9 Best PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATIONS in GLACIER National Park (+Useful Photo Tips)

Avalanche Lake sitting in a bowl-shaped canyon and surrounded by Bearhat Mountain standing at 8,694 feet, Little Matterhorn at 7,886 feet, and Mount Brown at 8,569 feet, is an absolutely picture-perfect sight.

To top it off, if you happen to be at Avalanche Lake during late spring or early summer, then you will be rewarded with awesome views of many waterfalls formed by the melting of the snow and ice of Sperry Glacier cascading hundreds of feet down Bearhat and Little Matterhorn Mountains.

The best time to photograph Avalanche Lake is in the morning or if there is some cloud coverage during the day. Otherwise, it is just too bright and your photos will not have many definitions.

Also, the late afternoon is a great time to get some photos of the mountains reflected in the water.

Avalanche Lake Trailhead is located on the Going-to-the-Sun Road in the McDonald Valley Region of Glacier National Park.

Avalanche Lake Trail is about 4.5 miles roundtrip with an elevation change of 730 feet. It is an easy/moderate type of hike perfect for almost every fitness level.

You would start your hike with Trail of the Cedars, a delightful trail that meanders among ancient cedars, and then continue along Avalanche Creek until you reach the lake.

There are plenty of photo opportunities along Avalanche Creek, especially once you get to Avalanche Creek Gorge. Hands down, it is a great spot to photograph as well!

St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls are two beautiful waterfalls that are fun to photograph.

St. Mary Falls drops roughly 35 feet into three separate tiers and forms lovely pools. The color of the water is the bluest blue and is especially vivid on sunny days.

And, if you thought that St. Mary Falls was spectacular, then just wait until you see Virginia Falls. It reaches about 50 feet and cascades down in multi-tiers.

To get to St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls start at St. Mary Falls Trailhead located on the Going-to-the-Sun Road in the St. Mary Valley Region of Glacier National Park.

The hike to St. Mary Falls is super fun and easy. You will reach the falls 0.8 miles from the trailhead.

Next, the section leading to Virginia Falls is just a bit more challenging, however, it is short and you will get to the falls in no time.

Wild Goose Island is a tiny, yet very famous island, located right in the middle of St. Mary Lake. It was featured in the movie “The Shinning” and became an instant hit.

St. Mary Lake surrounded by mountains, with Red Eagle Mountain being one of the most prominent ones, and Wild Goose Island in the middle of the lake, is an iconic view of Glacier National Park.

This spot is famous for photographing sunsets. And, hands down, if there are some clouds in the sky, then I am sure you will get some awesome pictures.

Wild Goose Island Lookout is located on the Going-to-the-Sun Road (mile marker 43 – going from west to east) in the St. Mary Valley Region of Glacier National Park.

Grinnell Glacier Viewpoint is a great spot to take some awesome pictures of the famous Grinnell Glacier, and it most definitely needs to be on your list of places to photograph in Glacier National Park.

The glacier is named for George Bird Grinnell, an early American conservationist, and explorer, who was also a strong advocate of ensuring the creation of Glacier National Park.

The glacier rests on the north flank of Mount Gould.

Between 1966 and 2005, Grinnell Glacier lost almost 40 percent of its acreage. Glaciologists have predicted that if carbon dioxide levels increase in a worst-case scenario, all the glaciers in the park, including Grinnell, will disappear by the year 2030.

The trail leading to the viewpoint is 10.6 miles roundtrip, but there is a way to shorten this hike by about 3.4 miles if you take two shuttle boats. The first shuttle boat runs across Swiftcurrent Lake (10 min ride) and then the second one across Lake Josephine (15 min ride). If you decide to take the shuttles then my recommendation is to make reservations.

All in all, it is a strenuous hike and it will test your endurance. However, the views on Grinnel Glacier Trail leading to the viewpoint and then to Grinnell Lake are stunning. Well worth the effort!

Swiftcurrent Lake with Grinnel Point towering over it in the distance is another iconic spot in Glacier National Park.

This spot is great to photograph at sunrise. Since you will be facing west at sunrise, the entire view will be illuminated in the morning sun. If there are a few clouds, then it is for the better.

However, it is not a bad spot to photograph at sunset either. And, if there are a few clouds in the forecast for the evening, then you will be able to catch an awesome sunset.

The best way to photograph Swiftcurrent Lake is to take an easy Swiftcurrent Lake Nature Trail that goes around the lake. It is only 2.7 miles with almost no elevation change.

The trailhead is located at the Many Glacier Hotel Boat Dock.

The trail is a loop and you can do this hike in either direction. My favorite way to hike Swiftcurrent Lake Nature Trail is counterclockwise.

The view of Hidden Lake with Bearhat Mountain towering over it is absolutely stunning!

The overlook faces southwest so it is easy to photograph at any time of the day, however, morning time is the best. If there are a few clouds in the late afternoon, then you might get some pretty good pictures as well.

My favorite time to photograph Hidden Lake is at sunset.

However, be cautious and give yourself plenty of time to get back so that you. are not hiking back in the darkness. It takes about 30-40 minutes to hike back to the trailhead. Make sure to bring a headlamp or a flashlight. Also, dress in layers. It gets cold super fast after the sunset.

In order to get to Hidden Lake Overlook, you will have to do some hiking. However, it is an easy/moderate hike (2.8 miles roundtrip).

