How to Backpack Cracker Lake Glacier National Park

How to backpack Cracker Lake in Glacier National Park and take the beauty of this park to a higher level. You will find some solitude, free to take in the bewildering views of nature on your own. And you will get to experience Cracker Lake, which is a perfect (seriously, perfect) aquamarine lake.

I backpacked this trail in September 2018 (post updated July 2024), and I am going to share all the deets on how you can see Cracker Lake and spend a night next to it.

You can also use this post for hiking Cracker Lake Trail too if you’d like to just hike it and not backpack! It’s a doable 13-ish mile day hike if you don’t get a backpacking permit or would rather just spend an afternoon here. 

It would also be an amazing first backpacking trip! Check out my backpacking tips for beginners.

If you think you’re up for it, let’s go!

How to Backpack Cracker Lake Jump To:

Cracker Lake Backpacking Trip at a Glance

• Location: Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park, Montana
• Distance: 13 miles roundtrip
• Elevation Gain: 1400 ft
• Hiking Time: 4 hours each way, depending on how quickly you hike with a pack
• No campfires allowed
• No pets allowed on trail
• There’s a bear hang spot to hang your smelly things
• The area can sometimes be closed due to bear activity

How to Get to Cracker Lake Trailhead and Where to Park

Cracker Lake is located on the East side of Glacier National Park in the Many Glacier area. 

Thankfully, parking for this hike is so easy. You park in the parking lot at Many Glacier Hotel (click to open GoogleMaps), and the hike begins from the Cracker Lake Trailhead at the south end of the lot. You really can’t miss it.

Here’s a map of all the backcountry sites if you want to get your bearings of where everything is. CRA is Cracker Lake backpacking sites.

When to Backpack Cracker Lake

Glacier National Park is really a summer destination. Sometimes roads are blocked into July due to snow. And it can get pretty cold even in early September. Booking a campsite mid-July to early-September is ideal. Be aware that there isn’t a lot of shade on the trail if you’re hiking on a hot day.

How to get a Backpacking Permit in Glacier National Park

You must have a backpacking permit if you are planning on backpacking Cracker Lake or any other backcountry site in Glacier National Park.

You have 2 options for obtaining your backpacking permit. One option is to reserve a spot ahead of time, which I recommend if you really have your heart set on this hike and know exactly what night you will be camping. Cracker Lake is a very popular backpacking destination, and we heard from park staff that it typically fills up.

You also have the option to obtain a permit 24 hours before your trek.

For backpacking treks June 15th-September 30th, 70% of each backpacking area’s campsites are reserve-able ahead of time. The other 30% are left for walk-ups. Cracker Lake offers 3 backpacking sites.

From May 1 through October 31, there is a $10 permit fee and additional $7/night per person camping fee payable upon permit issuance at a wilderness permit office. Winter wilderness camping permits (November 1–April 30) are free. When you reserve ahead of time, you pay on recreation.gov.

Option #1: Reserve your spot ahead of time

Backpacking permits can be reserved starting on March 15^th at 8AM MST each year. I recommend setting an alarm reminder in your phone so you have your best chance of securing a site.  I also recommend making a recreation.gov account ahead of time if you don’t already have one. If you don’t have access to a computer, you can call their Call Center at 877-444-6777.

Visit recreation.gov and look up Glacier National Park. Click Check Availability on the right. Choose your starting area – Many Glacier – for this hike, and choose the number of backpackers (can only select 1-4).

A calendar will appear. Find CRA (Cracker Lake) and search your dates. If it’s not already booked, a number will show with the number of sites left. Click that number and then book to get your date booked. I’d imagine you’ll have to do this quickly to guarantee a site.

You have 15 minutes to pay and finish booking once your site and date are selected. Congrats!

There is a 3 night limit at this campground during the busy summer.

Important: Your reservation confirmation is NOT your permit. You must pick up the permit either the day before or day of your itinerary start date at any wilderness permit issuing station in Glacier National Park. Permits not picked up by 4:30pm on their start date will be cancelled.

If you have a group of 5 or more, you can apply to be part of a lottery on March 1^st . You do this on pay.gov, more information here. Or you can do separate recreation.gov reservations in the same way I’m explaining here.

Option #2: Walk in permits

If you are risking it and hoping for a permit once you arrive to the park, you can attempt to get a permit no more than one day before your hike. I highly recommend getting to the park office when they open on the day before you plan to camp. If you are hoping to camp Thursday night, arrive at the Permit Center when they open on Wednesday. Plan your trip around this and have a back-up plan if the site is full.

