Information to Visiting Glacier Nationwide Park

Of all of the nationwide parks inside the US, Glacier Nationwide Park stands out as one of many absolute best — and thus probably the most widespread. Positioned within the northwest area of Montana, bordering Canda’s Waterton Lakes Nationwide Park, the 1,583 sq. miles of protected land welcomes round three million guests yearly. Many come for the mountaineering trails, wildlife sightings, and pockets of unparalleled quiet and peace within the park’s extra distant spots; others are there with the purpose of driving the 50-mile-long Going-to-the-Solar Highway.

Irrespective of your superb itinerary, one factor’s for positive: You’ll need to arrive to Glacier Nationwide Park with at the very least a fundamental understanding of the world’s structure and what to anticipate. And to give you a complete information to the park, we spoke to a couple native consultants.

Learn on to find every thing it’s essential to know earlier than visiting Glacier Nationwide Park — together with recommendations on when to go to and the place to hike, eat, and keep.

The right way to Get There

Glacier Park Worldwide Airport (FCA) in Kalispell, Montana is the closest main airport and a few 30-minute drive from the park’s west entrance. It’s served by six main airways: Alaska, Delta, United, Allegiant, American, and Solar Nation. Missoula Worldwide Airport (MSO) and Nice Falls Worldwide Airport (GTF) — 120 and 200 miles away, respectively — are additionally choices for these touring by aircraft. Upon arrival, a rental automotive can be vital if you’d like the pliability and freedom to discover the park and surrounding space by yourself time.  Taking the prepare to Glacier Nationwide Park is one other transportation possibility. Amtrak’s historic Empire Builder line makes year-round stops at West Glacier and serves East Glacier seasonally.

“Throughout peak season, parking may be difficult,” says Glacier Guides and Montana Raft’s Nicolina Baldassari, who suggests utilizing the first-come, first-served shuttle service alongside the Going-to-the-Solar Highway, “which may also help you keep away from parking hassles and nonetheless entry widespread trailheads.”

Know Earlier than You Go

Any journey to Glacier Nationwide Park begins with getting a move. “It’s a must to have a park move to enter any gate into Glacier Nationwide Park, after which sure corridors — North Fork, Many Glacier, and Going-to-the-Solar Highway — additionally require a car reservation to enter the hall between 6 a.m. and three p.m. throughout peak season,” says Aubrie Lorona, proprietor of Swan Mountain Outfitters. If you have already got the $80 annual America the Lovely move, which grants move holders entry to most U.S. nationwide parks, you’ll be all set on the doorway payment.

You’ll additionally need to put aside at the very least two days to see the park — although three to 5 will let you test off all the fundamental websites with out dashing. In any case, says Lorona, “Montana is an enormous state, and it takes over two hours to get from one aspect of the park to the opposite… [and] guests ought to test driving occasions and distances between lodging and actions.”

Given the park’s identify, it’s not unusual for guests to come back looking for the glaciers themselves. “Many individuals come to the park after which ask the place all of the glaciers are. Not loads of vacationers are conscious that most of the glaciers have melted away, leaving solely about 25 left within the park as we speak resulting from world warming,” says Baldassari. Seeing a glacier can be comparatively troublesome, as most of them are situated excessive up on the Continental Divide. Jackson Glacier, nonetheless, is the simplest glacier to see within the park; Jackson Glacier Overlook is situated on the east aspect of Going-to-the-Solar Highway.

As is the case for a lot of nationwide parks out west, wildlife is without doubt one of the largest attracts. Inside the park, there are bats, beavers, bighorn sheep, elk, mountain goats, wolverines, and, sure, bears. “Bears are frequent within the park. At all times carry bear spray and know methods to use it. Retailer meals correctly and concentrate on your environment, particularly when mountaineering,” says Baldassari. Guests must also brush up on the park’s wildlife security laws. That features staying at the very least 75 toes from most wildlife (the likes of moose, deer, mountain goats, and elk) and at the very least 300 toes from wolves and bears.

