Highline Trail to Granite Park Chalet
| Trail Features: | Outstanding views, Meadows, Wildflowers |  |
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| Trail Location: | Logan Pass | ||||
| Roundtrip Length: | 15.2 Miles | ||||
| Total Elevation Gain: | 1920 Feet | ||||
| Avg. Elev Gain / Mile: | 253 Feet | ||||
| Highest Elevation: | 7280 Feet | ||||
| Trail Difficulty Rating: | 19.04 (strenuous) | ||||
| Parking Lot Latitude | 48.69657 | ||||
| Parking Lot Longitude | -113.71813 | ||||
Trail Description:
This hike to the Granite Park Chalet begins from the Highline Trailhead, located on the north side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road at Logan Pass. To avoid congestion and the frequently full parking lot at Logan Pass, you may want to consider taking the shuttle up to the pass.
The Highline Trail is an extremely popular hike; and for good reason. At every step, and every turn, hikers will have spectacular scenery as the Highline follows along the Continental Divide, also known as the Garden Wall throughout this section. The exceptionally beautiful views, the excellent opportunities for spotting wildlife, and the wildflowers, all combine to make this a hike you'll remember the rest of your life. If you’re looking for solitude, however, you won’t find it on this trail.
Roughly
one-quarter of a mile
from the trailhead you’ll reach the famous ledge with the reputation
for
terrifying those with a fear of heights. In most places the ledge,
hanging like
a shelf on the Garden Wall, is only four to six feet in width, and has
drop-offs of a hundred feet or so down to the Going-to-the-Sun Road
below.
This segment lasts for only three-tenths of a mile, but may seem
forever if you
have a fear of heights. Fortunately the National Park has installed a hand cable along this stretch of the trail. My advice is to not let this deter you, as this is one of the most scenic trails in America.
From here the trail continues to hug the cliffs and slopes of the Garden Wall, and does so for most of its length to Granite Park. Throughout the early portions of the hike Mount Cannon, Mount Oberlin and Heavens Peak will dominate the views towards the west.
Roughly 2.5 miles from Logan Pass the slopes of the Garden Wall begin to shallow out. Soon you’ll begin the only major climb of the day, a short section of trail that takes hikers up to Haystack Pass.
At 3.6 miles, after climbing roughly 275 feet up one switchback, hikers will reach Haystack Pass at an elevation of 7024 feet. The pass forms the saddle between 7486-foot Haystack Butte and the Garden Wall, which at this point is technically the southeastern flank of Mt. Gould. With its outstanding panoramic views, Haystack Pass is also a popular spot for a snack or lunch break.
Beyond the pass the trail continues a gradual climb up along the Garden Wall. Soon you’ll reach the highest point on the hike at an elevation of 7280 feet. From here the trail begins its descent towards Granite Park, and 8436-foot Swiftcurrent Mountain will eventually come into view towards the north.
At 6.9 miles hikers will reach the Garden Wall Trail. This side trail climbs roughly 900 feet - in just 0.6 miles - to the top of the Continental Divide, and provides hikers with commanding views of The Salamander and Grinnell Glacier on the opposite side.
At 7.6 miles hikers will reach the
Granite Park Trail junction. Towards the right the Highline Trail
continues on
towards the Fifty Mountain Backcountry Campground, roughly 12 miles away. A turn to the
left would
take you down to The
Loop on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. To visit the Granite
Park Chalet, hikers should continue going straight at this junction.
The Granite Park Chalet was built in 1914 and 1915 by the Great Northern Railway to provide comfortable backcountry accommodations inside Glacier National Park. The rustic lodge was the last of the nine chalets built by the railroad, and today is listed as a National Historic Landmark. Compared to Sperry Chalet, the Granite Park Chalet is much more basic, and is essentially a simple hiker's hostel, with virtually no amenities. It has 12 guest rooms, each with 2 to 6 bunks. There’s no electricity, but the common-area kitchen does have a propane stove.
The chalet sells packaged foods, beverages, snacks, and bottled water to hikers. If not interested in buying water, there’s a stream about a quarter-mile away along a rocky and rugged trail. You will have to treat this water first. For more information and to make a reservation, please click here.
Please note that the elevation information above assumes an out and back hike. If you’re only hiking to the chalet the elevation gain would be only 975 feet. If you wish to sleep under the stars the Granite Park backcountry campground is nearby. It contains four individual sites, two of which can be reserved ahead of time.
