Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Montana / Glacier National Park

North Circle Loop

Glacier National Park (Many Glacier, Ptarmigan Tunnel, Belly River, Stoney Indian Pass, Fifty Mountain, Granite Park)

The North Circle is a multi-day loop from Many Glacier through Glacier National Park’s northern backcountry. Backpackers Review lays it out as about 52 miles with roughly 12,000 feet of climbing over six days, through Ptarmigan Tunnel, the Belly River valley, Stoney Indian Pass, the Waterton Valley, and the Highline Trail, before returning over Swiftcurrent Pass.

10Adventures rates it “Very Hard” and says, “This is a tough route, with some long days.”

The hike

Backpackers Review starts at the Iceberg-Ptarmigan trailhead near the Many Glacier Ranger Station and heads north. Day one climbs to Ptarmigan Tunnel and drops to Elizabeth Lake, about 10 miles. The NPS says the tunnel doors generally open in mid-July and close by late September; if they’re shut, Backpackers Review says to use the longer Redgap Pass Trail and not to try climbing over the Ptarmigan Wall.

Day two follows the Belly River valley past Cosley and Glenns Lakes to Mokowanis Lake, about 9.5 miles. The big ford is the Mokowanis River at Cosley Lake’s outlet, which Backpackers Review describes as about 100 feet wide and 1 to 3 feet deep, with a cable to hold. 10Adventures calls it “not very deep” and suggests unbuckling your pack’s hip and chest straps.

Day three is short in miles but climbs over Stoney Indian Pass to Stoney Indian Lake. Day four drops into the Waterton Valley and climbs to Fifty Mountain; 10Adventures advises filling bottles near the Waterton River before the climb because “water is harder to find in the alpine,” and warns of brush “waist to armpit height” in places.

Day five follows the Highline Trail about 11 miles along the Continental Divide to Granite Park, crossing Ahern Drift, a steep snow patch that can linger into summer. The last day climbs about 700 feet to Swiftcurrent Pass, then descends past Bullhead and Redrock Lakes to Many Glacier.

Backpackers Review recommends six days to avoid stacking big days, and says a five-day version is possible by combining days three and four. A Gossamer Gear report from late September 2013 shows how the season ends: sleet and snow on Stoney Indian Pass, snow at Fifty Mountain, and a retreat down the Flattop trail.

For a shorter trip that covers the Highline section, see the Highline Trail to Fifty Mountain.

Tips

Camping

Glacier requires a wilderness use permit for all overnight camping, and you may camp only at the campground and on the date on your permit. Recreation.gov says about 70% of sites for trips between June 15 and September 30 can be reserved in advance through lotteries and a general on-sale, and the NPS holds about 30% of sites parkwide for walk-ups, available in person no more than a day before your trip. Advance reservations cover groups of up to eight, with up to four people per campsite, and Recreation.gov caps the distance between camps on a reservation at 16 miles a day.

In camp, hang food and scented items from the food poles or use the bear boxes, with your own bags and at least 25 feet of rope. Wood fires are permitted only at a few select campgrounds, so plan on a stove.

Inside Intel: Backpackers Review singles out Mokowanis Lake: it “has an awesome view and makes for a great camp,” with Pyramid Falls and Margaret Lake a short, off-trail side trip. The same writer says the Stoney Indian Lake campsite is on the far side of the lake from the trail, and 10Adventures reports a bull moose wandering through Mokowanis Junction camp.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

The Mokowanis ford below Cosley Lake:

The Mokowanis River ford at Cosley Lake's outlet is about 100 feet wide and 1 to 3 feet deep, with a cable to hold, and 10Adventures suggests unbuckling your hip and chest straps. Here's why that matters.

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Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.