Last Updated on: 9th June 2025, 09:56 am
Out of the United States’ most popular parks, Rocky Mountain and Glacier are often compared with one another due to their breathtaking mountain scenery, scenic drives, and unforgettable hikes. But if you could only choose one, which should it be? In this guide, we’ll be comparing Rocky Mountain vs Glacier National Park based on five different categories.
While we will indeed be declaring a winner, at the end of the day, which park one likes better is a matter of personal preference. But if you’re still on the fence about which one to visit this summer, this comparison should help you decide.
The Hikes
The first category for which we’ll be comparing Rocky Mountain vs Glacier is what many visitors will consider the most important: each park’s hiking trails.
Both Glacier and Rocky Mountain National Park are renowned for having some of the country’s most thrilling hikes, and choosing a winner for this category is no easy task.
What many consider to be Glacier’s top hike is the hike up to Grinnell Glacier, a thrilling out-and-back journey that takes you past lakes, waterfalls, and finally up to the serene Grinnell Glacier itself.
What’s arguably Rocky Mountain’s flagship hike, meanwhile, is the hike up to Sky Pond. This hike also takes you past picturesque lakes, up a thrilling waterfall scramble, and then to the beautiful Sky Pond.
Personally speaking, both Grinnell Glacier and Sky Pond rank up there with my all-time favorite hikes, and choosing a winner between the two would be impossible. But what about the other hikes at each park?
Another popular Glacier hike is the Highline Trail, which largely takes you along a ridge that overlooks some of the park’s best scenery. The hike to Iceberg Lake, which is a bit similar to Grinnell Glacier, also shouldn’t be missed.
If you’re not up for such a challenge, a flat forested trail takes visitors to Avalanche Lake, one of Glacier’s most impressive.
Aside from Sky Pond, Rocky Mountain has plenty of other epic hikes as well. You could spend a day simply hiking to various lakes in the Bear Lake Road area, for example.
Or, you could hike up to Chasm Lake, and if you’re feeling really brave, up to Longs Peak, the park’s highest point. Mount Ida is another thrilling hike that largely has you walking above the tree line.
Speaking of heights, Rocky Mountain is mostly at a much higher elevation than Glacier, so you’ll need to prepare yourself for the altitude. And the high elevation also means that Rocky Mountain is a bit less lush and colorful than Glacier overall.
Glacier is also a bit easier to hike at due to weather. For those visiting in summer, the sun doesn’t set at Glacier until around 22:00 at night, meaning you can really cram in a lot of activities each day.
Rocky Mountain, on the other hand, is know for its afternoon showers. Though I didn’t experience any, I still had to plan my trip as if it might rain each afternoon.
Glacier might slightly edge out Rocky Mountain in terms of its lush greenery and the color of its lakes. But Rocky Mountain might have a slight upper hand in regards to the overall excitement of its trails. With no clear winner, we’re going to have to declare this category a tie.
Winner: Tie
The Scenic Drives
Aside from hikes, the next best way to experience a park’s natural beauty is to go on a scenic drive. And in this case, both parks are famous for their prominent scenic roads.
Driving the entirety of Glacier’s Going-to-the-Sun Road is widely regarded as one of the park’s must-do activities. The road stretches out to 50 miles, taking visitors past numerous overlooks, not to mention trailheads to various lakes and waterfalls.
Attractions aside, driving Going-to-the-Sun Road is the only way to get between Glacier’s east and west sides without leaving the park.
Similarly, Rocky Mountain’s Trail Ridge Road also connects its east and west sides, while it too takes visitors past plenty of viewpoints and overlooks.
While Going-to-the-Sun Road seems to be a bit more hyped up online, I found Trail Ridge Road’s views and side hikes to be just as impressive. As such, we’re yet again going to have to declare this category a tie.
Don’t worry – this is the last tie we’re going to see!
While this section is only comparing the scenery of the two roads, it’s worth noting that Trail Ridge Road is the much less stressful of the two scenic drives.
Unlike Going-to-the-Sun Road, no special permits are required, while I found parking along Trail Ridge to be much easier as well. But this is something we’ll discuss in the ‘Overall Ease of Visiting’ category below.
Winner: Tie
The Wildlife
Many travelers flock to the National Parks of the Western US in hopes of seeing exotic wildlife. And you’re almost guaranteed to see wildlife at both Rocky Mountain and Glacier. But which is better in terms of variety and quantity?
This is a tough category to judge, as wildlife is rarely predictable, and no two visitors are every going to see the exact same animals. With that said, most people who’ve visited both typically say that they saw more animals at Glacier.
And that was indeed the case for me. At Glacier, I saw bears, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, deer, and various smaller mammals.
