Overview
The Great Northern Trail follows the old Great Northern Railway grade through a thick corridor of forest in the southern Flathead. This 6-mile out-and-back gains approximately 2,000 feet of elevation and passes through some of the densest bear habitat in the region. It sees far less foot traffic than the trails clustered around Glacier's entrances, which is both its appeal and its responsibility.
This is a hike for people who want to be in real Montana backcountry, not just near it. For context on how national forests like the Flathead relate to the surrounding wilderness areas, the national forest vs. national park explainer is useful. The trail is well-defined but not heavily maintained. You'll share the forest with grizzly bears, black bears, and the full suite of Northern Rockies wildlife. The views, when they come, are of unnamed ridges and dark timber rather than postcard peaks. The experience is more immersive than scenic, the kind of hike where you feel the wildness of the place rather than photograph it.
The Route
Trailhead to forest canopy (Miles 0 to 1). The trail begins from a small gravel pullout along Highway 2 near Walton, on the southern edge of Glacier National Park and the Flathead National Forest boundary. The first mile follows the old railway grade at a gentle incline, passing through a canopy of western red cedar, Douglas fir, and Engelmann spruce. The forest here is mature, with thick understory of ferns, huckleberry, and devil's club. The trail surface is packed dirt over the old grade, wider than most single-track trails and mostly even.
This first section follows the drainage of a creek, and the sound of water is a constant companion. The forest is dark and dense, the kind of place where visibility drops to 30 or 40 feet on either side of the trail. Make noise. Clap your hands, talk, or call out periodically. This is where bear encounters are most likely, because neither you nor the bear can see far ahead.
Climbing into the ridge (Miles 1 to 2). The trail leaves the railway grade and begins climbing more steeply through switchbacks. The forest composition shifts as you gain elevation, from the cedar-fir bottom to a drier mix of lodgepole pine and subalpine fir. The understory thins, and the visibility improves. You'll start catching glimpses of the surrounding ridgelines through breaks in the canopy.
The grade in this section is more demanding than the first mile, gaining about 800 feet over the mile. The trail surface becomes rougher, with exposed roots, rocks, and occasional blowdown. Trekking poles are helpful here.
Upper ridge and viewpoints (Miles 2 to 3). The final mile continues climbing to the turnaround point, where the trail opens to views of the Flathead Range and the surrounding wilderness. On clear days, you can see the peaks along the Continental Divide to the east and the forested ridges stretching south toward the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The turnaround is not a formal summit or destination; it's simply the point where the trail's best views reward the climb and most day hikers choose to head back.
Strong hikers can continue further along the ridge, but the trail becomes less defined and the terrain more challenging. This is not recommended for anyone unfamiliar with the area or traveling without a detailed map and compass.
Return. Retrace your steps. The descent is significantly faster, typically 1 to 1.5 hours compared to 2 to 2.5 hours for the ascent. Pay attention on the steep switchback section, where loose footing can cause slips.
Bear Country Protocol
The Great Northern Trail passes through active grizzly bear habitat. This is not a theoretical risk or a warning included for liability purposes. Bears live here, feed here, and travel through here regularly. Before this hike, review the bear canister requirements that apply to backcountry trips in grizzly habitat: if you plan to camp overnight in the Bob Marshall or surrounding wilderness areas, proper food storage is legally required. The dense forest and limited sightlines in the lower portion of the trail create conditions where surprise encounters are most likely to occur.
Before you go:
- Carry bear spray on your hip or chest strap. Not in your pack. Not in a side pocket you have to fumble with.
- Practice drawing and deploying the spray's safety clip. In a real encounter, you'll have seconds, not minutes.
- Check the Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park websites for recent bear activity reports and trail closures.
- Tell someone your itinerary and expected return time.
On the trail:
- Make noise continuously in the forested sections. Talk, clap, or call out. Bear bells are largely ineffective: they're too quiet to be heard over running water or wind. Your voice carries better.
