A Mind-Blowing 5-Day Backpacking Trip in Glacier National Park: Kintla to Bowman

This summer, we were fortunate enough to get a backcountry permit for Glacier National Park (for the second year in a row).

And we hiked through some of the most BEAUTIFUL and STUNNING terrain we’ve ever seen.

This 5-day trip through the Glacier backcountry is arguably one of the best routes in the entire park. So we’re super excited to share our experience with you!

Whether you’re looking for the perfect route, researching one you already have booked, or simply dreaming about backpacking, we hope this provides some inspiration and knowledge.

The Route

Our route was the Kintla to Bowman thru hike. Here’s a breakdown of our campgrounds:

• Day 1: Kintla Lake (KLE) -> Upper Kintla (UPK)
• Day 2: Upper Kintla (UPK) -> Boulder Pass (BOU)
• Day 3: Boulder Pass (BOU) -> Lake Francis (FRA)
• Day 4: Lake Francis (FRA) -> Bowman Lake Head (BOW)
• Day 5: Bowman Lake Head (BOW) -> Bowman Lake Foot (BLE)

We essentially did this Bowman-Kintla Loop on AllTrails, but in reverse and with a side quest to Lake Francis.

Looking for something shorter? Check out our 3-day backpacking route in the Many Glacier area.

Specs

• Distance: 40-ish miles
• Elevation Gain: 5,222
• Elevation Loss: 5,181
• Difficulty: Hard
• Days: 5
• Nights: 4
• Water Sources? Yes
• Phone Service? No (AT&T)
• Restrooms? Yes

Words can’t describe the beauty of our experience. But I’m going to give it a try.

We saw insane mountains, beautiful glaciers, stunning views, clear lakes perfect for cooling off, bright red rocks, unique critters, and so much more.

I’ve broken down the route into sections below (plus some must-know info about permits and parking). They’re followed by some notes about things we would change and things we were glad we did.

Getting a Permit

Getting a permit is the single hardest part of this entire journey. But don’t let that deter you – it’s 100% worth it!

Derek entered the backcountry lottery on March 15. And he won a ticket that allowed us to book a spot before backcountry reservations went on sale to the public.

If you don’t get a lottery spot, you’ll have to rely on the availability of booking after the general public release day or getting a walk-up permit.

A walk-up permit means getting to the local Ranger Station early the day before and hoping for the best.

Prepare and research multiple itineraries in case you don’t get your first choice.

But fingers crossed you do!

We got our first choice route, but in reverse order (we were originally going to do Bowman -> Kintla, but got the opposite). We also got some less-than-ideal mileage days.

BUT when we picked up our permit, we were able to change our itinerary to our exact desires the day before. It worked out perfectly!

Getting There (and Shuttling)

The hardest part of doing the Kintla to Bowman thru hike (or Bowman to Kintla) is figuring out how to shuttle your vehicle.

I’ve heard everything under the sun from hitchhiking to caching a bike to hiring a shuttle service.

We are very fortunate that my parents live nearby, and my dad was able to drive up there on Day Zero and help out. We parked our car at Bowman Lake, then took his car to Kintla Lake and camped there for the night.

That way, our car was ready and waiting when we exited from Bowman Lake.

I wish I had more insight as to some creative solutions, but alas, I don’t.

As far as getting there, the road from Columbia Falls to the North Fork Ranger Station is probably the worst road I’ve ever driven on without considering myself to be “offroading.”

Two-wheel drive vehicles can make it, but it will be slow going. If you have access to a 4×4 or AWD vehicle, take it. Give yourself plenty of time and make sure you know how to change a spare tire.

Our Main Packing List

We have our backpacking kit absolutely DIALED.

If you are looking for some new gear or an upgrade, these options below are tried, trusted, and loved.

If you have any questions or want to get some expert opinion on gear, hit us up on our Contact Page.

