Has anyone here backpacked in Glacier National Park? My wife and I are planning a week-long trip there in August to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary, and we plan to backpack in for a couple of days. We'll stay two nights, hiking for three days. We're both flat-landers from ND, without much experience actually hiking or backpacking. We did some small day trips on easy trails in SW Montana when we lived there about 8 years ago, but nothing that will be comparable to what we're planning on in Glacier. We're gathering gear as we can, and doing as much research and planning as we can to be prepared. My biggest concern is going to be clothing...working on finding marino wool or synthetic clothes, and figuring out what kind of clothes and layers we'll need when we get there. My wife found somewhere online that the average daytime high temp for the time we'll be there is 80°F, and the average low is 40°F.

Any tips from experienced hikers/backpackers here?

Hiking you will not need super warm clothes but I would get some good sleeping bags rated for 10°. Maybe a warm set of clothing to wear at camp but if it gets real cold your bags are the #1 concern. You can always vent them if your hot. I would also do some overnights locally to see how things work and hike a few days a week with some weight.

Have fun.

Backpacked quite a bit in Yellowstone. I never trained or prepared for it in anyway, but relied on being in good shape and fit to begin with. Furthest I went in was 6-8 miles with a full pack and some elevation change. Not mountain climbing but definitely some hills. Yes I was tired, but had no trouble. Biggest thing is food. Go with freeze dried Mountain House type stuff. Light weight and good. Also have a good pack that sits on yer hips to help disperse weight. Oh! And a water bottle with built in purifier to drink right out of creeks and lakes. Carry bear spray and have fun. Clothes you already have will suffice. Also with the wife you can always sleep together for warmth and uh…well you get it. Not an option with a brother lol.

Yes, quite a bit of successful, rewarding, fun, and adventurous backpacking experience in Glacier.
Glacier is not “user friendly” at least compared to Yellowstone.
It is very rugged and austere. Personally, I believe it is not beginner backpacking country.
As a precursor - I am not afraid of bears. I respect them. I have much experience with bears in many states (especially Alaska) and Canada. The grizzly situation in NW Montana could not be more real, serious, or extreme. In Glacier, we have seen grizzly “bedroom jungle” areas in the backcountry that were incredibly intense with very little visibility. Follow all bear precautions to the extreme. Many have the opinion that those bears have little fear of man and need to be hunted to reduce the numbers and remind them to fear man.
I have seen it snow there in July, so prepare accordingly.
Maybe plan to enjoy Glacier in a less intense way.

Wear little bells on your boots to scare away the bears. Always carry bear spray. You can tell you are in bear country when the scat has bells in it and smells like pepper spray.

This sounds like an awesome trip! Have fun.

my wife and I planned our honeymoon in glacier for several months after our wedding, well then by the time our trip rolls around, she is pregnant on the honeymoon(not exactly planned, lol) so our backpack plans went by the wayside, but we had a blast there anyways.

That's how the locals know tourists were there!

This^^^^ plus I would add thunderstorms in the afternoon are quite common that time of year and can be sudden and violent. Snow in the high country is no joke even in August.
Beware of beetle kill pine trees many millions of them have been standing dead for years just waiting to fall.
Have fun and be safe.

I've lived out of a backpack many times for up to three months at a time. Get a good pack and put in some miles to make sure it fits you correctly before your big trip. Also, in my opinion the absolute most critical thing you can do, is get good boots and put a couple hundred miles on them. Sore feet can make or break a good backpacking trip. One last word of advice: chocolate is your friend.

Jack

Chocolate is your friend just not in your tent. Also as to the bear spray, keep it at hand and ready to deploy instantly not in your pack. Three Seconds is a long time in a grizzly encounter.

I'd Say!

I am an experienced BPer, and here is my advice:

A GNP backpack is a terrific idea. As an aniversary celibration when you are not experienced BPers sounds like a recipe for disaster. Just one old man's opinion. For what it's worth, I've been married since 1975, to the same woman even.