At Rocky Mountain, on the other hand, I pretty much just saw elk, deer, and smaller mammals like marmots and pikas.
So while your experience may differ, Glacier is likely going to win this category for most visitors.
While not part of this comparison, if wildlife is really your thing, then also be sure to visit Yellowstone!
Winner: Glacier
Overall Cost
While not the sexiest topic, cost is indeed an important factor for many when it comes to planning a trip. So here we’ll be comparing the cost of visiting each park when it comes to both accommodation and transport.
Of course, everyone’s budgets and standards are different. But the more towns there are nearby a park, the better your chances are of finding a good deal.
Glacier National Park is easily one of the country’s most geographically isolated parks, and it’s not really situated near any major city or town. While that’s a large part of its appeal, that also means that it’s by no means a budget-friendly destination.
Most visitors should divide their time between the park’s east and west sides. And on the east side, the most popular option is the Many Glacier Hotel. While indeed an iconic building, it can cost hundreds per night, while you’ll also have to book a year in advance!
Outside the park, a good option is the town of Babb. I stayed at the Glacier Elkhorn Cabins and Campground which was a great value compared with other options in the region.
Glacier’s west side has a lot more options, with towns like Kalispell, West Glacier and Whitefish being nearby. While easier to find accommodation there, Glacier’s growing popularity means that you probably won’t find many amazing deals.
A trip to Rocky Mountain probably could be potentially be just as expensive as a trip to Glacier if you decide to book a nice hotel in Estes Park, the park’s main hub.
But you can also choose a town further east, such as Lyons or Loveland, and find much better deals. While you’ll obviously have longer commute times, staying a bit farther out can make Rocky Mountain surprisingly affordable.
Transport is another major factor. Flying in and out of Glacier’s nearest airport in Kalispel does not come cheap. In my case, I ultimately found a good deal flying out of Spokane, Washington. But I needed to book an extra night in Missoula if I was going to make it to the airport on time.
With Rocky Mountain, you can simply fly in and out of Denver, a city with connections to all over the country. That makes Rocky Mountain National Park the clear winner for the cost category.
Winner: Rocky Mountain
Overall Ease of Visiting
This section will be comparing things like obtaining the necessary permits, the ease of figuring out your itinerary, and dealing with things like crowds and parking once you’re finally at the park.
For the past several years, Glacier has been implementing a vehicle reservation system for some of the park’s more popular districts, such as Many Glacier, North Fork and Going-to-the-Sun Road.
The passes only cost $2, but they can sell out very quickly – sometimes in just a few minutes! In my case, I was ready right on time and after having set up my account in advance, though I was only able to snag a few of the passes I’d hoped for.
In the end, I had to buy fairly expensive boat tickets just to be granted access to the park’s Many Glacier district.
Rocky Mountain National Park, on the other hand, has a similar system albeit one that’s a lot more laidback. I had no issues securing all the Timed Entry Permits I needed once they went on sale.
And aside from the special Bear Lake Road permit, you can access most of the park without any permit as long as you enter before 9:00. That makes planning for Rocky Mountain much less stressful overall.
As mentioned above, parking along Glacier’s Going-to-the-Sun Road can be very difficult. I had to park somewhere far away and take a roundtrip shuttle just to hike to Avalanche Lake. And accessing Logan Pass, the starting point of the Highline Trail, is a nightmare.
The Logan Pass parking lot can fill up by 6:00 and remain full all day. So even with the necessary permits secured in advance, I still had to wake up early just to grab the first shuttle of the day in order to start my hike.
Even with all the proper permits and planning, the stress never quite ends at Glacier.
But I never had issues with parking along Rocky Mountain’s Trail Ridge Road. While the parking lot at Bear Lake can fill up early, you should be fine if you arrive by 7:30.
The parking lot for Chasm Lake and Longs Peak infamously fills up in the middle of the night. But visitors are allowed to park alongside the road instead, so it’s not a huge deal.
It’s worth noting that I visited Glacier in the month of July and Rocky Mountain in late August after kids were already back in school. But I still think that Rocky Mountain blows Glacier away in the ‘ease of visiting’ department.
Winner: Rocky Mountain
Final Verdict
Though this was a close matchup, Rocky Mountain National Park comes out on top here. Even if you prefer Glacier National Park’s scenery and hiking options, it would be difficult to argue against Rocky Mountain being the overall less stressful of the two.
I also personally enjoyed the hikes at Rocky Mountain a bit more, even if Glacier may be slightly prettier. And the drive down Trail Ridge Road was more enjoyable than Going-to-the-Sun Road with its terrible parking situation.
With all that said, many people do actually seem to prefer Glacier over Rocky Mountain National Park. As mentioned, it’s all going to come down to personal preference, but hopefully you now have a better idea of which park you’d like to visit this year.