• Tent: Nemo Hornet Elite OSMO 2P
• Sleeping Bags: Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 0 – Women’s – REI Co-op Magma 30 Down Trail Quilt
• Backpacks: Gregory Maven 55 – Gregory Paragon 58
• Sleeping Pads: Big Agnes Rapide SL – Exped Ultra 5R
• Pillow: NEMO Fillo
• Stove: Snow Peak LiteMax
• Eating Utensils: Long Handled Spoon
• Rain Jacket: Patagonia Torrentshell Jacket
• Shirt: Free Fly Lightweight Sun Hoodie, Patagonia Cool Capilene Shirt
• Shoes: Altra Lone Peak 9 Trail-Running Shoes,

Pro Tips

Be bear aware. I know we hear this phrase all the time when going into the backcountry. But we saw A LOT of bear sign. Make noise while you’re hiking, store your food properly, and be conscious of your surroundings.

Be careful about water sources. Because this area of the park doesn’t open until August 1st, we found that lots of seasonal streams were completely dry. This was especially true for the area around Brown Pass going towards Bowman Lake. Make sure you’re carrying plenty of water.

Bring warm clothes. Even in August, it got very chilly at night and first thing in the morning. I’m really glad I had a puffy jacket and a rain jacket.

Day Zero: Permits & Bear Claws

Day Zero was a “pick-up-permits” and “get-to-camp” kind of day. We drove up North Fork Road (which is a terrible road) and headed straight for Polebridge.

We stopped in Polebridge at the Mercantile for their famous Huckleberry Bear Claw and at the Saloon for lunch.

Then we went to the North Fork Ranger Station to pick up our permit. The rangers there were awesome and helped us secure a better route.

From there, we drove to Kintla Lake Campground and grabbed a first-come-first-serve spot.

We camped there that night before hitting the trail the next morning.

Day 1: Kintla Lake (KLE) to Upper Kintla (UPK)

• Distance: ~11.6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 929 feet
• Elevation Loss: 558 feet
• Features: lakes, forest, 1 glacier

TL;DR: Mostly flat with some elevational changes between the lakes. Plentiful water. Views get better as you go farther into the valley.

We started our hike at a respectable 8:12 am on day one. The trail is mostly flat and only slightly overgrown, so we averaged about 22-24 minutes per mile.

The first 6.5 miles generally follow the shoreline of Kintla Lake. And it’s beautiful! The water is bright blue and begs you to go swimming.

About 2.5 miles in, the trail deviates from the lakeshore. During this section, there are some elevational changes, but they’re very manageable.

This section is about 2 miles before it rejoins the lakeshore. From there, it’s smooth sailing to Kintla Lake Head (KIN) and the views just keep getting better!

Between Kintla Lake Head and Upper Kintla Lake, this is where all the elevation gain happens. It’s about 2.4 miles with significant uphill and thick brush.

There’s a great water refill spot at Long Knife Creek before reaching Upper Kintla Lake.

From the foot of the lake, you can see Kintla Glacier to the right of Kintla Peak (top right corner of image below). And the water is an incredible shade of teal.

Now it’s just 2.4 mostly flat miles along the lakeshore to the Upper Kintla Lake Campground (UPK).

Upper Kintla Lake Campground (UPK)

Upper Kintla Lake Campground (UPK) is a beautiful spot on the shore of the lake.

The food prep area is huge, so there’s plenty of room to spread out and prepare meals.

Plus, this space is only about 15 yards from the shore of Upper Kintla Lake, so the views are plentiful and water access is easy.

There are four campsites, all of which are plenty large enough for the standard two 2-person tents.

The site that was closest to the water was also the most uneven, so we opted for a flatter spot more inland.

My only complaint about this campground was the pit toilet. It seemed excessively far away, making for a harrowing midnight trip up there in the dark.

It was also the stinkiest of all the toilets on the trip. The sign inside was dated 1988 – and it smelled like the poop may have been stewing there since then (even though I would assume it’s been cleaned out since then).

Day 2: Upper Kintla Lake (UPK) to Boulder Pass

• Distance: ~5.6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 3,000 feet
• Elevation Loss: 143 feet
• Features: lake, forest, mountain views, 1 glacier

TL;DR: BIG climb with limited water. Insane views and the wildflowers at the pass were beautiful.

Day 2 was all about the climb (Miley Cyrus would be proud).

