Glacier National Park Boat Tours: The Complete Guide to Scenic Cruises & the Many Glacier Experience
Discover the best Glacier National Park boat tours. Many Glacier, Lake McDonald, St. Mary, and Two Medicine. This guide covers tips, reservations, routes, and what to expect on each tour.
If you’ve poked around the Glacier National Park maps or browsed the gov website for planning info, you’ve probably noticed that boat tours pop up in almost every corner of the park. And honestly? There’s a reason for that. These little wooden boats are such a great way to see the park, especially if you’re a first-time visitor. The boat tours are great for trying to wrap your head around all the lakes, trailheads, shuttles, and “do I need vehicle reservations for this?” moments.
Most people only hear about the big names like Lake McDonald Lodge or St. Mary Lake, but the real star of the show (at least in my book) is the Many Glacier boat trip. When we visited, we did the guided hike option that carries you across Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine, and then we continued on foot toward Upper Grinnell Lake and that back hike stretch toward Grinnell Glacier. It honestly ended up being one of my favorite days in the entire glacier area of the park.
But before I get ahead of myself…
Let’s break down everything you need to know about Glacier National Park boat tours, including:
- How the tours work
- Which lakes have scenic cruises
- What the Many Glacier tour is actually like
- How to book tickets
- Whether one-way tickets, round trip rides, or guided hikes make sense for your family
- And which boat rides are the best boat tours for scenic views, wildlife, and kid-friendly adventures
How Glacier National Park Boat Tours Work
All of the main boat trips inside Glacier are run by the Glacier Park Boat Company, a concessionaire that’s been navigating these lakes for over a century. They operate old-school wooden boats.
Some are true historic wooden boats, and each lake has its own “personality.” Some lakes have calm water and kid-friendly vibes (like Two Medicine Lake). Others deliver those dramatic, towering Rockies views (hello, St. Mary Lake). Some are simply transportation to help you shave a few miles off a hike.
A quick overview of the main Glacier tour lakes:
- Many Glacier – the star if you want a boat/hike combo
- Lake McDonald – mellow, classic, iconic lodge views
- St. Mary Lake – dramatic, windy, and glacier-carved
- Two Medicine Lake – quiet, underrated, and peaceful
Visiting multiple areas of the park? You can absolutely do more than one boat ride. Each one feels different.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to the Going-To-The-Sun Road for First Time Visitors
Booking Boat Tours: What You Need to Know
You’ll book all tours through the Glacier Park Boat Company’s official site. A few quick things:
✔️ Advance reservations are smart
In July and August, the tours sell out quickly. If the calendar opens and you already know your dates, grab your spots.
✔️ Keep a copy of your reservation confirmation
Whether digital or printed, just make sure you have it handy. Service is terrible in the park, and Google Maps or gps directions often stop cooperating.
✔️ Be early- at least an hour prior in busy times
Parking lots, especially in the east side of the park, fill quickly. If you’re doing the Many Glacier tour, aim to be parked and walking toward the dock early.
✔️ Weather conditions matter
High winds, low water levels, and plain old Montana surprises can cancel a tour. Have a backup plan ready.
The Many Glacier Boat Tour (The One You Shouldn’t Skip)
Let’s jump into the Many Glacier boat tour first, because it’s not just a lake cruise, it’s a full experience.
This tour starts on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake, right behind the Glacier Hotel (Many Glacier Hotel). The setting alone feels like a postcard: mountains shaped like shark fins, a waterfall slicing down the cliffs, and that calm turquoise water that Glacier does so well.
The first boat, named something charming, because they all are, takes you across Swiftcurrent. From there, everyone unloads and walks a short, very manageable boardwalk path through tall grass and forest toward the second dock at Lake Josephine.
That boardwalk walk?
The wooden planks, the green meadow stretching out on both sides. It was so serene to trail behind my daughter in her little hiking boots with my husband leading the way. It’s exactly what this area looks and feels like. The trail is close enough to hear people talking, but still quiet enough that you can hear the creek rushing nearby.
Once you reach the Lake Josephine dock, you load onto the second boat. This lake is narrower and more dramatic than Swiftcurrent.
It’s also the one that gets you closer to mountain views and, occasionally, wildlife. We heard stories from the guides about grizzly bears swimming across the lake earlier in the season. And mountain goats sometimes appear on the slopes.
At the far end of Lake Josephine, you hop off again. If you’re just doing the scenic cruise, you can stay with the guide and ride back. But most hikers continue toward Grinnell Lake, the Grinnell Lake Trail, or the Grinnell Glacier route.
Once you leave the second boat on Lake Josephine, the trail toward Upper Grinnell starts out gently before leading you into one of the most memorable stretches of the day.
There’s a narrow footbridge made of logs that carries you across a clear, fast-moving creek. It’s a simple crossing, but it has that classic Glacier charm. It feels rustic and a little adventurous, the kind of moment where you realize just how far you’ve stepped into true alpine country even though you’re still relatively close to the main valley.
