Way OT - Visting Glacier National Park
I've always been very impressed with the experiences and advice of Mgo travelers so I hope I'm not too out of bounds asking for a little off season advice on traveling to Glacier National Park this summer. For those that have been there, what suggestions do you have for where to stay, what to do and/or avoid, and what are the best hikes?
The Mgo wife is not able to go, so it will just be me and my two college age boys. I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions.
Wishing everyone a happy 4th!
I was there last in 06, so I can't remember all the names of things.
But "Avalanche Lake" hike is incredible (just look it up - it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been).
And also take a tour guide up Going to the Sun road.
I was 13 when I was there so unfortunately I can't give the greatest advice. But those two things have stuck with me for the past 13 years, so I'd say definitely do those two things
I know my family stayed at the Lake McDonald lodge which we enjoyed a lot. I have no idea about what other places could be better, cheaper, etc. But I know it was a beautiful place to stay
I'm jealous. It's on my bucket list.
I'm visiting Luna Pier.
It’s a great hike. Can’t go wrong. Enjoy.
So much I love about that place! Can't miss the highline trail at the summit of the Going to the Sun road (http://www.hikinginglacier.com/highline-loop.htm). There's a spur that'll take you up to the Grinnell glacier overlook - super steep but actually the easiest way to see an actual Glacier in the park.
How long will you be there? All hotel/motel or some camping? Level of hiking experience?
We’ll be there for about a week in the middle of August.
As for hiking, last year we went to Zion and did Angels Landing and Observation Point in the same day. Which as I recall totaled about 13-14 miles and about 4,000 feet of elevation change. We’ve done many other hikes but that’s about the most rigorous day I can remember. My sons have talked about possibly doing some over night hikes in Glacier.
Sounds like fitness shouldn't be a problem then - just make sure you have water, sunscreen, and some layers. The normal stuff.
If you are feeling up for it and can get a campsite, I would definitely recommend at least one overnight hike - there's a lot you can't see on a day hike, especially in the northern part of the park. We spent nearly a week in the northeast corner and absolutely loved it; saw plenty of sheep and goats, and three grizzlies.
Also, a few comments below recommending chatting with the rangers when you arrive and I could not agree more! They know the park intimately, the current conditions, and where they have already sent a bunch of people for the day.
I worked there for a summer back in college and have visited many times since. How active are you and your sons? Exactly when are you going? Some of the best trails are not accessible until August.
We’ll be there the middle of August for about a week.
All three of us are fairly active, athletic and in decent shape.
Here are some of my recommendations. I’ll try log back on from a laptop later tonight to provide more details.
Cracker Lake hike
continental divide hike (need two cars for this one or find a ride to take you back to starting point.)
Ptarmigan tunnel hike
Summit Mt Siyeh if you are feeling a little adventurous. Not too hard, but not a well marked trail.
If you are up for an overnight hike Hole in the Wall is great that time of year.
Iceberg lake is another good one though better a little earlier in season.
We did a couple night backpack way up in the northeast corner of the park. I can't remember the trail name, but you could see Canada from the parking lot. I think we stayed at Cosley lake and then along the river on the way back. It was very quiet and crazy beautiful. I scared off a bear too, nbd.
We also did the boat tour of St Mary's Lake. That was cool to nerd out on while I was hungover from Great Northern Brewery in Whitefish.\
Bring binoculars to check out the bears on the ridges.
Just a quick word of warning about road closures vs when you go.
Probably won't matter because I assume you're going later, but we were there a year ago today (Jul 3). Going-To-The-Sun road was not open all the way yet, and they don't update their website often so we had no way to know.
Rangers turned us around and made us go back when we hit Avalanche.
Still well worth the trip since the whole thing is spectacular, but not knowing and getting turned around was disappointing.