We went to Glacier late in the season, mid-September, so none of the spots at Cracker Lake had been reserved ahead of time. We walked in the day before and booked our spot with no issues. It sounds like this is not the norm, though.

Permitting Locations

Of note, they stop issuing backpacking permits 30 mins prior to closing.

Many Glacier Ranger Station is the closest to Cracker Lake, but we got our permit from St. Mary Visitor Center because we were exploring that area of the park that day.

Apgar Backcountry Permit Center – Open daily 7am-5pm May 1-September 30.

St. Mary Visitor Center – Open daily 7am-5pm May 28 – September 30.

Many Glacier Ranger Station – Open daily 7am – 5pm May 28 – September 28. (This is closest to the hike.)

Two Medicine Ranger Station – Open daily 7am – 5pm May 29 – September 29.

Polebridge Ranger Station – Open daily 8am – 5pm from May 28 – October 12.

The Permitting Location will tell you specifics about Cracker Lake, whether bears have been spotted, trail conditions, etc. You must watch a brief video on bear safety prior to any backpacking. 

For more backpacking inspiration, check out the 10 Best Bucket List Backpacking Trip Ideas.

Many Glacier Vehicle Reservations 

**Only needed if you’re doing a day hike. If you’re backpacking, you don’t need a vehicle reservation.**

Like many National Parks, Glacier NP now requires reservations to enter certain areas of the park July 1st-September 10th, 6am-3pm. You must reserve this ahead of time at recreation.gov. It only costs $2, but it limits the amount of people in the park at any one time. 

You can book this 4-ish months in advance OR at 7pm MDT for next day reservations.

I recommend having a recreation.gov account ahead of time and logging in a few minutes before to snag your pass.

If you have campsite or lodging reservations already, you don’t need this vehicle reservation.

Find NPS vehicle reservation info here.

Cracker Lake Trail Info

The trail is 6.3 miles each way and is a great option for a shorter 2 day backpacking trek. I would rate the hike as moderate. All in all, there were no risky cliff sections and no high mountain peaks, but it wasn’t just flat ground. The total elevation gain is 1400 ft.

It took us around 4 hours each way with heavy packs. This would take less time if you’re just doing a day hike… allow for around 5.5 hours total without packs.

Here is the Alltrails link to this hike if you want to GPS it while you go.

Bears and Wildlife

Glacier National Park is home to grizzly bears and black bears. Grizzlies are especially terrifying to me. I mean, have you seen The Revenant? Follow the instructions from the videos they have you watch, but here is my advice to go along with it. Make noise the entire time. Make human noises because this is what scares them off. Clap, sing, and talk loudly. Most bear attacks happen when they are surprised by a human, so you want to do everything you can to avoid this.

We saw a mama grizzly and her 2 cubs a couple miles into the Cracker Lake hike. They were far enough away that they didn’t even notice us, but it was a reminder that we were in their home. Be mindful of this.

Because you will be in bear country, you must secure food and smelly items at your backcountry site. Bring either a bear bag to hang (the site has poles to hang it) or a bear canister for safe storage.

You may see other wildlife like moose or bighorn sheep. Always always keep a safe distance.

What to Pack to Backpack Cracker Lake

Besides your normal backpacking gear, backpacking Cracker Lake does not require many different supplies. Depending on when you are there, it can get cold. Therefore, pack some layers.

Because you are in bear country, you will need a way to hang your food. Bring an airtight bag and rope. The Cracker Lake backpacking site has the set-up for your bear bag, so you don’t have to worry about finding the right tree.

They do recommend carrying bear spray while hiking in Glacier NP. You can rent it nearby or buy some when you arrive.

Fires are not allowed at this site so make sure you bring your camping stove and supplies. There are designated areas to cook.

Where to Stay Near Cracker Lake

I am alllll about camping, and Glacier National Park has some epic campgrounds. Read about all of them here. Many Glacier is the closest campground. You can also stay at the Many Glacier Hotel; the trailhead is in the parking lot. 

Hiking the Cracker Lake Trail

The Cracker Lake Trail is very clearly marked, even for someone with direction problems like me. You will get to a split soon after you start hiking; hike left. Other than that, there are no splits. Just follow the trail!