A little farther along, the trail begins to open up near the shoreline. The creek spreads into shallow ribbons of water before meeting the lake, and the colors shift depending on the weather.
Sometimes the water looks pale gold in the sunlight. Sometimes it leans toward that signature blue-green Glacier is known for.
When we were there, a cluster of regional forest fires had drifted smoke into the area, so the sky had this surreal orange tint. It wasn’t overpowering, but it cast a warm, moody light over the valley that made the whole place feel otherworldly.
From here, you start to get your first real look at the waterfall pouring down the cliffs above the cirque. It’s a beautiful stretch of trail, and it’s usually the moment when everyone in the group stops talking for a second and just takes it all in.
Why this boat tour is so good:
- It shortens the hike to Grinnell Glacier by several miles
- You get two boat rides instead of one
- The scenery is nonstop
- The combo of boat + short hike keeps kids engaged
- You can choose a guided or self-guided hike
- It’s the best “bang for your buck” experience in the entire Many Glacier region
If you’re a first-time visitor, this is the tour I would circle three times on your itinerary.
Other Glacier National Park Boat Tours
Let’s step through the rest so your readers know which to pick.
1. St. Mary Lake Boat Tour (East Glacier / St. Mary Falls Area)
This tour leaves from the Sun Boat Dock and takes you across St. Mary Lake, which sits under some of the most rugged cliffs on the east side of the park.
This is also the lake with that famous shot of Wild Goose Island (the one on postcards, screensavers, and too many inspirational posters to count).
If you’re planning to hike to St. Mary Falls or Virginia Falls, the boat ride gives you a head start and saves extra miles.
Good for:
- Visitors staying on the east side
- People who want dramatic mountains
- Families doing waterfall hikes
2. Lake McDonald Boat Tour (West Glacier)
This one launches right from the dock near Lake McDonald Lodge. The water is usually calm, the color is unreal, and the tour is very chill.
This tour is ideal if you’re staying in West Glacier, or if you’re trying to fill time around the Sun Road opening or closing hours.
Good for:
- Anyone wanting a relaxing, classic Glacier moment
- Multigenerational families
- People who want to see Glacier without hiking
3. Two Medicine Lake Boat Tour
Two Medicine sits in a quieter corner of the park. There are really no crowds, no chaos, just a peaceful lake and a few trails. The boat here is small and cozy, and the whole experience feels old-fashioned in the best way.
You can connect the boat ride with short hikes to Twin Falls, Upper Two Medicine Lake, or Rockwell Falls.
Good for:
- Families
- Visitors staying near East Glacier
- People wanting a calmer day
Boat Tours Outside the Main Glacier Region
A quick note, because people get confused:
Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
That park has massive cruise-ship-style tidewater glaciers, tour vessels, sea lions, and giant fjords.
Not the same as Glacier National Park in Montana.
Glacier Bay Lodge and Bartlett Cove
Also Alaska. Beautiful, but a totally different world.
This matters because people researching “glacier boat tour” or “scenic boat tours” sometimes end up on the wrong gov website, thinking they can book Alaskan tours with Glacier Park Boat Company. Not the case.
Practical Tips for All Glacier Park Boat Tours
Here are some travel tips I wish I’d known before our trip:
- Boats leave on time, like, to-the-minute.
- Many tours require that you’re at the dock an hour prior on busy days.
- Bring layers. Even in July.
- Bring extra time for parking.
- Tours may be canceled due to wind or weather.
- Take a quick screenshot of your reservation since cell service is nonexistent.
- If you’re doing a hike, check the national park service page for trail closures.
- Double-check your return time, especially if you bought one-way return tickets only.
- If you need lodges nearby, look at the glacier hotel, Waterton Lakes National Park, or West Glacier options.
Which Boat Tour Is the “Best”?
It depends entirely on what you want:
Best overall experience:
Many Glacier (Swiftcurrent + Lake Josephine)
Hands down. No contest. The mix of scenery, trails, wildlife (we saw mountain goats!), and boat rides makes it unlike anything else.
Best for relaxing:
Lake McDonald
Best for waterfall hikes:
St. Mary Lake
Best off-the-beaten-path adventure:
Two Medicine Lake
Final Thoughts
There are a million ways to see Glacier National Park, but the boat tours give you something different. You get a quiet moment on pristine lakes, a shortcut into beautiful valleys, and memories that stick with you long after the trip ends.
Whether you’re hopping aboard a charming vessel at Many Glacier or cruising across Lake McDonald on a lazy summer evening, these boat trips are one of the most unforgettable experiences in the entire park.
If you’re planning a big Glacier trip and you’re feeling overwhelmed, start with at least one boat tour. For most families (and honestly, for most travelers in the United States), it ends up being the best place to find those postcard moments without needing to conquer a massive trail first.