This a part of Montana can be deeply tied to the historical past of the Blackfeet, Pend d’Oreille, Salish, and Kootenai folks. “It’s largely unknown that Glacier Nationwide Park is conventional territory for a number of Tribes, most particularly the Blackfeet on the east aspect,” says Derek DesRosier, the final supervisor of Solar Excursions. “All Tribes nonetheless observe some type of conventional and fashionable use of the panorama, and despite the fact that it’s globally acknowledged as a nationwide park now, to us, it’s a sacred place, full of medication, connection, and historical past.”

Greatest Time to Go to

Glacier Nationwide Park is open year-round, although its attraction, actions, and variety of guests shift by the season. Summer time is, unsurprisingly, the preferred time to go to, because the climate is hotter and all the park’s services are open. For those who’re ready to navigate the crowds, you’ll be rewarded with good circumstances for driving the Going-to-the-Solar Highway and the potential for seeing purple asters and beargrass, amongst different wildflower species within the park. “I imagine one of the best time of yr to go to GNP is mid to late July [when] many of the snow has melted off the paths and the wildflowers begin blooming,” says Baldassari.

If you wish to keep away from the bumper-to-bumper visitors of July and August, however nonetheless drive the complete Going-to-the-Solar Highway, see wildlife, and get a glimpse of the colourful foliage, head to the park in early fall. “My private favourite time to go to Glacier is in September or October when the crowds have died down and we’re within the peak of fall colours,” says Lorona. “Generally, you may even get the beautiful mixture of snow-capped peaks up excessive and fall forest colours down low. It’s breathtaking.” Most roads within the nationwide park are open seasonally, so test the web site for present circumstances as you propose your journey.

Greatest Issues to Do

Drive Going-to-the-Solar Highway.

If there’s one factor to test off your record in Glacier Nationwide Park, it’s the 50-mile drive between West Glacier and St. Mary. “Driving Going-to-the-Solar Highway at dawn or sundown is a deal with,” says Lorona. “I’ve pushed that highway lots of of occasions over time, and it at all times seems to be totally different as a result of it modifications with the climate, mild, and time of day.” The route takes you by glacial lakes, waterfalls, statement factors, and even throughout Logan Go, the very best level on the highway and the placement the place it crosses the Continental Divide.

Discover the park on horseback.

“Glacier is now extra widespread as a mountaineering park, however all the paths within the park had been initially based through horseback, so there’s something very genuine and nostalgic about seeing the park’s magnificence from the again of a horse,” says Lorona. Her firm has stables at Many Glacier, Lake McDonald, Apgar, and West Glacier, and the crew affords a variety of experience varieties — from beginner-friendly one-hour experiences to half-day and full-day excursions for superior riders.

Get out on the water.

With greater than 700 lakes (131 of that are named) inside Glacier Nationwide Park, it comes as no shock that water actions take priority in the summertime months. “I like swimming, paddleboarding, or kayaking in Lake McDonald. The water is crystal clear, which lets you see the rocks [that] are actually rainbow coloured,” says Lorona. Needless to say the water can be chilly, so it’s greatest to train warning and keep away from swimming for extended durations of time. Baldassari additionally recommends “rafting on the Center Fork of the Flathead,” and there are a number of firms that supply guided raft journeys alongside the category two and three whitewater rapids.

Attempt to see the northern lights.

Glacier Nationwide Park is a licensed Worldwide Darkish Sky Park and the most effective locations to see the northern lights in the US. As a consequence of elevated photo voltaic exercise, the aurora borealis is meant to be notably robust in 2024 and 2025; park guests can put together for a light-night viewing in Apgar Village or Logan Go, or alongside the shorelines of St. Mary Lake or Lake McDonald.

Greatest Hikes

For those who’re going to Glacier Nationwide Park — dwelling to greater than 700 miles of mountaineering trails — you’ll need to pack numerous layers, water, and applicable footwear. You’ll want to analysis trails forward of time to pinpoint your superb sort of hike, because the park has every thing from straightforward out-and-back routes to more difficult in a single day routes.

