Highline Trail itinerary
Every published mile marker on the Highline Trail route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one — and which permit each stretch needs. To watch dates and set alerts, go to the Highline Trail permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The Highline Trail. One reservation is an ordered sequence of nights at named sites, issued by reservation.
The permit is issued for a named entry point. Logan Pass and The Loop are the ones on this list.
- Stops mapped
- 6
- Across the markers
- 11.8 mi
- Published route length
- 11.8 mi
- Published ascent
- 800 ft
How long it takes: 1 day or overnight. That is the figure the permit publishes — this page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
Adding up only the climbs between markers gives 666 ft, which is a floor rather than the total: anything that rises and falls between two markers is invisible to it.
The Highline Trail route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
6,647 ft
Logan Pass
Entry point — the permit is issued for this trailhead
Starting point at 6,647 ft. Visitor center with restrooms. Parking fills early.
0.3 miles · 53 ft up to Garden Wall Cable Section
Mile 0.3
6,700 ft
Garden Wall Cable Section
Narrow ledge with steel cable. Dramatic exposure—not for those afraid of heights.
3.3 miles · 500 ft up to Haystack Butte
Mile 3.6
7,200 ft
Haystack Butte
Popular turnaround for shorter hike. Panoramic views of glacial valleys.
3.4 miles · 620 ft down to Grinnell Glacier Overlook Junction
Mile 7.0
6,580 ft
Grinnell Glacier Overlook Junction
Optional 0.8-mile spur gaining 1,000 ft to overlook Grinnell Glacier.
0.6 miles · 113 ft up to Granite Park Chalet
Mile 7.6
6,693 ft
Granite Park Chalet
Historic 1914 chalet. No water. Overnight reservations required.
4.2 miles · 2,493 ft down to The Loop
Mile 11.8
4,200 ft
The Loop
Entry point — the permit is issued for this trailhead
Terminus on Going-to-the-Sun Road. Small parking lot. Free shuttle to Logan Pass.
Getting a Highline Trail for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. Highline Trail dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations — they return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag watches Highline Trail around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.