Highly recommend the North Forty Resort outside Kalispell. Almost like glamping, i.e. modern cabin w AC, cable, etc. Great location for staying in the area. Maybe you get a discount if you say the Lehmans sent ya ;)
Going to the Sun road is Glacier's big attraction so I definitely recommend that. Howe Ridge, right next to Lake McDonald in West Glacier, had a big fire last year so it's a recovery year for that area. Logan Pass is gorgeous and a good place to spot Grizzlies and the highest elevation in the park (only 6500 ft though). Parking fills up there so try to take a shuttle. There are mountain goats at hidden lake which is a trail off Logan Pass. I like the hiking there. West Glacier was shut down for a lot of last year because of the fire so the landscape will be unique and probably a lot of wildflowers, but not as many animals. Enjoy the views, especially sunrise! And if youre hiking then get bear spray when you arrive.
Wolverines rule at Glacier National Park! All the more reason to include the park on my must-visit list.
BTW, OP, if you are planning to cross the border into adjoining Watertown Lakes National Park in Canada, make sure you have valid passports or NEXUS cards for you and your sons.
There are woodland bison in Waterton, I think it's the only place in the world
Haven't ever been there, but as a dad of young children, three of whom are boys, this is the sort of trip I'm most looking forward to when they're teenagers and beyond. Nothing like a men's family trip to the wilderness.
These OT posts are really getting old. More football please! At least keep them sports related.
You don't have to click, read, and contribute to every single post...
I don’t contribute to or read every post. I come here for the great Michigan content, it just seems flooded with useless, non sports related topics that dilute the main focus of the blog.
Ya know what's getting old?! Stupid fucking people. But we're not seeking you out, knocking on your door to tell you. This is much more of an ideal thread than (no offense to WD) a post telling us how women's Crew competed against rivals this season.
I would have to disagree, WD posting about Michigan athletics is more relevant than any OT post unrelated to sports. Cheers!
Hi, welcome to Mgoblog. You will find many people who share your passion for all things Michigan sports.
You may also find that it is early July, and there is very little in the way of sports topics to talk about. Football training camp had not commenced. No press conferences are taking place.
You will note that certain posted topics carry the prefix “OT.” OT means “off topic,” and is explicitly intended for topics of this nature. It turns out that many people with a passion for Michigan sports also share other interests and enjoy talking about them.
If this discourages you, take heart: “OT season” is an actual thing that ends in late August at the cusp of football season, at which point there will be no room for topics like this because there are too many topics discussing sports.
Good news, though: you don’t have to wait for football season to talk about Michigan sports! If you have original thoughts of your own, you are free to contribute those. There are many front page and board posts that make it possible to do so. If the conversation level doesn’t satisfy you, make it better.
Again, welcome to Mgoblog, and thanks for joining.
You forgot to add that if he/she keeps posting shit-takes, he/she won't meet the requisite point total needed to start a sports-related post ;)
And if travel is a passion enough "shit-takes" and one could win a free trip to Boliva. It really is a pretty cool site, this MGoblog thingy.
+1 Thank you SJRK for taking the high road
You didn’t see anything wrong with the OT post back in June about National Bourbon Day: What’s Your Favorite Pour? which you commented on with no criticism. If there’s any kind of OT post here that’s repetitive and has nothing to do with Michigan sports, it’s the booze posts. Which you’re apparently fine with.
IOW, you’re a hypocrite.
Regardless of what you choose, I highly suggest downloading AllTrails app. It works offline, pinpoint live GPS, and the pro comes with several map overlays. Just a good confidence booster when you're out in the back country if that's the sorta thing you're trying to do. You can also use it to explore trail options, whether you're the out and back type or planning to get into the backcountry.
Last summer, a few buddies of mine did the Hole in the Wall, and this website: http://enjoyyourparks.com/glacierbrownpass.html has a good description of what you are in for.
As with many backcountry hikes, you meet with the park rangers for an orientation before you set out and they'll give you more precise recommendations. This type of thing is for experienced groups only and I strongly suggest you know what you are doing as far as meal planning, what to do when/if you see a bear or moose, navigation, camping, weather issues, backcountry first aid, etc.
