Boat Tours for Families in Glacier National Park

Two Medicine Lake Tour — best value

The narrated cruise lasts 45 minutes and crosses Two Medicine Lake beneath Sinopah Mountain and Rising Wolf Mountain. Sinopah, built in 1926, is the oldest boat in the fleet, and the narration includes Blackfeet stories connected to the valley. Adult tickets are $20.85, ages 4–12 are $10.40, and the 2026 season runs June 1–September 7.

Starting July 1, the 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm departures offer the optional guided Twin Falls walk at no extra charge, conditions permitting. The operator lists 1.8 miles round trip and 25 feet of elevation gain. Allow 2.5–3 hours for the boat-and-hike outing, plus the separate arrival/check-in allowance and your drive. Return boarding is first-come, first-served, so keep the following meal or activity flexible.

One-way RETURN tickets cost $10.40 for adults and $5.20 for ages 4–12: hike out and take the boat back, not the reverse. Buy these walk-up tickets at the ticket office before hiking; return seats are space-available. The 8:00 am departure begins July 1; other listed departures run within the June 1–September 7 season. The dock is at 746 Two Medicine Road, East Glacier Park. This tour is not wheelchair accessible.

Lake McDonald Tour — most accessible

The Lake McDonald fleet includes DeSmet, built in 1930, and Glacier Lily, built in 1985. The operator advertises outside-deck seating for one standard-size wheelchair and asks guests to call for availability before booking. Confirm chair dimensions and boarding arrangements rather than assuming every departure can accommodate your group.

The 1-hour cruise covers the lake’s glacial geology and emerald water, a manageable length for younger children. It leaves from Lake McDonald Lodge on Going-to-the-Sun Road, 11 miles from the West Entrance, so it is the easiest dock to reach from West Glacier lodging. Apgar is a separate lakeshore stop, not this tour’s departure dock.

The 2026 schedule includes 11:00 am, 1:30 pm, 3:00 pm and 5:30 pm departures from May 20–September 26. The 9:30 am trip begins June 15; the 7:00 pm trip ends September 1. There is no hike add-on or one-way ticket. The dock and boat remain exposed to wind and rain, so bring layers and check conditions.

St. Mary Lake Tour (Rising Sun) — best scenery

The 1.5-hour St. Mary cruise costs $41.70 for adults and $20.85 for ages 4–12, with the 2026 season running June 5–September 12. It departs from Rising Sun Boat Dock, 5 miles from the East Entrance, on historic Little Chief, built in 1926, or Joy II. The route passes Wild Goose Island with Sexton Glacier ahead and includes a stop at Baring Falls; the falls are reached by an easy 5-minute walk. No portage is required. The Wild Goose Island Overlook is a separate roadside view, not the Rising Sun departure dock.

Choose the 3.5-hour Scenic Tour + Hike only if everyone can complete the 3.2-mile round trip to St. Mary Falls within the two-hour hiking window. The operator describes a steep initial climb and about 250 feet of elevation gain. The 9:00 am departure offers an optional boat-company guide; 11:00 am offers an optional NPS ranger-led hike; 1:00 pm is self-guided. Hike departures start June 25, with the 9:00 am guided component beginning July 1. The 5:00 pm departure is a 1.5-hour scenic tour, not a hike product.

Wheelchair seating is available on the outside decks for the 10:00 am, 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm, and 4:00 pm departures, subject to vessel and boarding conditions. Ask about the assigned boat, gangway, and boarding assistance before booking if anyone in your party cannot manage uneven surfaces or a transfer. GPS: Rising Sun Boat Ramp (Apple Maps) or 28 Dock Road, Browning (Google Maps).

Many Glacier Tour (Swiftcurrent + Lake Josephine) — best wildlife

This 1.5-hour tour is the only Glacier cruise that visits two lakes. It starts on Swiftcurrent Lake aboard Chief Two Guns, then requires a 0.2-mile portage walk over a steep hill before boarding Morning Eagle, built in 1945, on Lake Josephine. Every passenger has to make that crossing; strollers and wheelchairs cannot use it. Allow extra time for children, daypacks, and anything you must carry between boats.

The route passes beneath Grinnell Point with views toward Salamander Glacier and Gem Glacier. The Many Glacier valley is productive wildlife country, and bears, moose, and mountain goats may be seen, but sightings are never guaranteed.

From the head of Lake Josephine, Grinnell Lake is a 1.8-mile ROUND TRIP walk; Grinnell Glacier is a strenuous 7.6-mile ROUND TRIP hike. These are self-guided: the operator no longer offers guided hikes to either destination. One-way RETURN tickets cost $20.85 for adults and $10.40 for ages 4–12 and are for hikers returning from Lake Josephine, not outbound travel from the hotel. The 8:30 am tour begins July 1 and requires everyone to disembark. Check the dated schedule and NPS road/trail conditions before choosing a departure.

