a fun little hike between.
The knowledgeable tour guides and layered experience here is an excellent way to explore this beautiful corner of Glacier National Park!