- Hike with others. A group of three or more is significantly safer than a solo hiker or pair. If you're hiking alone, be especially vocal.
- Stay alert for bear sign: fresh scat (often containing berries or grass), overturned rocks, claw marks on trees, dug-up ground. If you see fresh sign, increase your noise and consider turning back.
- Never approach a bear, regardless of distance. If you see one, stop, assess the situation, and back away slowly.
If you encounter a grizzly:
- Do not run. Running triggers a chase response.
- Speak calmly. Identify yourself as human.
- Back away slowly if the bear hasn't seen you or seems uninterested.
- If the bear charges, stand your ground. Many grizzly charges are bluffs. Deploy bear spray at 20 to 30 feet.
- If contact occurs, play dead: face down, hands laced behind your neck, legs spread to resist being rolled. Protect your stomach and vital organs.
This trail is not the place to get casual about bears. The density of the forest and the relatively low hiker traffic mean that bears here are less habituated to humans than bears on busy Glacier trails. Treat every blind corner and creek crossing as a potential encounter zone.
When to Hike
June through October is the hiking season. The lower sections of the trail clear of snow by late May or early June. The upper ridge may hold snow into mid-June.
June and July offer long days and green forest, but this is also peak bear activity in the riparian zones along the lower trail. Mosquitoes are aggressive near the creek in June and early July.
August is arguably the best month. The trail is dry, the views are clear (assuming no wildfire smoke), and huckleberries are ripe throughout the forest. Apply Leave No Trace principles carefully on this lightly maintained trail: the low traffic means impacts accumulate slowly, but they are harder to repair here than on heavily patrolled routes. Bears are actively feeding on huckleberries during August, so stay alert, but the combination of warm days and good trail conditions makes this the prime window.
September and October bring fall colors (golden larch, yellow aspen), cooler temperatures, and fewer people. The days are shorter, so plan your start time to allow plenty of daylight. Bears are in hyperphagia (intense pre-hibernation feeding) during September and October, covering large distances in search of food. They're focused on eating, which generally means fewer confrontational encounters, but they're also moving more, so the chance of crossing paths is real.
What to Bring
- Bear spray. Non-negotiable.
- Water: 2 liters minimum per person. The creek in the lower section provides water for filtering, but the upper trail has no water sources.
- Layers: The forested lower trail can be cool and damp even on warm days. The upper ridge is exposed to wind. Bring a wind shell.
- Trekking poles: Highly recommended for the steep middle section and the descent.
- Map: Cell service is nonexistent. Carry a physical map or download the area on your phone before leaving town.
- Bug spray: Essential in June and July for the lower creek sections.
- First aid kit: You're farther from help on this trail than on most popular hikes in the area. Carry basic supplies.
Getting There
The trailhead is located along Highway 2 near Walton, approximately 50 miles east of Kalispell and 15 miles south of West Glacier. The small gravel pullout on the south side of the highway holds 8 to 10 vehicles. There are no facilities at the trailhead (no restroom, no water, no information board). The nearest services are in West Glacier (gas station, small store) or Essex (Izaak Walton Inn).
From Kalispell, take Highway 2 east through Columbia Falls and past Hungry Horse Reservoir. The drive takes about an hour. The trailhead pullout is easy to miss; watch for the trail marker on the south side of the highway.
Who This Trail Is For
The Great Northern Trail is not for everyone, and that's by design. It's less scenic than Jewel Basin, less accessible than Danny On, and more demanding in terms of bear awareness than any trail in the Whitefish area. For easier Flathead hikes that are still worth the trip, Stanton Lake offers old-growth cedar forest and a quiet backcountry lake with only 400 feet of gain, and Holland Lake Falls is a family-friendly 3-mile trail at the edge of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. But if you want to hike through genuine Montana wilderness, where the forest is old and the bears are real and the trail feels like a privilege rather than a commodity, this is where you go. Come prepared, stay alert, and earn the experience.