2026 Prices & Schedule Comparison

There are four official narrated-tour locations in Glacier National Park: Two Medicine Lake, Lake McDonald, St. Mary Lake at Rising Sun, and Swiftcurrent Lake/Lake Josephine at Many Glacier. Under-4s ride free on the operator’s 2026 fare schedule, while ages 4–12 use the child fares shown below. Taxes and booking fees, when displayed at checkout, are separate from the listed ticket prices.

A round-trip sightseeing ticket includes the return cruise. At Two Medicine and Many Glacier, one-way RETURN tickets are for hiking out and boating back; they are not outbound-only tickets. Many Glacier hikes are self-guided. At St. Mary, select the specific scenic or hike product: hike passengers have a designated pickup rather than an open-ended afternoon.

How to Book & Reservation Tips

Reserve online at reserve.glacierparkboats.com or call (406) 257-2426. July and August departures can sell out, so use the live calendar rather than assuming a walk-up seat will be available. The reservation portal shows the ticket type, date, departure, and current checkout total.

Arrive at the parking lot at least 60 minutes before departure, check in 30 minutes before departure, and expect boarding to begin 15 minutes before departure. Add your drive separately; Lake McDonald also asks for an additional 30 minutes for West Entrance delays. Parking and entrance congestion are uncertain, so do not build a tight connection to another timed booking.

During the boat-tour season, the standard private-vehicle entrance pass is $35 for seven days unless an applicable pass covers admission. NPS also lists an additional $100 fee for non-US residents age 16 and older unless covered by a qualifying pass. Check your party’s current pass eligibility; boat tickets do not cover these entrance charges.

The operator’s cancellation and change terms control your booking, including deadlines, fees, refunds, weather cancellations, and missed boarding. Read those terms at checkout and keep the reservation email; a missed departure is not the same as an operator-cancelled trip. If weather or a road closure threatens access, call the operator promptly rather than driving toward a ticket you cannot use.

Boat Rentals for Families

Choose a narrated tour when you want the operator to handle navigation; choose a rental only when your group can manage the craft and current conditions. Rental types differ by location. Limited morning reservations are available at Lake McDonald Lodge and Many Glacier, while Two Medicine rentals are walk-up for 2026. Paddleboards at Lake McDonald Lodge are walk-up only.

At Lake McDonald Lodge, published hourly prices are $24.20 for paddleboards, $32.50 for a double kayak or rowboat, and $46.30 for an 8hp motorboat; motorboats also carry a 4% state use tax. Limited advance bookings are for 10:15 am with a two-hour minimum. These are operator rates, not a claim of live inventory.

Life jackets are supplied; confirm sizes before renting. The operator requires an adult over 18 in the same craft with children 13 or younger. Do not treat a motorboat as a solution to rising wind or difficult conditions. Motorboat rentals must not be beached, and swimming from them is prohibited. Ask staff about permitted stops and fuel; do not assume unrestricted docking.

Many Glacier rentals remain on Swiftcurrent Lake: Lake Josephine access and leaving the craft unattended for hiking are prohibited. For a boat-assisted Grinnell hike, choose the narrated-tour/hiker-ticket service instead of a private rental. If you bring your own watercraft, check NPS inspection, permit and lake-specific rules separately.

How We Ranked These Tours

Choose the outing first, then test it against your overnight base. A west-side Lake McDonald day and an eastern-valley boat-and-hike day are different plans; do not cross the park just to save a few dollars on a fare. Compare the drive to the named dock, not simply the closest park entrance.

For a no-portage west-side outing, compare Lake McDonald. For a brief southeast-side cruise or an easy guided waterfall walk, compare Two Medicine. For St. Mary Falls, make sure your group can meet the two-hour hiking window. Choose Many Glacier when the steep boat transfer and self-guided hike fit everyone—not because a wildlife sighting is promised.

Build a day around the commitment, not the cruise duration alone: add arrival/check-in, the outing, return queues where relevant, meals, and the drive back. The table’s minimum blocks are planning arithmetic, not guaranteed completion times. A substantial Grinnell Glacier hike should be the main event, not an extra before a long cross-park transfer.

For a west-side plan, allow at least 2.5 hours for the Lake McDonald cruise and the operator’s arrival/entrance-delay allowances, before adding the drive or a meal. In the southeast, Two Medicine needs at least 1 hour 45 minutes for arrival and the cruise alone; choosing the Twin Falls boat-and-hike outing raises that block to at least 3.5–4 hours, with return queues still possible.

For an east-side waterfall day, allow at least 4.5 hours for arrival and the St. Mary scenic-plus-hike product. A Many Glacier scenic outing starts with a 2.5-hour arrival-and-tour block before any self-guided hiking. These are minimum planning sums, not promises: road delays, meals and the trip back to your lodging need their own room.