Parking
Park near Many Glacier Hotel. The loop access is about 0.8 mile along the Swiftcurrent shoreline; concession boats can shorten the approach when they operate.
Overview
About Lake Josephine Loop Trail
Why go
- A gentle circuit balances open lake views with a forested south shore
- The pebble beach spur looks toward Grinnell Falls
Heads up
- Starting from the hotel adds about 1.6 miles on foot unless you use the boats
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Glacier map
Full mapElevation4,890–4,946 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Glacier alert
- ClosureTwo Medicine Campground closed for 2026 constructionTwo Medicine Campground is closed throughout 2026 because of construction in the Two Medicine developed area.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Glacier Tour Guide
Your drive to Lake Josephine Loop Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Glacier National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Glacier audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Many Glacier Hotel0:00 / 0:33
“You’re nearing Many Glacier Hotel on Swiftcurrent Lake. You don’t have to be staying overnight to enjoy the tall timber lobby and lakefront.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Glacier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Grinnell Glacier Trailhead
- Swiftcurrent and Redrock Falls
- Iceberg Lake Trailhead
- Swiftcurrent Falls
- 204 audio storiesacross Glacier’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Wolverine, Mountain Goat, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 157 trails, 91 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Our first time to glacier and we used the audio portion for Going to the Sun Road. Wonderful information with perfect advice of what to see and do along the road.”
Trail guide
Hiking Lake Josephine Loop Trail
The shoreline loopLake Josephine Loop Trail is an easy 3.4-mile circuit around Lake Josephine in Many Glacier.
Lake Josephine Loop Trail is an easy 3.4-mile circuit around Lake Josephine in Many Glacier. It follows the north and south shores, with a short connector at the west end, for close views of turquoise water and the peaks above it. The grade is mostly gentle; allow about two hours for the loop itself, plus time for the beach and dock stops. The mapped distance starts at the Lake Josephine access by the Swiftcurrent and Grinnell trail junction and does not include the walk in from Many Glacier Hotel.
North shore to the west endThe north side alternates open shoreline with patches of trees, with views toward Angel Wing,…
The north side alternates open shoreline with patches of trees, with views toward Angel Wing, Mount Gould, the Garden Wall and Salamander Glacier. Stay on the Lake Josephine circuit at the Grinnell Glacier junction. At the west end, boardwalks cross marshy ground that is good moose habitat; seeing one is never guaranteed.
South shore and the beachThe south shore feels more enclosed, with dense forest and thimbleberry patches.
The south shore feels more enclosed, with dense forest and thimbleberry patches. A short side path reaches a pebble beach where the view opens toward Grinnell Falls, Grinnell Lake and the Garden Wall. It is the loop’s best spot for a wide lake-and-mountain photo. Junctions toward Hidden Falls, Grinnell Lake and Piegan Pass lead to separate routes, so follow the loop signs.
Getting thereFrom Many Glacier Hotel, walk roughly 0.
From Many Glacier Hotel, walk roughly 0.8 mile along the Swiftcurrent shoreline to reach the loop access, or use the concession boats when they are operating. Hotel-start mileage varies with the access route: published figures run from 4.9 to 5.8 miles, while the stored 3.4 miles is the Josephine shoreline loop alone. Pets are not allowed on park trails or undeveloped lake shore.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Glacier
404 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
11 sightingsWolverineMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
1,173 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,000 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
395 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
506 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Glacier. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