Parts of this trail are heavily trafficked by horses so beware of horse poop and mud. I read quite a few reviews of people complaining about this, but I think the beauty of Cracker Lake outweighed having to step around horse manure.

The trail takes you through heavily forested areas. You will get glimpses of Cracker Flats, a waterfall from afar, canyons, and creeks. The hike as a whole is not the most beautiful you’ll ever do. It is really the ending that makes it worthwhile.

You will reach your first view of Cracker Lake at mile 5.8 and oh what a beautiful view it is. Cracker Lake is the most pristine turquoise color. To top the view off, the mountains that surround the lake are incredible. My photos don’t do the view justice.

Follow the signs to keep hiking 0.5-ish miles to get even better views and to get to your campsite. It took us around 4.5 hours each way, but everyone’s pace varies.

You can see 9,376 foot Allen Mountain, 10,014 foot Mt Siyeh, and Cracker Lake over 4000 feet below them. I never fully understand how water gets its color, but it has something to do with it being a glacier-fed lake and light refraction. Science?

Cracker Lake Backcountry Site

Bask in the glory of this campsite. It is one of the best I’ve ever had. Admire the lake, set up camp, and explore. If you continue following the trail on this side of the lake, you will get to an old mining site, which seems so out of place in the middle of nature’s beauty.

Be prepared, the latrine is very inconveniently far from the campsite. But PLEASE use it. It is there for a reason. As tempting as it might be to just pee in the grass, do NOT do this. The smell attracts animals, and it causes all sorts of problems. Bring your own biodegradable toilet paper.

On the subject of smells, this campsite has a designated cooking area. Don’t take food down by the tents and never leave food out. Hang it up when not in use.

Basically, be a good human and always practice Leave No Trace principles. Keep nature awesome.

Story Time 🙂 Backpack Cracker Lake – Our Experience

My now husband and I backpacked Cracker Lake together. It was his 2nd backpacking trip ever.

I told Kyle it “might be a little chilly” while we were camping out in Glacier during the middle of September, I should have actually said, “We will shiver every night, half the park will be shut down, and it might snow.” Our Cracker Lake hike was on day 4 of our trip, and we had already spent every night wondering if we might get hypothermia.

We arrived at the permitting office right when they opened the day before our hike, with hopes to snag a camping permit. I was ecstatic to find out none of the campsites had been reserved. At the time, we thought we were quite lucky.

In reality, I think people weren’t backpacking out of fear they would freeze.

The park staff showed us a video about bears. We learned that it is best to make noise the entire time and that human noises are most effective, meaning the bear bell I bought was mostly useless. Clapping, singing, and talking are better, so I mentally took note.

After spending another night freezing our bums off, backpacking morning was not a happy one. Typically, I am so pumped to start hiking. Not that day. It was in the 30s, and the forecast for the rest of the day/night was horrible. Rain, sleet, snow, cold temperatures… Basically everything you don’t want during a backpacking trek was projected to happen.

Kyle was probably wondering if I was trying to kill him and/or make him hate the hobby of backpacking.

We kept looking at each other with concern. Neither of us likes to bail on things we say we are going to accomplish. Kyle knew I really wanted to backpack Cracker Lake, but even I was faltering. I hated the idea of being wet and freezing cold, and I didn’t see the point in hiking to Cracker Lake if the weather was going to keep us from seeing it in its glory.

We decided to get some coffee at the lodge, warm up, and make a decision.

Then we met Ellen.

This 65 year old spunky woman with long gray hippie hair worked behind the desk at the Many Glacier Hotel. As we walked up, she was voicing her love for Nicorette gum to a customer. When the customer voiced that she was chewing regular gum, Ellen waved her off with an “oh sure you are.”

I’m not entirely sure what her job was other than to be feisty.

We explained our dilemma to Ellen. When we told her we had backpacking permits to Cracker Lake, she made it seem like that permit was equal to gold.

“Well why wouldn’t you go?” she asked.

We pointed out the crappy weather situation again, and she pulled it up on her computer.

“80% chance of rain this afternoon. Not the best. Possible snow flurries overnight. Doesn’t matter, we’re in the tent. 30 degrees at 8am, doesn’t matter we’re still in bed. (She kept saying ‘we’re’ as though she was going to be a part of it.) Well, it might be terrible, but you won’t die.” said Ellen.

I guess that was all I needed to hear. If Ellen said we wouldn’t die, I figured we should go.

Kyle was not totally convinced, so I am sure I gave him my puppy dog eyes. I also bought a carton of wine that I volunteered to carry for the entire hike.

