What to wear and bring on a Glacier Park tour

Layers in every month

Mountain weather changes fast, and Glacier spans a big range of height. On a summer afternoon at West Glacier, highs reach about 78–80 °F (26–27 °C), warm enough for short sleeves at the lake. Up at Logan Pass, 6,646 feet (2,026 m) above sea level, it is much cooler. It can snow up high in any month of the year. September mornings start cold even in the valley. So wear layers you can peel off and put back on, with a warm fleece under a waterproof shell.

Rain arrives without much warning, so a rain jacket belongs in the bag even on a blue morning. Tour Glacier's Viator listing asks for a jacket and water-resistant footwear on its summer tour, and the GetYourGuide page adds sunglasses and a hat. The best time for a Glacier tour goes month by month if you are still choosing dates.

A day bag for any tour

• Rain jacket. Light and packable, worn over a fleece on cold days;
• Warm layer. A fleece or a thin insulated jacket, even in July;
• Water-resistant shoes. Paths by the lakes and creeks can be wet or muddy;
• Hat and sunglasses. The sun is strong in the mountains, and water and snow throw it back at you;
• Water bottle. Tour Glacier hands out bottled water, but a refillable bottle helps on the walk and the river;
• Camera and binoculars. Useful for distant animals, which are never guaranteed; our wildlife guide explains the odds;
• Cash for tips. None of the tours here includes gratuities, and US guides expect them. What a Glacier National Park tour costs adds tips to the totals.

The summer driving tour

Tour Glacier's west side driving tour, from ~$250, takes care of the food. Park Provisions packs the picnic around ciabatta sandwiches that also come in vegetarian and gluten-free versions. Snacks and cold drinks come on the side. Park entrance is included, so you do not need a pass for this one. The guide rings the night before to set your pickup time, and the day itself starts at 9 am and runs 6–7 hours. Bring the layers above and leave the cigarettes behind, since Tour Glacier allows no smoking on its tours. The Viator listing calls the tour stroller accessible, which helps parents with small children.

Winter days need more

At West Glacier, winter highs hover around freezing and the light fades early. For Tour Glacier's winter driving tour, from ~$250, the listings ask for a warm coat with gloves and a hat. They also suggest a water bottle and a camera. Sunglasses matter more than in summer, because the glare off fresh snow is hard on the eyes. The tour involves no hiking through deep snow, and lunch is a picnic with hot drinks. When you book on Viator, leave your sandwich choice in the special requirements box so the guide packs the right one.

On the snowshoe day you walk for about two hours, so your feet need the most thought. Warm shoes or boots that keep water out work best under the snowshoes Tour Glacier hands out, and the company also provides poles and hand warmers. Hot coffee and cocoa come out by McDonald Creek. Skip cotton next to your skin, since it stays damp once you sweat. Glacier National Park in winter covers what is open when the snow comes.

On the river

Glacier Raft Company's base sits at 106 Going-to-the-Sun Rd in West Glacier. Staff want you there 30 minutes before your trip. Shoes are the item people get wrong. Wear closed shoes or sandals with a strap at the back, never flip-flops. While wetsuits are still needed, the company lends them free along with fleece layers. Once the water warms, the company rents out booties or water shoes for $7. Pack a change of clothes and a towel for afterward. Sunscreen and some cash belong in the bag too.

Leave a few things behind. Glacier Raft Company does not allow glass or coolers on its trips, and alcohol stays off the boats too. The full day takes the most planning. Glacier Raft Company's deluxe full day with a riverside lunch, from ~$166, spends about 6 hours on the Middle Fork. It starts with a morning float and a riverside barbecue lunch (one option is a bison burger), and the afternoon brings Class II and III whitewater. Bring an extra warm layer and more sunscreen than you think you need. The catch is the bill, about twice the half day's price, for a day that leaves little room for anything else. Rafting the Middle Fork beside the park compares the river trips.

The nature walk

The Glacier Guides walk, from ~$70, is the only main tour where you must bring a park pass, because entrance is not included. Expect about 2.5 miles (4 km) on foot and some 180 feet (55 m) of up and down, easy but not flat, so comfortable shoes with some grip will do. On Viator, the company lends a day pack along with a rain coat and a fleece. Hiking poles and snacks come with the tour. Add binoculars and a water bottle, both on the listing's own list. After a wet spell the trail can turn muddy enough to cut a loop short, one more reason for shoes that shrug off water.

Bear spray and the e-bike

Bear spray is for anyone who hikes alone or with friends, away from a guide. On the nature walk the guide carries it, but if you plan a trail on a free afternoon, keep a can on your hip rather than buried in your pack. Airlines generally will not let you fly with it, so plan to buy it locally once you land; shops in the towns around the park usually stock it. The distances the park asks you to keep from animals are in the wildlife guide.

For a summer day on two wheels, Glacier Hikes & Bikes' guided e-bike day (from ~$320) provides the e-bike and a rain jacket, and lunch is a sandwich with fruit and water. You still need warm layers for 6–8 hours outside, and thin gloves make cold handlebars easier. The catch is a short history of only four reviews, and the listing says the ride is not for anyone with back problems. Our Going-to-the-Sun Road guide explains the other ways onto that road.