The incline was generally gradual, but some steeper sections definitely got the calves burning.

Most of the creek beds were dry, so keep an eye on your water. After passing Kintla Creek, the next refill spot was about 3-3.5 miles up. And it wasn’t even marked on the map as a stream.

After that, water was scarce until the last mile or so, then it was plentiful again.

The views got more insane as we climbed, and our first glimpses of Agassiz Glacier gave us a case of the “wow’s”.

The wildflowers also got denser as we climbed.

The trail flattens out, and you’ll reach the intersection for the Boulder Pass Campground, which is about 0.1 miles from the trail.

This section crosses large, open areas of rock, so follow the rock cairns to the campground.

Boulder Pass Campground (BOU)

Boulder Pass Campground is right at tree line, so be prepared for some windy and chilly conditions.

That being said, it was definitely the most scenic high-altitude campground we’ve ever camped at.

And it all culminated in this view:

It was the most scenic, windiest poop of my life.

I was worried about people seeing the toilet while it’s in use. But it’s perfectly tucked away among some trees, so you can’t see it from anywhere else in camp.

And there were so few campers that it was easy to know when someone had snuck off to use the toilet.

Luckily, our campsite was tucked behind a berm, so the wind didn’t affect our sleep. There were two other campsites, both of which were a little more exposed to the wind, but seemed like they would be fine.

The food prep area and toilet were not protected from the wind, so it was a quick dinner and an early night to bed for us.

There was a great water source about halfway between the trail cutoff and camp, so it was easy to fill up with water during our stay.

Day 3: Boulder Pass (BOU) to Lake Francis (FRA) and past Hole in the Wall (HOL)

• Distance: ~7.1 miles
• Elevation Gain: 651 feet
• Elevation Loss: 2,423 feet
• Features: mountain views, glaciers, alpine terrain

TL;DR: Lots of downhill with insane alpine views. Best views of the trip for sure. If you aren’t hiking over Boulder Pass or are just staying at HOL, we 100% recommend day-hiking up to the overlook above HOL.

Boulder Pass Campground (BOU) sits just below the Boulder Pass Summit. So the morning started with 0.7 miles and 249 feet of elevation gain to the summit of Boulder Pass.

This section had the best wildflowers of the entire trip!

After summiting the pass, the big downhill begins. This section is true alpine territory with minimal vegetation. You’ll also see Boulder Glacier up to your right (not pictured).

But this is when the views really start!

And then WOW. You get hit with the best views of the entire trip. This view is above Hole in the Wall, looking towards Brown Pass and Weasel Collar Glacier.

We ran into several groups who were staying at Hole in the Wall and day-hiking up to this view. We 100% recommend doing this side trip if you aren’t already going to hike over Boulder Pass.

The trail continues along the left around the bowl, so we had insane views all morning long.

It’s also above tree line almost until Brown Pass, so plan on hitting this section earlier in the day to avoid pop-up storms or high sun later in the day.

Keep your eye out for huckleberries and strawberries on this alpine section of the trail.

The trail continues down and down. At Brown Pass, there’s a sign marking the intersection.

We really wanted to visit Lake Francis, so we built in a side quest there on this trip instead of trying to fight for a spot at Hole in the Wall.

From Brown Pass, it’s about 2.4 miles and 940 feet downhill to Lake Francis. We passed the stunning Thunderbird Falls and an unnamed lake before finishing our day at Lake Francis (FRA).

Lake Francis Campground (FRA)

Lake Francis Campground (FRA) has only 2 campsites, meaning it’s harder to get a spot here. But we are SO glad we did it.

The lake is stunning with bright turquoise water and a MASSIVE waterfall flowing into the lake.

The campground itself was small and situated a short wall uphill from the lakeshore.

The bear hang pole was quite different from other sites – it was just one pole with four hanging points. Luckily, the park provided a long metal pole to help get your rope over the top.

We did get rained on in the afternoon, which brought out all the slugs. I haven’t seen more slugs since we visited the Hoh Rainforest several years ago.

But the views at sunrise the next morning were mind-blowing.

