Cracker Lake Trail Hiking Guide
Cracker Lake is the brightest water in Glacier: an opaque turquoise lake at the head of a canyon, colored by rock flour washing down from Siyeh Glacier and walled in by the cliffs of Mount Siyeh. The trail is long, with more than 12 miles round trip. Here is what the walk is like and when you can still make it.
Permit: Many Glacier is inside Glacier National Park, which charges $35 per private vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, or $20 per individual 16+ on foot or bike, good for 7 days, with winter rates of $25, $20 and $15 between November 1 and April 30. A $70 annual pass or an America the Beautiful pass is accepted instead. Non-US residents 16 and older add $100 each unless covered by an annual or America the Beautiful pass. Cashless. No vehicle reservation was required at Many Glacier in 2026. Overnight stays at the Cracker Lake campground require a wilderness permit.
How Long It Is
AllTrails maps the out-and-back at 12.6 miles with 1,545 feet of gain; its time estimate is 5.5 to 6 hours. The park's day-hike table gives 6.4 miles each way with 1,400 feet of climbing from the south end of the Many Glacier Hotel parking lot. Other figures float around; Wikipedia, for instance, calls it 6.1 miles from the hotel, so plan on a 12- to 13-mile day.
The Walk Up the Canyon
AllTrails describes the route as following the Cracker Lake Trail the whole way, with several creek crossings on log footbridges and the scenery building steadily as you go. The last stretch comes out at the lake's foot, where the color is at its most startling. Wikipedia notes Mount Siyeh rises more than 4,000 feet above the water to the south. A backcountry campground near the lake has a pit toilet, per AllTrails.
Bear Country in the Fall
The Many Glacier valley is some of the park's best grizzly habitat, and autumn is peak feeding time: the park says bears may forage up to 20 hours a day then. A long, quiet trail like this one is exactly where surprise encounters happen. Hike with others, talk and clap at intervals, and keep spray on your hip. Never leave your pack by the lake while you explore the shore.
Snow and Shoulder Season
AllTrails notes that the route can hold snow into summer, and the park warns that fall storms can leave lingering snow that obscures trails. Bridges across the park start coming out in late September, so check the status map for any crossings you're counting on. Weather allowing, cars can usually drive into Many Glacier until the park closes its road for winter on the third weekend of November; the hotel shuts well before that.
Fee and Parking
You'll pay Glacier's entrance fee on the way into Many Glacier: $35 per car in summer and $25 from November 1, cards only. Park in the Many Glacier Hotel lot; the trailhead is at its south end. No vehicle reservation was required for the valley in 2026.
Hiking tips for Cracker Lake Trail
- Start from the south end of the Many Glacier Hotel lot and plan for 12-plus miles round trip.
- Go on a sunny day if you can; the lake's color is strongest in direct light.
- Bring a filter or carry all your water, since the park says surface water may be unsafe.
- Check bridge status on the park's trail map late in the season.
- Keep your group together on the long forested stretches, where a bear may not hear you coming.
Nearby trails to explore
- Grinnell Glacier Trail
- Iceberg Lake Trail (Glacier)
- Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Cracker Lake is a long walk to an unforgettable color, and better shared in grizzly country. Use TrailMates to find Glacier hikers heading out from Many Glacier. Download the TrailMates app to connect.