Glacier Natl Park

Just depends on how warm it is at night? We never go without bug spray! My wife has some natural stuff that works good, not sure where she stashed it? I’d ask but she’s in bed with Covid right now! So I’m not gonna wake the bear!

 

Make sure if plan a hiking trip to bring a life straw, a reliable fire starter, and food for at least 2 extra days than you plan for! People often get lost or injured. Even a day hike you still should pack for 2-3 days!

 

Still is!!

 

AARon, that's our plan, keeping the cooler in the truck during the day, so we can picnic, make our own lunches, and keep the drinks cold. That way, we're not buying food/water every single day! Good tip on the timing for sites. I definitely intend to get these kids up early, as it's a long drive to be waking up on a teenager's schedule!!! I want to see the stuff as much as my kid does, so "Reveille reveille reveille...time for chow and let's hit the road!"

 

I keep all of this in my pack, as well as a Garmin Inreach mini, and I have OnX (for hunting) that I use it to track my hiking. I also carry a portable solar powered battery with a cord, paracord, a multi-tool, headlamp, extra pair socks (you never know) and first aid kit. With OnX and my garmin, I know I can always backtrack my hike. Life straw, extra water, fire starter/Bic lighter (more than one source because...you never know), a space blanket for each of us, and a couple clif bars/beef jerky are bare minimum for me. Or an MRE...but I prefer to take a shit daily, so I won't make the kids suffer...

 

Can't get a better write up than this Quite impressed actually.

 

Thank you, yeah, my main concern is whether it will open. Reservations on recreation.gov do not open until end of January and as usual, the rolling 6-month reservation system. I'll be logging on at midnight with six computers to try and grab a camp ground but as we all know, it's still a crap shoot. If it's closed due to COVID, then that pretty much answers all my questions. The camp sites I'm looking at all allow tent camping. And I have a few cans of bear spray, for hunting, so I'm not really worried about that. Just use a bear locker. Never understood why people don't use them and get their stuff destroyed. Sometimes, their cars!

As far as the treacherous roads, we may take one day and do the red bus. I'll let the pros do the driving. We're just going to do as many hikes as my knees will allow. Thanks again for all the useful info. I'll be looking into at least one ranger led hike. Great idea.

 

How did you get reservations for Glacier this far in advance? I thought camp sites was 6-months at the earliest? Or are you staying in a hotel?

 

Making a trip with the family this summer but just hitting up grand tetons and Yellowstone. Going to need a separate trip for Glacier. Hope your trip goes well!

 

Staying in West Glacier at the Moose Creek RV Resort. I have a 32’ travel trailer so we really don’t fit camping inside the national parks. It’s only about 3 miles from the park entrance. Did a similar thing at Yellowstone last August, stayed at the Grizzly RV Park that was probably less than 2 miles from the West entrance.

 

We're tent camping, and just in case I can't get a spot where we want, I just reserved a camp ground at Glacier Campground in West Glacier. Hope it's not like a KOA....

 

At least it appears to be in the woods more than a KOA would be. Nice to have a plan B in case you can’t get what you really want in the park!

 

That's for the info about Glacier campground. As far as hikes, I was hoping to get a tent camp ground at Many Glacier campground. I know it'll be luck-based, but it's centralized to what my daughter wants to do, and the hiking right from our camp. If not, then we'll do things from Glacier campground for a few days, and get up super early on a few days to get to the east side so that we can find parking.

As far as rude campers, it's amazing what the wind and some bear spray can do...

 

I think others have addressed the camping options for Glacier quite well, so I thought I'd give some hiking options instead.

If you're in the Many Glacier area, definitely hike the trail to Grinnell Lake and Grinnell Glacier (or what's left of it, at least). Another good hike is the Iceberg Lake trail (though it is usually busy). Hiking up Swiftcurrent Creek towards the pass takes you past several nice lakes for sightseeing and fishing, too. There is also the Cracker Lake trail, which I understand is not as popular as some of the others.

If you're over in the St. Mary area, I do recommend hiking to St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls. Not a long hike, but interesting nonetheless.

In the Two Medicine, you have a large amount of possible trails to hike. Cobalt Lake is one I want to do here in the near future (assuming that part of the park opens this year). You can hike around Two Medicine Lake and up to the Upper Two Medicine as well. Aster Falls is another nice little hike (what can I say...I love the park's waterfalls).

I haven't hiked too much on the western side of the park (I like the east side much better). Avalanche Lake near Lake McDonald is a nice, albeit very very popular hike. I've heard the Sperry Chalet hike is great, too, but haven't done it myself.

