Glacier NP — Highline Trail to Granite Park
Glacier National Park, MT
Elevation Profile
Current Conditions
Bottom Line
Mellow weather window with no snow on the ground — this is a good November trip. Daylight is your main constraint at 9h 23m; you need tight daily plans to avoid finishing approaches in the dark. Stream flow data in the raw conditions is from Central California gauges and doesn't apply to Glacier NP — treat crossings as unknown and plan accordingly.
53°/41°F · Mostly Cloudy
Data temporarily unavailable
This data source did not respond. Try regenerating the briefing.
0" depth
Elevated flows · 5 gauges
No active fires within 50 miles
9h 23m daylight · Sunrise 7:38 AM · Sunset 5:02 PM
Full Briefing
The weather looks solid for all three nights out. Highs in the 51-53°F range, lows in the 39-42°F range, light SW winds under 10 mph, and mostly cloudy skies with essentially zero precipitation chance through Friday night. No freezing temps in the forecast means no ice management issues on trail. This is a comfortable late-season window for the Highline.
Daylight is the real logistics driver here. You're working with 9 hours 23 minutes, sunrise at 7:38 AM and sunset at 5:02 PM. The Highline from Logan Pass to Granite Park Chalet is roughly 7.6 miles with significant exposed traversing. If you're starting at the trailhead, plan your first day so you're not on the high exposed sections after 4 PM. Golden hour starts at 4:13 — pretty but not the time to be navigating talus. Build your itinerary around being camped or in a sheltered position well before dark each day.
One data issue to flag: the stream flow gauges in the raw data are from California's Central Coast watersheds — Salinas River, Llagas Creek, Alameda Creek. These have zero relevance to Glacier NP. Treat crossing conditions as an unknown. In mid-November at Glacier, most seasonal streams are running low or frozen, but the Going-to-the-Sun corridor can still carry meaningful flow from recent precip or melt pulses. The 51-53°F daytime highs are warm enough to drive some snowmelt runoff if any snow exists at elevation, though SNOTEL at Annie Springs (6,021 ft) shows 0 inches. Scout any crossings on approach and have a backup line if anything looks sketchy.
No fires within 50 miles and no snowpack to manage. Avalanche data is unavailable for this zone, but with 0 inches of snow depth across all SNOTEL stations, it's a non-issue right now. Get on trail early each day to maximize your usable light, and confirm whether the Logan Pass visitor center and any trail infrastructure is still open this late in the season — Glacier typically closes Going-to-the-Sun Road at Logan Pass well before mid-November.
Waypoints
Logan Pass Visitor Center
Starting point at Logan Pass. Arrive early for parking—fills by 9am in July.
6,644 ft
Highline Ledge Traverse
The famous exposed ledge. Cable assist available. Look out for mountain goats.
6,857 ft
Grinnell Glacier Overlook
Side trail to overlook of Grinnell Glacier. Well worth the extra 0.5 miles.
7,218 ft
Granite Park Chalet
Historic stone chalet at 7,600 feet. Shuttle available back to the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
7,602 ft
Route Details
Distance
16.0 mi
Elevation Gain
2,805 ft
Elevation Loss
2,100 ft
Max Elevation
7,602 ft
Estimated Days
1
Trailhead
Logan Pass Visitor Center
Best Season
July through September. Snow at Logan Pass in June. Smoke possible August-September. Check fire status.
About This Route
The Highline Trail traverses the Continental Divide from Logan Pass to Granite Park Chalet, following a spectacular ledge cut into a cliff face with views of the Livingston Range and the Going-to-the-Sun Road far below. This is the signature day hike of Glacier National Park. The trail begins at Logan Pass (6,646 ft) with a famous traverse along a narrow ledge with a cable assist—intimidating but not technical. Beyond the ledge, the trail opens into vast alpine terrain: glacial cirques, mountain goats, grizzly bears, and wildflowers stretching to the horizon. The chalet at Granite Park (7,600 ft) is a highlight—stone buildings perched on a ridge with glacier views and a shuttle option back to the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Most hikers do this as a 16-mile one-way trip with a shuttle. Smoke from late-season fires (August-September) is increasingly common and can obscure views. Fire information is posted daily at the visitor center. Snow remains on the trail at Logan Pass well into June most years.
Plan This Route
Get a personalized conditions briefing with detailed analysis for your trip dates.
Plan This Route