Hidden Lake Trailhead is located at Logan Pass on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The trail will take you through some beautiful alpine meadows with plenty of photo opportunities. Plus, be on the lookout for wildlife. I am sure you will get to see mountain goats or bighorn sheep along the way.

Cracker Lake is a gem! It is stunning and you will have so much fun photographing this beautiful lake!

First of all, the scenery of the lake’s setting is breathtaking! The lake is located at the head of a canyon and surrounded to the south by Mount Siyeh which rises more than 4,000 feet above, Cracker Peak to the southeast, and Allen Mountain to the north.

Second, the waters of Cracker Lake are opaque turquoise from rock flour (silt) originating from Siyeh Glacier. If you happen to be visiting on a sunny day then be prepared to be awed by the color of the water.

Cracker Lake is located at the end of Craker Lake Trail. It is a long (12.8 miles roundtrip) and challenging (1,400 elevation change) hike. However, you will be rewarded with awesome scenery. It is all worth it!

Craker Lake Trailhead is at the south end of the parking lot above the Many Glacier Hotel. Right from the start, you will get to enjoy awesome views of Lake Sherburne.

Iceberg Lake sits at the elevation of 6,094 feet and Mt. Wilbur surrounds it to the south and Continental Divide to the west.

Snow and ice linger here well into the summer months making it a great spot to photograph. The color of the water ranges from turquoise to aquamarine depending on the time of the day and the amount of sunlight.

Iceberg Lake is located at the end of Iceberg Lake Trail.

Iceberg Lake Trailhead is right behind the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn in the Many Glacier Region of Glacier National Park.

This trail is long and strenuous  (9.6 miles roundtrip, 1,275 feet elevation change). The views along the way are awesome making it a fabulous hike and at the end, you will be rewarded with stunning Iceberg Lake.

I think that Ptarmigan Tunnel and Ptarmigan Trail leading to it are visually striking locations making it a photographer’s dream come true.

The views along the way of Ptarmigan Lake and the valley below with Mt. Wilbur towering over it all are spectacular.

However, the highlight of this hike is reaching and then going through a 240-foot tunnel that runs through the Ptarmigan Wall.

And, honestly, walking out of the tunnel on the other side of the Ptarmigan Wall is like stepping into another world.

Ptarmigan Tunnel Trailhead is located behind the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn in the Many Glacier Valley Region of Glacier Nationa Park.

The trail is 10.6 miles long roundtrip with an elevation change of 2,300 feet. Needless to say, it is a strenuous hike that will test your endurance. The views along the way of Lake Ptarmigan and the valley below are stunning!

Sunrise is the best time to photograph Glacier National Park. However, sunsets can be as spectacular!

Actually, to be specific, the best light is about 15-30 minutes before sunrise or 10-15 minutes after sunset. It is the proverbial “golden hour” during which the daylight is softer and redder.

So how do get the best photos in Glacier National Park at sunrise or sunset? Here are some recommendations:

•  Choose a Low to Mid-Range ISO

When shooting a sunrise or sunset, you’ll generally want to use a low to mid-range ISO setting, like 200, 400, or 800. During sunrise or sunset, there’s less available light than in the middle of the day, so going with one of these ISO settings rather than the lowest possible (which is typically 100 on most cameras) will give you some leeway when choosing your aperture and shutter speed while still providing a high-quality image.

• Choose a High Aperture

Most people will choose to use a high aperture, such as f/11, f/16, or higher when taking sunset photos. This allows for greater depth of field (the zone within a picture that appears in focus) so that everything from the foreground to the background will be sharply in focus. However, there’s no rule against lowering the aperture to achieve a certain creative effect.

• Determine a Shutter Speed

With your ISO and aperture set, it’s time to choose the shutter speed that will give you the proper exposure. Keep an eye on your light meter while adjusting the shutter speed and when it reads “0,” it’s telling you the exposure is correct. To make this really simple, put your camera in aperture priority mode (if it has it) and your camera will automatically select the shutter speed that will work best for proper exposure.

Also, consider that if your shutter speed gets too low you may need a tripod to prevent blurring caused by the shake of your hands. The general guideline for determining the lowest usable handheld shutter speed is to look at your lens focal length and use a tripod for any shutter speeds lower than that number. For example, if your lens has a focal length of 50mm, you should be able to shoot at 1/50 of a second without getting handshake blurring, but you’ll want to use a tripod for speeds slower than that.

• Bracket Your Exposures

Relying on your camera’s light meter to get the best shot can sometimes produce mediocre results, especially during sunrise or sunset when you’re trying to expose the bright sun on the horizon and darker subjects in the foreground. To get the best exposure, try a technique called bracketing. Bracketing involves taking several pictures exposed above and below what your camera suggests.

• Expand Your Subject Matter

When you’re out taking pictures of a sunrise or sunset, it’s natural to be captivated by a vibrant horizon line and let that be the only thing you include in your photo. But, when you look at the photos later, you might find that while the colors cast by the sun are stunning, the images lack the splendor of the scene that you saw with your own eyes. This is often because the images don’t include elements that provide a sense of scale, depth, and originality. Next time, try taking a step back and incorporating things like trees, people, rocks, water, or other natural features in the foreground and middle ground. Also, consider that sometimes a beautiful photo of a sunrise or sunset doesn’t even include the sun itself. While you’re shooting, take a moment to look around and notice how the golden light of sunrise spreads across the valley below or how the pink hues of sunset are painted on the surrounding peaks. Force yourself to look beyond the burning orb in the sky and find creative ways to add interest to your images.

Source: REI