Parking
Start at the Iceberg-Ptarmigan Trailhead behind Swiftcurrent Motor Inn. The trailhead lot is small; overflow parking in front of the Inn adds about 0.2 mile on foot. A seasonal restroom is at the trailhead.
Overview
About Ptarmigan Falls Trail
Why go
- Open slopes frame several of Many Glacier’s best-known peaks.
- The falls make a clear turnaround, with longer onward routes for hikers who want them.
Heads up
- Trees obscure part of the waterfall from the small trail-side clearing.
- The first quarter-mile connector climbs steeply.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Glacier map
Full mapElevation5,075–5,696 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
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 Ptarmigan Falls 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
Iceberg Lake Trailhead0:00 / 0:26
“You’re nearing Iceberg-Ptarmigan Trailhead, where I’d choose Iceberg Lake for a full day on foot.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Glacier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Swiftcurrent and Redrock Falls
- Grinnell Glacier Trailhead
- Many Glacier Hotel
- 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 Ptarmigan Falls Trail
A half-day to a partly screened waterfallPtarmigan Falls Trail is a 5.
Ptarmigan Falls Trail is a 5.4-mile out-and-back from the Iceberg-Ptarmigan Trailhead behind Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, with about 700 feet of total climbing. The official hike listing gives 2.7 miles each way; some trail descriptions place the falls closer to 2.5 miles in, so plan for the longer distance. This is the short walk to the falls on the Ptarmigan corridor, not the longer hikes to Iceberg Lake or Ptarmigan Tunnel. Go for the mountain views and a substantial Many Glacier walk; the falls themselves are partly hidden from a small clearing, and steep ground makes a closer approach unsafe.
The climb and the viewsA short connector climbs about 185 feet in its first quarter-mile, then the grade eases on the…
A short connector climbs about 185 feet in its first quarter-mile, then the grade eases on the Ptarmigan Trail. The early open slopes look toward Mount Grinnell, Swiftcurrent Mountain and Mount Wilbur, with Ptarmigan Wall ahead. Farther in, the route enters denser pine forest. The trailhead connector is not consistently mapped, so follow the park's signs to join Ptarmigan Trail and check the current park map before setting out.
Where to turn aroundAt the falls, a small clearing and nearby bridge make a natural rest stop, but trees screen…
At the falls, a small clearing and nearby bridge make a natural rest stop, but trees screen part of the cascade. Stay on the trail rather than trying to get closer across steep ground. The Ptarmigan Trail continues beyond the falls toward Iceberg Lake and Ptarmigan Tunnel; those are much longer hikes, so turn back here if the falls are your destination.
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.