Don't expect to be able to park at Logan Pass. It's usually full by 7 am and stays that way till about 3 pm in my experience. This is why I do not like the Going-to-the-Sun Highway at all. I love the views form along the road...but there isn't usually anywhere to stop, so you basically have to keep moving from about Avalanche on the west side to Rising Sun on the east side.

With half the park closed last year, even the formerly quiet areas on the west side of the park were very crowded, from what I saw when I tried to go up last summer. I'd expect the same this year, if the east side remains closed.

If the border to Canada opens this year, you might consider a side trip to Waterton. Others did not recommend it, but I do. It seems to be quieter than Glacier (though it is quite a bit smaller).

Just a few things I wanted to share. Hopefully more of the park does open this year, but if not, it's not like it will stay closed forever!

 

I've heard estimates of about 2 hours. But planning on a couple early wake ups to get parking, if we end up on the west side camp ground.

 

Thanks for the info, all. We postponed a trip that was scheduled for August '20 to July '21 due to the closures. Fingers crossed it works out this time.

 

Nice place to camp in Glacier is Apgar CG at West Glacier at the west end of Lake McDonald. Nice wooded sites but no electricity. A great hike is along the garden wall(the high line trail) from Logan Pass to the Granite Park chalet. 7.5 miles, not much elevation gain, spectacular scenery. From the chalet, two choices - take the 4 mile hike down to the Going to the Sun road loop or return on the high line trail to Logan Pass. The hike down to the loop is in the trees, warm and not very scenic. I recommend the return to Logan Pass. The Logan Pass parking area is always very crowded - ask the rangers the best time to get there. You can probably take one of the shuttle buses up there from West Glacier.

 

So reviving this thread because we're leaving in about a week (8/6/21). Driving to West Glacier campground and arriving on Sat night. Hikes planned around Lake McDonald for four straight days. If I didn't say so already, we're skipping Yellowstone and doing the entire week at Glacier. I do not have a vehicle pass, just park passes. I know if I enter before 0600, I don't need the vehicle pass, and the campground is outside of the park, but only about a mile away. Any recommendations on what time I need to be at the entrance, in order to get in before 0600? I'm assuming if I'm up by 0430, getting things packed, and get the girls up by 0500, with about a 15 min drive to the entrance, that should be enough??? We'd have all our packs and stuff packed the night before, and hiking clothes in the truck. I'd literally have them get into the truck in their PJ's. Sleep until we get to the trail head if needed.

Thoughts on this plan? Earlier or am I being to drill instructor-ish? ha ha ha

 

I hope you have an awesome trip. We were in Montana last week and the smoke was really bad (Livingston, Gardiner, Bozeman, West Yellowstone, Red Lodge, Hamilton, Missoula, Thompson Falls). Did not clear up until we got 20 miles west of Thompson falls and is currently clear in Northern Idaho. Hope the park is clear for you.

 

Sounds like a great trip. Have fun. We've been talking about Glacier or the Grand Canyon for next year.

 

Any chance there are vehicle passes still available? I got mine for the end of August 60 days out but I know they are releasing more just before the entrance dates. The driving pass is good for a week and I think it was only a few bucks.

 

Thanks for that info. Yeah I've been wondering about the fires.

AARon, you can obtain them two days before so I will try and apply. However, getting in early has its perks. Parking at the trailheads

 

As @kevine0001 said, they open them 2 days ahead (8AM local time I believe?). Coincidentally we'll be in Glacier next week (8/3-4), then doing a loop through North Cascades, Olympic, Mt Rainier; then back to ID for some BDR fun and Craters of the Moon, then finishing it up with Yellowstone/Grand Teton by the 14th

 

By chance, anyone know if there's cell reception in the park? Service is with AT&T. I'll be taking my handheld ham radios for me and my daughter, and I have a Garmin Inreach, but curious if there's any service up there. I'll be in West Glacier so elevation isn't a huge issue. Thanks

 

@kevine0001 - Have a great time! Glacier is a trip that the wife and I have talked about for years, but haven't made it yet due to health issues.

If you need anything in/around the SLC area, just let me know.

-Scott

 

thank you! Just crashing at a hotel in Salt Lake City on the way up there, and on the way back. If you see a very tired looking guy in a white tundra getting gas, that’s me.

 

Was in the area today.. smoke wasn’t bad at all.. But new fires could start anytime? Most of the fires are to the South and South East for now. If getting into the park becomes a problem? Head for Polebridge?
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