We're planning our summer vacation to Glacier National Park. Any advice, suggestions, comments?
No, we're not camping. Both of us love indoor plumbing. But otherwise, what's the best site/hike/place to visit? Any must see/no-gos?
We're planning our summer vacation to Glacier National Park. Any advice, suggestions, comments?
No, we're not camping. Both of us love indoor plumbing. But otherwise, what's the best site/hike/place to visit? Any must see/no-gos?
"We do not need any other Tutankhamun's tomb with all its treasures. We need context. We need understanding. We need knowledge of historical events to tie them together. We don't know much. Of course we know a lot, but it is context that's missing, not treasures." - Werner Herzog, in Archaeology, March/April 2011
Hotel? Especially if you are into watching trains, the Izaac Walton Inn, originally built in the early 20th Century by the Great Northern Railway (now BNSF) as a tourist/passenger destination resort, located along US 2 in Essex, MT is a fantastic option! One of their rooms is in a refurbished retired locomotive. Amtrak 7 and 8 (the Empire Builder) still stop there and that is an added option for a Glacier N.P. vacation.
Mike
This Bear and Wife 2.0 (Donna) camped in Glacier National Park, many moons ago. We wandered on quite a few of the paths, though we were not backpackers so some of the trails we hiked half-a-day in and half-a-day out. Going-To-The-Sun Highway is absolutely stunning! Swam in one of the glacier-fed lakes.....if you can call going in to my knees and immediately going back on shore "swimming". Fortunately, did not encounter Yogi or Boo-Boo. Them's grizzlies in GNP not the fraidy-cat black bears of the north woods.
Glacier is a beautiful park.
Bear
Occupy Cyburbia!
Never been but hope to go someday. Looking forward to your pictures!!
Ditto!Originally posted by dandy_warhol
I have been going through back issues of National Geographic Traveler - I'm a long-time subscriber - and it seems to me that I came across an article on Glacier National Park. If I can find it, I will let you know.
I LOVE Glacier and have returned many times since first visiting as a kid with my family in 1970.
Hotels: The lodge at East Glacier is the most impressive. The Rising Sun in St. Mary's is the most conveniet and also nice, but not historic. The Many Glacier has cottages that are cute and less expensive. Lake McDonald Lodge is a good choice for the west side. West Glacier has plenty of hotels but I find it is further from most places I want to hike.
Hiking: Top hikes include Grinnell Glacier, Iceberg Lake and the Ptarmigan Wall, Siyeh Pass, the loop around Two Medicne Lake (with sidetrip to ?? falls),
Canada: Make the visit to Waterton Lakes.
Are you driving or flying?
Anyone want to adopt a dog?
There's a lot of opportunities for horseback riding around there if that interests you.
Oh so many possibilities and opportunities. As was already mention the hike around Two Medicine Lake is a great one. Lunch at the Lake McDonald Lodge (may I suggest the emu burger?). Hike the Trail of the Cedars, which takes only a short time and is on level ground and if you have time, hike up to Avalanche Lake. I really enjoy the hike to St. Mary's Falls.
I would suggest avoiding Browning on the Blackfoot Rez. Gas up before or after and there is nothing there really to recommend seeing there. The reception you will get there is pretty hostile.
There is a free bus shuttle now, which makes traveling along the Going to Sun Highway a bit easier. It will take you to most of the attactions.
Allow for travel time because the Going to Sun Highway is still under renovation. If you are on the road early in the morning or in the early evening, the traffic is lighter.
Watch out for the grizzlies. Bear spray is not a bad idea. Bells and making noise helps. You can tell the difference between black bear poop and grizzly bear poop because grizzly bear poop has bells in it.
"I am very good at reading women, but I get into trouble for using the Braille method."
~ Otterpop ~
Yes pepper spray is a good idea. Many of the bears - especially the younger ones - like their food spicy. My personal record is encountering 17 bears in one week in Glacier. There is only one time I have been to the park without seeing any bears. Don't bother them and they won't bother you.Watch out for the grizzlies. Bear spray is not a bad idea. Bells and making noise helps. You can tell the difference between black bear poop and grizzly bear poop because grizzly bear poop has bells in it.
Anyone want to adopt a dog?
I've been to Glacier twice. Wonderful place. First time I camped near St. Mary's/East Glacier. Second time I was able to snag a hotel on Lake McDonald but dad nixed it because he went through withdrawls at the Old Faithful in because there was no television and the newspapers were a day old. So we opted for a motel in Hungry Horse. Hungry Horse has a dam that is about as impressive as Boulder/Hoover dam. It is much taller, though not quite as wide.
Don't forget to hike, up in the higher climates you will see wild goats along the trail as well as wonderful scenery.
Don't forget to hit Waterton (the canadian part of the park). It was here I was greeted by a grizzly while leaving a roadside bathroom! There is a hotel here called Prince of Wales that has some wonderful views, but it has some shaky reviews.
Glacier is a great place to spend a few days.
We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes - Fr Gabriel Richard 1805
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