Information to Visiting Glacier Nationwide Park

Of all of the nationwide parks inside the USA, Glacier Nationwide Park stands out as one of many easiest — and thus one of the standard. Situated 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 climbing trails, wildlife sightings, and pockets of unparalleled quiet and peace within the park’s extra distant spots; others are there with the objective of driving the 50-mile-long Going-to-the-Solar Street.

Irrespective of your preferrred itinerary, one factor’s for certain: You’ll wish to arrive to Glacier Nationwide Park with at the least a primary understanding of the realm’s format and what to anticipate. And to give you a complete information to the park, we spoke to a couple native specialists.

Learn on to find every little thing you should know earlier than visiting Glacier Nationwide Park — together with tips about when to go to and the place to hike, eat, and keep.

Learn how to Get There

Glacier Park Worldwide Airport (FCA) in Kalispell, Montana is the closest main airport and a couple of 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 airplane. Upon arrival, a rental automotive shall be needed if you need the flexibleness and freedom to discover the park and surrounding space by yourself time.  Taking the practice 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 might 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 Street, “which may also help you keep away from parking hassles and nonetheless entry standard 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 Street — 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 Stunning move, which grants move holders entry to most U.S. nationwide parks, you’ll be all set on the doorway payment.

You’ll additionally wish to put aside at the least two days to see the park — although three to 5 will mean you can test off all the most important websites with out speeding. In spite of everything, says Lorona, “Montana is a giant state, and it takes over two hours to get from one facet 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 return in the hunt for the glaciers themselves. “Many individuals come to the park after which ask the place all of the glaciers are. Not a variety of vacationers are conscious that lots of the glaciers have melted away, leaving solely about 25 left within the park as we speak attributable to international 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 facet of Going-to-the-Solar Street.

As is the case for a lot of nationwide parks out west, wildlife is among the largest attracts. Throughout the park, there are bats, beavers, bighorn sheep, elk, mountain goats, wolverines, and, sure, bears. “Bears are frequent within the park. All the time carry bear spray and know how one can use it. Retailer meals correctly and pay attention to your environment, particularly when climbing,” says Baldassari. Guests also needs to brush up on the park’s wildlife security laws. That features staying at the least 75 toes from most wildlife (the likes of moose, deer, mountain goats, and elk) and at the 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 facet,” says Derek DesRosier, the overall supervisor of Solar Excursions. “All Tribes nonetheless apply some type of conventional and fashionable use of the panorama, and regardless 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 enchantment, actions, and variety of guests shift by the season. Summer time is, unsurprisingly, the most well-liked 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 situations for driving the Going-to-the-Solar Street and the potential of seeing purple asters and beargrass, amongst different wildflower species within the park. “I imagine the most effective time of 12 months 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 site visitors of July and August, however nonetheless drive your entire Going-to-the-Solar Street, 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 gorgeous 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 situations as you intend your journey.

Greatest Issues to Do

Drive Going-to-the-Solar Street.

If there’s one factor to test off your listing in Glacier Nationwide Park, it’s the 50-mile drive between West Glacier and St. Mary. “Driving Going-to-the-Solar Street 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 completely different as a result of it adjustments with the climate, mild, and time of day.” The route takes you by glacial lakes, waterfalls, statement factors, and even throughout Logan Cross, the best level on the highway and the placement the place it crosses the Continental Divide.

Discover the park on horseback.

“Glacier is now extra standard as a climbing park, however all the paths within the park have been initially based by way of 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 workforce gives a spread of journey sorts — 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 really 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. Take into account that the water shall be chilly, so it’s greatest to train warning and keep away from swimming for extended intervals 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 an authorized Worldwide Darkish Sky Park and top-of-the-line locations to see the northern lights in the USA. Resulting from 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 Cross, or alongside the shorelines of St. Mary Lake or Lake McDonald.

Greatest Hikes

For those who’re going to Glacier Nationwide Park — house to greater than 700 miles of climbing trails — you’ll wish to pack numerous layers, water, and acceptable footwear. Make sure to analysis trails forward of time to pinpoint your preferrred sort of hike, because the park has every little thing from simple out-and-back routes to tougher in a single day routes.

Highline Path

“Some of the gorgeous 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 other ways to deal with the path. You may both full it as a one-way path — from the Logan Cross Customer Heart 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. Slightly below six miles in size, the climbing path can be one of the trafficked routes within the park; it’s really useful to start out your hike earlier within the morning if you wish to discover parking.

Hidden Lake Overlook

“A simple, but attractive view can be going to the Hidden Lake Overlook; it is a should,” says Baldassari. About 2.7 miles in whole, the route takes, on common, about an hour and 20 minutes to finish, and it’s identified 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 standard path,” recommending Aster Park Overlook to Two Medication, Peigan Cross to Siyeh Bend, and Ptarmigan Tunnel to Many Glacier.

Locations to Keep

Inns and Lodges

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

Historic Chalets

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

Campgrounds

Tenting generally is a extra reasonably priced lodging possibility, and Glacier is house to over 1,000 tenting websites throughout 13 frontcountry campgrounds. Reserving a campsite is very really useful, particularly for those who’re touring to Glacier anytime between June and early September; most campgrounds might 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 overwhelmed 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: Purple Eagle, Chewing Black Bones, and Buffalo Calf.”

Locations to Eat

“There are very restricted choices throughout the nationwide park,” says DesRosier, “however the eating room within the Glacier Park Lodge and [the] Prince of Wales Lodge are particular highlights.” Or, as Lorona suggests, be happy to convey a “picnic lunch [to eat] alongside a lake or waterfall or on high of a peak.” Different eating places within the park embody Eddie’s Café, Russell’s Hearth 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 have been to go to a restaurant, I’d go to Final Greatest Pizza proper outdoors the park’s west entrance if I needed one thing informal. If I used to be in search of one thing a bit fancier, I’d do The Kitchen at Josephine’s Speakeasy in Coram,” says Lorona. Baldassari says certainly one of her favorites is the Sunflower Cafe at Glacier Campground by the park’s west entrance.