You can always shed clothes but if you don't have enough when it is cold, windy and raining you are on thin ice. Do not drink out of crystal clear water without filtering. Have some tape or Dr. Shoals in case of blistering feet. Back up batteries for headlamps in case you have to stay up all night to keep a bear out of your camp. Loud whistle. Bear spray instantly accessible. Bug spray? Breathable rain/wind jacket with hood. tent and light pad should get you through with a 10 or 20 degree bag. Thunder and lightning storms can be intense in mountains and you often can't see them coming til they clear the ridge and are on you. Don't mean to scare you off but please be prepared for a great adventure.

These tips and others are all important.
Putting miles on a pack and boots is very important because it really puts miles on you toughening you and your feet. For example, walking on uneven ground is important to strengthen muscles used for balance.
Also, you need to know your gear intimately.

Not knowing you, your condition, and what you might actually do is impossible.
However knowing Glacier is very possible.
What you describe doing is very likely getting in significantly beyond your described skills, abilities, condition, and gear. You certainly do not want a forced march while experiencing hypothermia and being terrified because you just crossed paths where grizzly tracks squished in the mud are now refilling with water and you did not see or hear the bear.
Simply put - enjoy Glacier from the road system, have fun, and make memories!

I personally would not backpack where I can't go armed. I've seen what a bear can do to a full grown moose or musk ox. I've done two week sheep hunts and broken in boots are absolutely necessary. Don't drink any water without a filter or boiling. I'd suggest a series of overnight trips; one day in, one day out. A second day of going in can become several days coming out if anything goes wrong. A sprained ankle is a serious problem. Glacier is spectacular for sure; enjoy your trip.

The last time I went to Glacier, it was early Oct. I was at Two Medicine campground. There were not a lot of people there and the lodge was boarded up for the winter. There was bear poop everywhere and it was all huckleberry. I went on a walk on the way to Upper and ate huckleberries like I was going to the chair. It was wonderful. Except for the rangers who thought I was going to let them go through my truck because I had been rockhounding. Dumb lower 20 somethings who clearly had not been taught about the Constitution. I have. They learned something that day.

I would bring light, goretex or other waterproofish, jackets and pants. Evenings can get pretty cool, and you might run into some rain, but most of the time you'll probably be in shorts. Don't skimp on good quality socks. I like the Smartwools. Make sure you fit your boots with them. If you do wear shorts, I recommend ankle gaitors. They keep you from stopping to get little rocks out of your boots and they're worth their weight in gold. I would bring something for blisters. My favorite is duct tape. AS SOON as you feel a hotspot warming up, pull your socks off, dry your feet good and put duct tape over the spot. Then tape up every day. It works for me.

Don't over do it. Many people plan too much for themselves, (miles), and that can be dangerous and miserable. Yes, filter everything you drink. I've always use the pumps and I've never tried the bottles that have a filter on them. Make sure you prepare some meals on your backpacking stove before the trip. Also, most people that are new to backpacking, pack way too much stuff. Glacier's not the best place to be learning. I always carry my bearspray on the chest strap for my backpack. You can open carry a firearm in Glacier, but you're not supposed to discharge, for whatever that means. You can't bring a firearm into any of the buildings that I know. There's some pretty nice, "flatter" hikes in the North Fork around Kintla, Bowman, Quartz Lakes, etc., but they won't be as scenic as some of the ones in the high country. Just plan them well and don't over do the mileage. Always factor the elevation gain too. It can be tricky to get the backcountry walk in permits. Its hard enough just to get into the park. If you can't, you can do a lot of day hikes. You'll get more miles in if you're not carrying your camp.

I'm sorry I can't recommend specific trails. My wife and I used to own a lodge and campground up by the park. One of the big companies that runs a lot of the big lodges in the park, and others in Canada, bought us out. We always avoided the park because of crowds. When you live here, you can do that. Don't forget your vehicle reservations to get in.

