Highline Trail Gear Checklist
The Highline Trail follows the Continental Divide north from Logan Pass, mostly above treeline, to Granite Park and on to the Fifty Mountain camp. Backpackers here plan for a shelf with a cable, snow that can close the trail well into summer, sudden cold rain and grizzly country. The packs described in our sources hold bear spray, a food-storage setup the park accepts, rain gear and sturdy boots, plus a water plan for a chalet with no running water.
What shapes your gear on Highline Trail
- Distances
- Two day-hike guides put Logan Pass to Granite Park Chalet at 7.6 miles. One of them places the Fifty Mountain camp roughly 12 miles beyond the Granite Park junction. A Backcountry Post trip report estimated the Fifty Mountain to Granite Park day at 11.6 miles, and a gear-company route guide lists 11.9.
From Glacier Guides, HikinginGlacier.com, Backcountry Post and Paria Outdoor Products
- The ledge
- About a quarter of a mile from the trailhead the trail crosses a shelf on the Garden Wall that is only six to eight feet wide, with sheer drops of a hundred feet or more. The park has installed a hand cable along the three-tenths of a mile it lasts.
From HikinginGlacier.com
- Water
- Granite Park Chalet has no running water. One guide says to bring plenty. Another says a stream lies about a quarter of a mile away on a rough trail and that its water needs treating. A Glacier ranger adds that the park's water carries Giardia.
From Glacier Guides, HikinginGlacier.com and Glacier National Park (NPS): What To Bring, What to Leave Behind
- Snow and timing
- The park says the Highline and Grinnell Glacier trails are often closed well into the summer because of snow, and that snow hazards linger on high trails until mid-July. In late June 2015 one group crossed several snowfields and went around a steep, slick section called the Ahern Drift. A gear-company route guide says to ask about the drift before you set out.
From Glacier National Park (NPS): Frequently Asked Questions, Backcountry Post and Paria Outdoor Products
- Camps and fees
- Each backcountry campground has 2 to 7 campsites, and each campsite is limited to four people. From May 1 to October 31 the permit costs $10 plus $7 per person per night. Granite Park campground holds four sites, and only two of them can be booked ahead.
From Glacier National Park (NPS): How Do I Get a Wilderness Permit? and HikinginGlacier.com
What the agency requires on Highline Trail
A wilderness permit in your possession
The park requires a wilderness use permit for all overnight camping, and it is valid only for the dates, places and party size on it. The maximum party is 12.
From Glacier National Park (NPS): How Do I Get a Wilderness Permit?
Food hung from a park device, or sealed in an approved container
The park's FAQ says that at backcountry campsites food is secured by hanging it from a park-designated device or by sealing it in an approved bear-resistant container. A 2016 ranger blog says the park supplies food poles at each backcountry campground and that campers bring a 20-foot rope and a tough stuff sack.
From Glacier National Park (NPS): Frequently Asked Questions and Glacier National Park (NPS): What To Bring, What to Leave Behind
What hikers carry on Highline Trail
Bear spray, within reach
Glacier Guides lists it first among the safety items for the Highline, and the park says to carry it where you can reach it quickly. A Backcountry Post author scanned the meadows near Fifty Mountain camp and found a sow with a cub and a second grizzly a few hundred yards apart.
The park warns that a brand without a USEPA label may not cross the Canadian border, and never to spray your gear or camp.
From Glacier Guides, Glacier National Park (NPS): Bear Safety, Backcountry Post and Paria Outdoor Products
Rain gear and an extra insulating layer
Most of the trail is at or above treeline, and Glacier Guides says to be ready for anything. A Glacier ranger recalls a sunny day turning to the 40s with rain by evening, and hail and snow higher up. On the northern section a trip report went from two hot days to overcast, cooler weather with sprinkles.
From Glacier Guides, Glacier National Park (NPS): What To Bring, What to Leave Behind and Backcountry Post
Sturdy hiking boots
Glacier Guides includes them in its basic list for the trail, and the trip reports cross snowfields and a steep, slick drift on the way north.
From Glacier Guides and Backcountry Post
Water treatment and your own water for the chalet
The chalet sells snacks and drinks but has no running water, and the stream nearby needs treating. The ranger suggests a filter or tablets.
From Glacier Guides, HikinginGlacier.com and Glacier National Park (NPS): What To Bring, What to Leave Behind
A warm sleeping bag or quilt for late-season trips
A gear company that wrote up a loop through this stretch says temperatures can fall below freezing late in the season, and it suggests an insulated pad. It adds that a lightweight tarp can help in afternoon storms.
Binoculars and trekking poles, as options
Glacier Guides lists both, along with a camera, as optional. The Backcountry Post author used binoculars from camp to find three grizzlies at a safe distance.
From Glacier Guides and Backcountry Post
Freeze-dried meals
One first-time backpacker carried only freeze-dried meals for the whole trip, three for each day.
From Backcountry Post
Insect repellent in early season
A gear-company route guide says insects are more numerous early in the season and suggests treating clothing and gear with repellent if you go then.
12 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Highline Trail
Counting on a chalet bed without a booking
Glacier Guides says the chalet can book up to a year ahead, so do not show up expecting a bed. It also says to bring cash if you might want snacks or drinks.
From Glacier Guides
Skipping a check on the Ahern Drift
The route guide tells hikers to ask about its condition before setting out. In 2015 the group skirted its lower edge and rejoined the trail above.
From Paria Outdoor Products and Backcountry Post
Heavy binoculars and fishing gear on a hard trip
The park's ranger says she brings these only when the effort is modest, and leaves them behind when she has to carry extra food or water.
From Glacier National Park (NPS): What To Bring, What to Leave Behind
Gear questions for Highline Trail
Do you need a bear canister on the Highline Trail?
The park's FAQ says backcountry campsites accept food hung from a park-designated device or sealed in an approved bear-resistant container. A 2016 ranger blog says poles are supplied and you bring a 20-foot rope and a stuff sack. The permit page's rule for approved containers sits under its undesignated camping heading, so ask the ranger who issues your permit which setup your camps use.
From Glacier National Park (NPS): Frequently Asked Questions, Glacier National Park (NPS): What To Bring, What to Leave Behind and Glacier National Park (NPS): How Do I Get a Wilderness Permit?
Does Granite Park Chalet have drinking water on the Highline Trail?
No running water. Glacier Guides says to bring your own, and the chalet sells snacks and drinks. HikinginGlacier says a stream lies about a quarter of a mile away and the water needs treating.
From Glacier Guides and HikinginGlacier.com
Is the ledge on the Highline Trail dangerous?
The shelf near the start is six to eight feet wide with sheer drops of a hundred feet or more, and the park has installed a hand cable along it. HikinginGlacier advises not to let it deter you.
From HikinginGlacier.com
Is the Highline Trail open in June?
Often not. The park says the Highline is often closed well into the summer because of snow, and that snow hazards linger on high trails until mid-July. Check the park's trail status page before you go.
From Glacier National Park (NPS): Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- How Do I Get a Wilderness Permit? · Glacier National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Frequently Asked Questions · Glacier National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Bear Safety · Glacier National Park (NPS) · Agency
- What To Bring, What to Leave Behind · Glacier National Park (NPS), Ranger Carol · Agency
- The Highline Trail, Glacier National Park · Glacier Guides · Blog
- Granite Park Chalet (via Highline Trail) · HikinginGlacier.com · Blog
- Backpacking Glacier - The Mario Story. The Flattop, Fifty Mountain, Granite Park Loop · Backcountry Post, Joey · Trip report
- Hike of the Week: Glacier North Circle · Paria Outdoor Products, Bart Przybyl · Blog