That was it.

I wish I could go back and thank Ellen. We didn’t have a chance because the lodge was closing that day – due to the end of season and, ya know, the cold weather we were about to backpack through.

Backpack Cracker Lake for a morning like this one.

Our Backpack Cracker Lake Experience

Luckily, the start of the hike is right outside Many Glacier Hotel, so we were already there to start our adventure.

We strapped our backpacks on, shared a moment of “I hope this isn’t a big mistake,” and started hiking.

Not surprisingly, I immediately began my fearful singing and talking. I was quite nervous about bears because I have occasionally gone down a dark spiral of reading bear attack stories from Google. I don’t recommend this practice before hiking in bear country.

Kyle interrupted my obnoxious bear talk by saying “bears” and pointing.

Sure enough, a mama grizzly and her 2 cubs were running around a good distance down from us. And it was SO cool. They were far enough away that we were able to watch them without fear of them spotting us.

Grizzlies are terrifying but also amazing to see in the wild.

A couple of day hikers caught up to us and the 4 of us decided to hike together for a bit. They say a bigger group wards off bears better. Therefore, the more the merrier. I was most worried about the bears deciding to head back into the forest / straight toward us.

After our heart rates came down, we split back up and continued our 6.5 mile hike. We passed a few backpackers who told us a bull moose had been visiting the campsites. We informed them of the bears.

And wouldn’t you know, it was sunny for our entire hike. Sunny, beautiful, the perfect temperature

Again, thank you, Ellen.

The thing about this hike is that Cracker Lake does not appear until almost 6 miles into it.

I love love love backpacking and hiking, but sometimes I can get overwhelmingly hungry and tired. I basically shut down. The fun, excited Danielle is done.

At this point in our hike, ya know the best part of the 6.5 miles, I was done. Hiking with a pack on is no joke, and I was craaaanky. When we reached Cracker Lake, with a freaking amazing view, I was so done that when Kyle was yelling about how awesome it was, I was responding with mumbled, “yeahs.”

After I said “Maybe it’ll be better tomorrow” (ARE you kidding me? This crystal clear water with the sun shining on it will be better tomorrow?!), Kyle snapped me out of it, made me eat some trail mix, and got me to truly appreciate this view.

Being hangry is such a real thing. Please avoid being it as you reach Cracker Lake for the first time. Maybe eat a snack at mile 5 🙂

Cracker Lake – look at that color!

THE Cracker Lake

Cracker Lake is unbelievably beautiful. It’s like God imagined the prettiest blue and then filled a glacial lake with it. The massive mountains around it are just an added bonus.

We continued on to our sites, hung our food, and set up camp. As the evening progressed, we realized that we were going to be alone out there. This was a first. Until Cracker Lake, I had never spent a night in the backcountry with literally no one around. It’s a strange but awesome feeling.

We drank the best wine (it’s called Bandit, they’re eco-conscious, sell containers specifically for backpacking, donate to National Parks, and the wine is delicious), cooked a mediocre dinner, and watched the fog roll in.

I should mention that the latrine is comically far from the campsites. Of course I follow the Leave No Trace principles, so I had to wake Kyle up at 2am to take a little hike to the latrine. It was snowing. Snowing! We laughed and froze.

A morning of solitude

As much as I would have loved a sunny morning, we instead enjoyed a foggy wake-up alone by the lake. We walked around it, saw a little deer scamper through the shallow edge, and forced ourselves to put our packs back on and hike out.

I always have a feeling of I-don’t-want-it-to-be-over when I’m leaving a backpacking destination, especially when it’s somewhere as beautiful as Cracker Lake.

We had an uneventful hike out… unless you consider my obnoxious bear singing to be noteworthy.

Finally, we reached the 2nd best part of every backpacking trek – the car in the parking lot. I tend to sit on the ground in exhaustion. Backpacking Cracker Lake felt like an accomplishment that we almost didn’t get to enjoy.

Backpack Cracker Lake – Please do it. It’s amazing.

Cracker Lake is a fantastic backpacking trek or day hike while in Glacier National Park. I still can’t believe how beautiful it was. 

Next, my comprehensive Guide to Glacier National Park will tell you all you need to know about planning a visit. And to see all the Glacier National Park Campgrounds in one post, read this!

I hope this guide helps you make your Backpack Cracker Lake dreams come true.

Happy Backpacking!

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