Have fun be safe!
Notice how the signs declaring that the glaciers would be gone by 2020 were quietly removed and that the glaciers have actually expanded in size.
Roger Roots
Just last year, officials at Glacier National Park were displaying signs and brochures predicting that all glaciers in the Park would disappear by 2020 (or 2030). Now the Park Service is scrambling to remove the signs without their visitors noticing. The new signs are more nuanced and claim that everyone agrees the glaciers are melting. This is not true; most of the famous glaciers in the Park have slightly grown in recent years. (The pic below shows the sign as it was last year; the video was taken a few days ago.)
https://dailycaller.com/2019/06/07/national-park-glacier-warnings/
I did not expect to find Facebook-style fake news stories on MGoBlog...
Avoid the Facebook link and click above for the hard data points from the USGS and draw your own conclusions.
Pay attention to the wildfire situation, especially in August and September. Last year was bad. Whitefish and Kalispell have good drinking options if you get thirsty.
two things not mentioned yet.
1. take your fly rods. there are some really neat places to fish in and around the park, some water that you just can't touch most anywhere else in the lower 48.
2. its been years, but the parks had gotten weird about guns so i can only guess they are banned altogether right now. i mention that b/c they've had a few hikers unfortunately end up on the griz menu even in the last couple of years. be bear-safe. we joke about carrying bear spray that you are just pre-seasoning yourself, but hey, if that's all they'll let you do then i suggest you take it.
Any particular water you recommend?
There are several rivers, but the most celebrated are the north and middle forks of the Flathead River. If you go, get a guide. I made the mistake of not taking a guide on the Gallatin and only catching one fish. The next time, I took a guide and I really learned what to do.
i don't have any specific recommendations about the rivers as i haven't fished them in years and current knowledge would be far superior. i do echo pdxwolverine's comment though about getting a guide - i probably should've mentioned that in my first post. get the guide to show you the rivers and what they are most likely to be hitting on. spend the money for the day or even a half day, then the rest of the time you can almost always go without.
regardless, enjoy. i have been a number of times over the years with most of my kids and i have very fond memories of the park and what it represented in terms of times and seasons of our lives.
If you possibly can, stay at one of the park lodges. All are good, but my favorites are the Glacier Lodge and the Prince of Wales hotel, in the Canadian section. The latter is a throwback to the 1800’s.
college age boys can consider one of the signature hikes, the Dawson-Pitamakin Trail (a 20 mile trek through the mountains and lakes). They’d need to be in good shape. My son and his friend did that one. It takes all day (10+ hours), but the boys got memories of a lifetime. My brother and I were in no shape for such a trek, so we didn’t try.
The Hidden Lake hike, which starts in the middle of the Going-to-the-Sun road, is great - it was covered in snow in July a few years ago, but we were in shorts.
i’d go Back to Glacier in a heartbeat. Have a great trip.
t
+1 for Dawson-Pitamakin. You need to be in good shape and it's pretty much all day. We saw a female cougar with kittens on the trail. Awesome. You have a good chance at seeing a wolverine...and of course a grizzly.
+1 for Dawson-Pitamakin. You need to be in good shape and it's pretty much all day. We saw a female cougar with kittens on the trail. Awesome. You have a good chance at seeing a wolverine...and of course a grizzly.
Are you hikers? Take the trail through Ptarmagin Tunnel down to Elizabeth Lake. Camp there for the night (it’s a primitive campground) hike back out. Spectacular view https://getinspiredeveryday.com/adventure/ptarmigan-tunnel/
Sectacular hike, not easy.
Damn, that's beautiful!
I grew up in MT and, unless you are a hard-core hiker, you can run out of things to do in Glacier. The Going-to-the-Sun Road and Lake McDonald are spectacular, but you have to hike to most everything else (and vast portions of the park are inaccessible).
