Grinnell Falls is a 970-foot tiered waterfall on Grinnell Creek in the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park, Montana. Meltwater from Grinnell Glacier tumbles down the headwall between Mount Grinnell and Angel Wing into Grinnell Lake, and two of the park's most popular trails look straight at it.
The falls
The creek leaves the glacier basin and descends the cliff in about seven sections, beginning with a 280-foot horsetail; the steps blend together, so counts vary. The total drop is 970 feet. Salamander Glacier is visible on the ledge above.
Getting there
Both hikes start at the Grinnell Glacier trailhead near the Many Glacier Hotel. The Grinnell Lake trail is nearly flat, 3.4 miles each way with about 60 feet of gain, and crosses a suspension bridge and boardwalks before ending on the lakeshore opposite the falls. The Grinnell Glacier Trail climbs above the lake with the falls in view across the valley: 5.3 miles one way and 1,600 feet of gain to the glacier viewpoint.
Glacier Park Boat Company's two boats, across Swiftcurrent Lake and then Lake Josephine with a short walk between, cut the lake hike to 1.1 miles each way. In 2026 they ran June 10 to September 19 at $41.70 round trip for adults; tickets sell out months ahead, and one-way return tickets go on sale from July 1. The trailhead lot often fills before 7 am in July and August.
Summer admission to Glacier is $35 per vehicle for seven days, plus $100 per person for non-US residents aged 16 and older unless they hold an Annual or America the Beautiful Pass.
When to go
The upper Grinnell Glacier Trail often stays closed by avalanche snow into late June or early July. July and August are the most reliable months and the busiest; start early to beat the midmorning crowds.
On site
The falls are viewed across Grinnell Lake or from the trail above; there is no path to their base, and the glacier trail veers away from the creek. The upper trail passes a section beside a smaller waterfall that is slick on the descent. This is grizzly country: in May 2026 a hiker was injured in a surprise encounter on a snowfield about 3.5 miles up the Grinnell Glacier Trail, where rushing water drowned out noise, and the trail was temporarily closed. A hiker died after sliding on a steep snowfield on the same trail in 2011. Carry bear spray and make noise.
History and name
The falls take their name from Grinnell Glacier, named for George Bird Grinnell, the conservationist who campaigned for the park. The name was proposed in 1887 by Lt. John H. Beacom. The glacier has shrunk from about 710 acres in 1850, together with Salamander Glacier, to about 152 acres in 2005.
Nearby
Salamander Falls is about 0.9 mile away, Feather Plume Falls about 1.1 miles and Hidden Falls about 1.2 miles.
Distances are straight-line.