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Hiking to Exit Glacier
Good-for-Kids Rating
Babies
Toddlers & Pre-KSchool-Age Kids
Pre-Teens & Teens
Hiking
Hiking to Exit Glacier Description
Kids of all ages and abilities enjoy this short half-mile hike through the forest, across a creek, then up to Exit Glacier, the only glacier in the park that you can get to on foot. The real fun, though, is at the end of the hike, where you can explore the foot of the glacier and the head of the Resurrection River. Despite the frigid water, kids love kicking off their shoes, playing in the sand, throwing rocks, and looking for floating chunks of glacial ice.
Kid Tips
Toddlers & Pre-K: The hiking trail is fairly easy until a couple of steep (but short) spots near the end. Make sure kids hold your hand or know how to stay on the trail — only a rope separates much of it from unstable or steep ground.
School-Age Kids: Kids love looking for signs of wildlife. See if they can find moose droppings (it looks like wine corks), goats on the mountainside and even the occasional bear swimming in the river.
Planning Notes
- Stop at the Nature Center first. The Nature Center includes a large topographical map so you can see where you're about to hike, plus how the Exit Glacier relates to the Harding Icefield and other glaciers. You can also buy bottled water and other small items.
- Hike with a Ranger. Ranger-led tours leave the Nature Center each day at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.. They'll point out "moose nuggets" and any other signs of wildlife, plus give you the full scoop on how ice fields and glaciers form. No reservations required.
- Check the chalkboard in front of the Nature Center. Hikers and rangers write down that day's wildlife sightings so you'll know what to look for.
Just the Facts
Hours: The Exit Glacier Nature Center is open daily, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
Fees: Less than $10.
Recommended Time: 1 - 2 hours
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