My strong advice would be to take 2-3 days and go to Waterton Lakes National Park, just north of Glacier in Canada. It is a gem of a park with lots of lakes, beautiful views and easy day hikes. Waterton Township is a cute little town and the Prince of Wales Hotel, just outside of town, is iconic. Be sure to take a boat ride across the lake, but bring your passport. You cross back across the border into the US and the Rangers set up a remote, impromptu passport control. On the US side, there is a great short hike over there with a scary-but-safe suspension bridge and also longer hikes into Glacier.
Writing this comment really makes me want to go back. Have fun!
I went there as a kid. Good experience. Saw a Hoary Marmot.
I live here. Depending on your hiking experience there are so many great hikes. Near Many Glacier there is Ptarmigan Tunnel and Iceberg Lake. Other have mentioned Avalanche. Grinnel Glacier is another great one. There are some up the North Fork area near Lake Kintla and Bowman Lake. Get bear spray for everyone. Have seen a few in my time, both grizzlies and black bears. Never had to use the spray but always glad I had it. Are you camping? Backpacking? Lodging?
What kind of hikes are you looking for? Lots of different levels you can find.
Regardless of that the high line trail is an absolute must do. Start from the top and hike down the trail back to the going to the sun road. Then catch a bus back to the top. Spectacular views out over the mountain edges that you’ll never regret. The small side trail off to the garden wall is an absolute must to look out over the other side of the mountain range and down onto some great glaciers.
I LOVE this thread.
This summer I'll be hitting 4 National Parks. Every summer I go on a new trip. I've surprassed the halfway point and Glacier is the biggest/most popular remaining park in the continental 48 that I have not visited. 18 more to go before finding ways to Alaska and Hawaii!
If you’ve got the ability and stamina do Dawson-Pitamaken loop. It’s spectacular
Glacier is incredible. Drive in from the West, hike in from the East. Be prepared to repeatedly see natural wonder you've never seen before. Hike with bear bells and bear spray. Talk to the park rangers, they're extremely knowledgeable and they are all really decent people.
If you're hiking over snow, be aware that the snow melts from both the top and the bottom , so you may end up standing on a little ice dome. Those domes will eventually cave in, and if it happens with you on it, you may acquire a leg injury and need ranger assistance. I was there once just after they opened the upper portion of the main road, and there were a few cases where people fell through when they ventured off the known safe areas. If you park at the peak of that road, there are a few amazing hikes, one goes up to a hidden lake after a bit of good snow climbing.
Have fun you lucky dog!
Two small additions to the great suggestions thus far.
One, drive the full length of Going to the Sun Road yourself -- no need for a tour situation. And start pre dawn. You'll have the road to yourself for several hours and sunrises will stick in your boys' minds for the rest of their lives. Bring binoculars because the sightlines at the pull-offs go on for miles and are full of things you don't see with the naked eye -- like mountain goats high on the mountainsides, eagles soaring over the valleys miles below you.
Two, if you are going to fish, try the North Fork of the Flathead on the far west side of the park. Crystal clear, deep holes, and full of cutthroats that will readily take dry flies or, if you don't fly fish, small spinners. Even if you don't fish (NTTAWWD), that side of the park is great because it is the least visited, very remote, lots of lush wild meadows and herds of elk and wildflowers like you cannot imagine.
As a forest fire fighter stationed on the Flathead National Forest, I regarded Glacier National Park as mostly a place for beer and women.
However, presuming that's not your goal on this trip, consider avoiding crowds at popular sites, to explore other places, like M-Lemon's suggestion of Canada's Waterton Park to the north or Flathead to the west. After all, park boundaries are only artificial lines on the same landscape.
P.S. Shoveling snow on July 4! Before the Flathead, I was on a fire crew based in Oregon's Umpqua National Forest, and with no fires on the Fourth of July, we spent the day shoveling snow to clear a road. (Some of us were naked but/t that's another story.)
Sucks to be wifeless but hey! you''ll just have to suck it up and make do. Parteee!!!!
Oh yeah take some heavier clothes.