Have a great time! Visit Polebridge and have a beer and a great meal at the Northern Lights Saloon. You might catch some live music too. You're coming to a very special spot and you'll never forget it.

THIS, along with most of the above comments.

Glacier is in my backyaad.

Chocolate is my dessert of choice, no matter what I am doing.

I have used internal packs for walkabout for ten days at a time , in Glacier, the wilderness areas adjoined to Glacier, to the southern border, and elsewhere. External framed packs probably would do just as well, but I have never used them. But putting the most weight to your hips , in the packs first, the lightest items to the top, makes for a well balanced trek.

What Jack said about boots is key. Right up there with stowing enough toilet paper. Get moleskin, and scissors....and cut patches you can tape to any beginning hot spots with medical tape as soon as you feel them. Don't tarry. Stop anywhere as soon as you feel any discomfort, cut just enough to cover the spot and tape it. You can use the patch over and over, taking it off in the eves, and taping it back on when you begin your trek the next day.

For longer days hikes I carry flip flops , in summer, to change into at camp , leaving the boots and fresh washed socks to dry in the sun or the fire.

A good camp stove with gas bottle is very convenient and key to a nice time.

A first aid kit, anywhere, is logical.

Bear spray....meh......but in the parks, they usually won't allow firearms...but follow the current signs and directions, as to a trail that has been marked to recent griz activity, catch your food , ( toothpaste too ) and you should be fine. Mark mentioned Two Medicine Lake area. That , among a few others, is known popular griz habitat.

I never buy the high end full meal foods....just go to the store, get the meals in boxes that add water in cooking, take them out of the boxes, keep them in the bags, take your own seasonings , dried meat, fruit, etc. Mix them all when you cook. A bit of flour, powdered milk, and you have decent meals . If I find wild onions along lakes , I dig those and they add wonderfully to the meals. Berries too, when in season.

I always bring my walking staff....long sticks can be found to use . I bring my own, from 6 to 8 feet in length. They are invaluable for balance, crossing on logs, balancing in scree slopes , on the downhill side. Or if injured, a good tool to help one walk out . They can also be used to catch food packs up in trees , and in self defense. Staff fighting in martial arts is a time honored use of a humble tool into a vital weapon, in many causes. I never hike anywhere without my own home made staff.

Clothes can be rolled to make a pillow for sleep. Thermarest pads are the best on earth for warm sound sleeping. They roll up tight and fill up with air . On snow or summer, they are a great air support sleep. I tie mine in a roll on the top of my pack.

Trails....study topo maps of the park and plan where you will park and what trail you want to traverse. I have spent many hours enjoying studying topo maps. I strongly recommend any trail west of the divide , rather than the east. Avalanche trail, among many others, has the magnificent huge old cedar and hemlock conifers that are my favorites in all the world to see. Logan Pass , on the backbone of the world, is a trail to enjoy, though parking can be a challenge to find in peak season, but worth it. The trail from the visitor's center for a few miles is surprisingly easy and gorgeous. The altitude will most likely be felt with you before anything else.

The back country trails are all scenic , but need to be prepared well for.

It is all what you plan to see, and read up on what they have to offer and the difficulty in the walking.

Whatever you do, drive the Sun road. To Logan Pass , looking way down over the eastern slopes. You will never forget it. Pull over in the designated places to enjoy the views.

There is so much to see. A few days doesn't even scratch the surface.

Welcome to my world.

Have a wonderful time.

Our daughter and her then boy friend now husband back packed the high country trails in Glacier 3 different times. Most trips were 4-5 days so they did not pack for a week on the trail. They only had one encounter with a Grizzly which was not real close, more black bear issues that were not scary and the mountain goats would come right into the tent camp site. They went in August twice and late June once. More rain and colder in June then August.

Bryce

Last time I packed in Glacier was 2006. Lots of grizzly sign and beautiful sights. Lots of good advice here. Learn how to keep food odor out of your tent and enjoy. I carry duct tape for hotspots on feet. Good broken in boots and dry socks are the most important aspect of any hike. Enjoy!