Glacier National Park for Families

Glacier National Park is a wild and beautiful place, but its high-altitude trails and steep mountain slopes don’t exactly scream family vacation. Sure, you can take a scenic drive through the park, and the Going to the Sun Road is a great choice for any traveler, but families with young children or older adults may feel hampered by physical limitations.

Don’t let that stop you; there are plenty of worthwhile trails that stay at lower elevations and/or are relatively flat. Add in ranger programs, stops for ice cream and activities like float trips and zip lines, and you’ll have no trouble keeping everyone happy and occupied.

Flat trails like Avalanche Lake, St. Mary and Virginia Falls and Two Medicine Lake are incredibly scenic and fun for the whole family. If anyone in the group has more severe physical limitations that inhibit walking on trails, there are boat rides on St. Mary Lake, Lake McDonald, Two Medicine Lake and more, plus tons of rafting and float trips in the area.

On the West Glacier side of the park, just outside the entrance, several companies offer zip line tours and ropes courses. There are helicopter tours, too, so you can enjoy the scenery without having to hike long distances.