Are you looking for things to do that don’t involve hiking in Glacier National Park? Well, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, I’ll give you 10 things you can do without hiking in Glacier National Park in this guide for NON-Hikers.

Most itineraries and lists of “Things to do in Glacier National Park” always include hiking – and for a good reason — the hiking in Glacier is spectacular! But in some cases, hiking just isn’t in the cards. So if you’re visiting Glacier National Park and you don’t want to hike, don’t like to hike, can’t hike, or are traveling with companions who don’t want to hike – whatever the case may be, there are still plenty of things to do at Glacier National Park if you don’t want to hike.

When to visit Glacier National Park

You’ll want to visit Glacier National Park when Going to the Sun Road is fully open. This means a summer trip — typically Going to the Sun Road opens around the end of June, but in recent years, the opening date has been pushed into July due to snow. If the road isn’t open, it’s not worth visiting the park, as there just isn’t much to do. All of these ideas listed below assume a summer trip!

10 Things to do in Glacier National Park Without Hiking

1. Drive Going to the Sun Road

Luckily, the main attraction in Glacier National park doesn’t involve any hiking — it’s a scenic, 50-mile drive that spans across a scenic section of the park. The road takes about 2 hours to drive, one way, but you’ll want to take much longer than that, as you’ll be stopping often for photos at the multitude of pullouts along the way.

2. Visit Polebridge and eat some pastries

If you don’t mind a dirt road adventure, head up to Polebridge and visit the famous Mercantile bakery for one of their famous Huckleberry Bear Claws! They’re delicious. I wrote more about visiting Polebridge (and Bowman Lake) here, if you’re interested.

If you want to continue your journey to Bowman Lake or to Kintla Lake, you’ll need a North Fork day use reservation to visit this area beyond Polebridge — please see the NPS site for more information.

3. Take a boat cruise

You can reserve a boat cruise on many of the Glacier National Park lakes. Boat cruises are available on:

Swiftcurrent Lake
Two Medicine Lake
Saint Mary Lake
Lake McDonald

Visit the NPS site for more information on getting tickets for a boat cruise.

If you have boat cruise tickets reserved for Lake McDonald, you will automatically get access to Going to the Sun Road on the day of your reservation!

4. Rent a kayak

If you want to get out on the water but would rather explore on your own, you can rent kayaks too. Rentals are available at the following lakes and are first-come / first-serve:

Swiftcurrent Lake
Lake McDonald
Two Medicine Lake

I’ve rented kayaks at Two Medicine Lake and had a blast!

5. Take a Day Trip to Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada

Did you bring your passport? If so, you can cross the border and take a day trip. This is best done if you’re staying on the east side of the park (so the East Glacier / St. Mary / Many Glacier areas), as you will need to cross the border on that side of the park.

For things to do in Waterton Lakes, I have a one-day itinerary laid out for you if you’re doing this as a day trip.

6. Visit the Many Glacier Area

The Many Glacier area is known for the spectacular hikes that start from here, but even if you’re not hiking, it’s still fun to visit this area (provided you have a vehicle day use reservation!). You can hang out and explore the Many Glacier Hotel Lodge — they have a lovely deck where you get great views of Swiftcurrent Lake — plus there are often bears spotted on the nearby mountainside. Last time I was there, there was a moose hanging around the shoreline.

RELATED: Many Glacier Hotel Review: Glacier National Park, Montana

7. Visit the Historic Lodges

To piggyback on the Many Glacier area and hotel, there are other historic lodges that you might want to see, especially if you love “parkitecture.” In addition to the Many Glacier Hotel, you can visit the Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier and the Lake McDonald Lodge over on the West Glacier side.

8. Take a Red Bus Tour

If you don’t want to drive Going to the Sun Road yourself, you can take one of the Red Bus Tours offered in the park. I’ve never done this but they look like a ton of fun — you get to ride in one of the 1930s historic red tour buses, and nobody in your party will have to keep their eyes on the road. Everyone can enjoy the scenery. That said, I think these tours are pricey.

9. Go Rafting

Rafting on the Flathead River is a really popular activity just outside of Glacier National Park. Rafting trips typically take off from West Glacier, which is just outside the park’s gate. You’ll experience class II and III rapids — so it’s nothing TOO scary, but it’ll give you the whitewater rafting experience if you’ve never done it. Personally, if I’m on a guided rafting tour, I’d like a more ‘scary’ rafting ride, so a Class II / III is a little too smooth of a float for me. Full day and half day rafting tours are available.

RELATED: I did an ‘unguided’ rafting ‘float’ in Boise, Idaho — if there’s no guide, I’d rather it be smooth, but this wasn’t smooth! Complete Guide to Floating the Boise River from Barber Park – Idaho

10. Head to Whitefish

Whitefish is a cute mountain town located about 40-45 minutes from West Glacier. Here, you’ll find lots of cute gift shops, restaurants, coffee shops, breweries, plus you’ll often find farmers markets or craft fairs during the summer.

Whitefish Mountain Resort also offers summer activities including chair lift rides and alpine slides.

Any other Glacier National Park tips?

Here are some of the other articles I’ve written about Glacier National Park to help you plan your trip!

Red Rock Falls Hike in Glacier National Park Review
Staying in the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn – Glacier National Park Review
Running Eagle Falls Hike – Glacier National Park
Hiking to Avalanche Lake in Glacier National Park Montana
Grinnell Glacier Hike – Glacier National Park Montana
Visiting Bowman Lake and Polebridge in 2023 – Glacier National Park Montana
West Glacier KOA Cabins Review: Glacier National Park, Montana
Many Glacier Hotel Review: Glacier National Park, Montana

That about wraps it up — so if you’re a non-hiker, you should be able to find plenty to do without hiking in Glacier National Park!