Day 4: Lake Francis (FRA) to Bowman Lake Head (BOW)

• Distance: 8.8-10 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1,018 feet
• Elevation Loss: 2,402 feet
• Features: mountain views, forest

TL;DR: This day had the most limited water resources, so pack a full 1.5-2 liters (or more) and drink lots of water when you do hit a refill spot. Otherwise, it was a great downhill day with mountain views and forested sections.

We started the morning retracing our steps back to Brown Pass, which meant 2.4 miles and 940 feet uphill.

From Brown Pass, the rest of the day was generally downhill.

The descent was exposed with limited shade, so dress accordingly. The rest of the trail was a mix of forest and sun off and on.

However, this was the one day that our mileage seemed significantly underestimated.

The Glacier National Park Backcountry map shows it to be 8.8 miles, which is also what OnX Maps says. But my Garmin watch tracked us at 10.1 miles.

And boy did it feel like 10+ miles after 4 days of carrying our packs.

There was also a limited water supply, so this is the day I would recommend carrying at least 2 liters and taking the time to drink water and refill when you hit a good resupply point.

We finally cruised into Bowman Lake after a long day on the trail.

Bowman Lake Head Campground (BOW)

Bowman Lake Head Campground is the largest campground we stayed at this whole trip. With six campsites available, there were more people here than we were used to.

Everyone was respectful and quiet, so we didn’t have any problems with our neighbors.

The campground is right near the lakeshore, meaning water access is easy. And just like the other lakes so far, Bowman was bright blue in color.

And our site was AWESOME. It was the only one this close to the water.

Bowman Lake is also one of the few backcountry sites where campfires are allowed, so we definitely took advantage of that.

And despite it being one of the busier backcountry sites, the toilet was WAY less stinky than the other pit toilets.

Day 5: Bowman Lake Head (BOW) to Bowman Lake Foot (BLE)

• Distance: 7.1 miles
• Elevation Gain: 139 feet
• Elevation Loss: 141 feet
• Features: lake, forest

Our last day was supposed to be our easiest, but is anything really easy after 5 days of backpacking?

It was only supposed to be 139 feet in elevation gain, but my Garmin watch tracked us at 610 feet up.

There were lots of ups and downs, but the trail was generally easy and followed the lakeshore.

Plus, the trail mostly went through dense forest, so we had plentiful shade.

We saw more bear signs along this section of the trail than the entire rest of our trip. Lots of bear scat and paw prints, but luckily no bear sightings.

Just a reminder to be bear aware.

Then we got to end with a swim and these amazing mountain views at Bowman Lake Foot.

Things We’re Glad We Did

1) Wore Sun-Protective Long Sleeves, Pants, and a Hat: We were really happy to have good coverage for the overgrown forested portions of the trail, the biting flies, and the very exposed rocky bits. While we were hot at times, we ultimately appreciated the multi-level protection.

2) We collected water at most stream crossings: A lot of the seasonal creeks were hardly flowing (if they were flowing at all). This made it hard to predict our next water source, so we stopped and filled up whenever we had the opportunity. This kept our minds at peace instead of running low on water and stressing about the next water source.

3) I did lots of research: I am the Type-A planner of the relationship, so obviously, I took it upon myself to learn as much as possible about the trail and Glacier NP. As with any backpacking trip, this is an essential part of the journey and should never be skipped.

4) Downloaded the right apps: I used On-X to plan our route, and there are some other apps you need on your phone before you go backpacking.

5) Brought swimsuits and pack towels: I swam in every lake we passed! So I loved having a swimsuit and a towel that dried quickly each night. Life is short – swim in the cold water!

Things We Would Change

1) Start hiking earlier: We had a few late starts in the AM, leading to hot afternoons on the exposed rocky trail. Start early so you can relax and swim at the lakes instead of suffering on hot rocks.

2) Pack more TP: We didn’t run out of food or water, but we did run out of toilet paper. Pit toilets at each campground made us a little less frugal when it came to spending our supply.

3) Spend more time in Glacier: We weren’t ready to leave Glacier NP even though we were VERY ready for a shower. I recommend giving yourself time on either end to explore more of the park. Check out some other hikes like Apgar Lookout and Avalanche Lake.

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