Granite Park Chalet
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
The trail traverses narrow ledges with severe exposure along the Garden Wall. A cable handrail is bolted into the rock at the worst section, but vertigo-prone hikers should know what they're signing up for — there is no alternative route around it.
Grizzly bear activity is extremely common along this corridor, particularly near the chalet and in the berry fields below Haystack Butte. Bear spray is not optional; make noise constantly and never hike solo if you can avoid it.
Snow lingers on north-facing sections well into July and sometimes August. The trail can be impassable or require crossing steep snowfields without traction — check current conditions at the Logan Pass ranger station before heading out.
Trail Details
Pro Tips
Take the free shuttle to Logan Pass and arrange a pickup at The Loop trailhead — this turns a 15-mile out-and-back into a spectacular 11.6-mile point-to-point descent, saving your knees and doubling the scenery.
The Logan Pass parking lot fills by 8:30 AM in peak season and the shuttle lines get brutal by 9. Either catch the first shuttle from Apgar around 7 AM or commit to a pre-dawn drive and claim a spot before the crush.
The stretch near Haystack Butte around mile 4 is prime grizzly habitat — the Park Service often posts bear warnings here. Carry spray with the safety off in this section, and linger at the overlook where you can sometimes spot bears grazing on the slopes below.