Highline Path

“Probably the most beautiful hikes within the park is the Highline Path, however it’s 12 miles and never for the faint of coronary heart,” says Lorona. The precise distance you hike could differ, although, as there are a number of alternative ways to deal with the path. You may both full it as a one-way path — from the Logan Go Customer Middle to The Loop Trailhead, taking the shuttle again to your automotive — or as an out-and-back path; there’s additionally the choice to enterprise out to the Grinnell Glacier Overlook, which provides about 1.6 miles to your trek.

Avalanche Lake

“Avalanche Lake is a extra accessible hike for all ranges of health,” says Lorona. Just below six miles in size, the mountaineering path can be probably the most trafficked routes within the park; it’s really helpful to start out your hike earlier within the morning if you wish to discover parking.

Hidden Lake Overlook

“A straightforward, but beautiful view can be going to the Hidden Lake Overlook; it is a should,” says Baldassari. About 2.7 miles in complete, the route takes, on common, about an hour and 20 minutes to finish, and it’s recognized for its mountain goat sightings in the summertime months.

Different Mountain climbing Trails in Glacier Nationwide Park

DesRosier additionally suggests “getting off the highway onto a much less widespread path,” recommending Aster Park Overlook to Two Medication, Peigan Go to Siyeh Bend, and Ptarmigan Tunnel to Many Glacier.

Locations to Keep

Lodges and Lodges

“If you’re trying to keep instantly within the nationwide park and need a number of extra facilities, Many Glacier Resort is my favourite historic lodge,” says DesRosier. Lorona can be a fan of the 214-room property, which she says is “on the east aspect and situated proper on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake… discuss beautiful views.” Lake McDonald Lodge, which dates again to 1913, is one other nice possibility, with 82 visitor rooms, three eating choices, and modest but comfy facilities.

Historic Chalets

Two of the unique 9 chalets in-built Glacier Nationwide Park stay open as we speak for in a single day vacationers — and our consultants agree they’re a magical addition to any summer season journey.  “If you’re extraordinarily fortunate, and are up for some mountaineering, Sperry Chalet and Granite Park Chalet are once-in-a-lifetime experiences,” says DesRosier. Lorona notes that “getting a room may be troublesome as they promote out in a short time, however [it’s] so value it.” Reservations may be made on-line for each chalets. 

Campgrounds

Tenting generally is a extra reasonably priced lodging possibility, and Glacier is dwelling to over 1,000 tenting websites throughout 13 frontcountry campgrounds. Reserving a campsite is very really helpful, particularly if you happen to’re touring to Glacier anytime between June and early September; most campgrounds may be booked on Recreation.gov. Baldassari recommends Apgar Campground or St. Mary Campground, and Lorona is keen on “the backcountry campgrounds within the Stomach River space as a result of it feels off the crushed path.” Alternatively, says DesRosier, “If you’re tenting and are okay with being on the periphery of the park, you may have phenomenal views of the mountains and revel in much less crowded areas at any of the Blackfeet Tribal Campgrounds: Crimson Eagle, Chewing Black Bones, and Buffalo Calf.”

Locations to Eat

“There are very restricted choices inside the nationwide park,” says DesRosier, “however the eating room within the Glacier Park Lodge and [the] Prince of Wales Resort are particular highlights.” Or, as Lorona suggests, be at liberty to deliver a “picnic lunch [to eat] alongside a lake or waterfall or on prime of a peak.” Different eating places within the park embrace Eddie’s Café, Russell’s Fireplace Eating Room at Lake McDonald Lodge, and Nell’s at Swiftcurrent.

The variety of eating places and locations to eat will increase simply outdoors of the park. “If I had been to go to a restaurant, I’d go to Final Greatest Pizza proper outdoors the park’s west entrance if I wished one thing informal. If I used to be searching for one thing a bit of fancier, I’d do The Kitchen at Josephine’s Speakeasy in Coram,” says Lorona. Baldassari says one in all her favorites is the Sunflower Cafe at Glacier Campground by the park’s west entrance.