My girl friends and I did a week long road trip last July; stopping in the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone National Park, and Glacier National Park! Glacier was by far my favorite of the three. We spent 3 days there, but we absolutely could have stayed longer. There are SO many different hikes, the views are unreal, and it honestly feels like you're in another world. Below I am going to be sharing the different activities we booked, which hikes we did, where we stayed, and any other tips / recommendations I think you all might enjoy!
When To Visit
• Glacier National Park is open year round, but most businesses and services are only open during their summer season; which is late May - September. I wouldn't recommend going outside of summer season, since there wouldn't be too much to do or see. We went the first week of July and it was PERFECT weather. Not too hot, not too cold. Also remember you will need a National Park pass to enter! It is $35 per vehicle, or you can get an Annual National Park Pass for $80. This will get you into any US National Park for 12 months, so I recommend this option if you are planning to visit other National Parks :) You can purchase HERE.
Getting Around
• We rented a car for the week through Expedia, and had no issues at all! The rental car company was Alamo and they were great to use. I would highly recommend booking as SOON as you know you're going, because prices went up tremendously as the trip got closer!! We rented a mini van because it was the cheapest option, but it was honestly the best thing ever. We had so much space for our luggage, and everyone was super comfortable.
Activities To Do
• Kayak on Lake McDonald: If you know me, you know there is nothing I love more than being on the water... and WOW!!!! Lake McDonald is absolutely breathtaking. This was definitely one of my highlights from Glacier National Park and I would HIGHLY recommend it if you enjoy kayaking or being on the water. We booked 2 tandem kayaks for the 4 of us, and it was $76 per kayak for 4 hours! It was the perfect amount of time to kayak around and explore, but also just soak in the beauty around you. We started at 9:30 am, and it definitely got busier as the day went on. So I recommend starting early! My kayak buddy, Jessica, and I kayaked as far out as we could (making sure we had enough time to get back) and there was NOBODY around us. It was so peaceful and beautiful. We rented through Glacier Outfitters and they were great!
• Horseback Riding: We did horseback riding our first afternoon in Glacier and it was definitely a fun experience riding the horses, but I don't think I would do it again or recommend it. Or at least not the trail we did! Some of the longer trails looked really cool and had awesome views, but the one we did just trotted through the forest. We did the 2 hour C.M. Russell trail, and paid $90 each for the experience. We did spot a few wildlife throughout which was cool! We booked through Swan Mountain Glacier and they were really great and hospitable! So overall it was fun, but I personally didn't think it was a MUST DO in Glacier. I think your time could be better used doing another cool hike since there are so many :)
• Drive along Going-to-the-Sun" Road: This is the infamous road in Glacier National Park, and a definite MUST. You will drive along most of it anyways to get to different hikes, but make sure you drive the entire thing at some point and just soak in the views. The road is 50 miles long and CURVY, so just be prepared for that. It usually takes around 2 hours to drive the entire thing one way, but it can vary depending on how busy the park is and how many times you stop for photos / to soak in the incredible views!
Hikes To Do in Glacier National Park
• Iceburg Lake: The Iceburg Lake trailhead is located in the northern part of Glacier National park, known as the Many Glacier area. Your hike will start at the Ptarmigan Trail junction, and you can find parking nearby at the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn. This hike is pretty lengthy, but the incline is just gradual and not too steep; so it is actually a really nice hike! The only steep part is at the very beginning where there is a 250 foot climb. But after that it felt like smooth sailing! It is 9.3 miles out and back, but you will definitely want to spend time at the lake.. so I would give yourself at least 4 hours. A group told us there was a mama bear on the trail right when we started, so we waited for the all clear from the rangers before proceeding. We were SO glad we stuck it out because it was such a beautiful hike! But definitely bring your bear spray and bug spray, as these are both very common on this hike.
• Avalanche Lake: This is one of Glacier National Park's most popular hikes, so you will see plenty of other people on your journey. It is almost 6 miles out and back, and I would consider it moderate. You can either park your car at the Apgar Visitor Center and shuttle to the trailhead, or try to find parking at the Trail of the Cedars Parking area; which is along the Going To The Sun road. We did this hike later in the afternoon, around 4:30 pm, and lucked out with a parking spot! During busy times of the year though I've heard it can be a nightmare. You will then follow signs towards the Avalanche Lake trailhead, and from there you will begin your beautiful hike to Avalanche Lake!
• Grinnell Glacier: The Grinnell Glacier hike is also located in the Many Glaciers area in the northern part of the park. We were SUPER bummed we didn't get to do this hike, as I have heard SUCH amazing things about it. Unfortunately they had closed the trail due to a lot of bears the day before, and also some ice. The best time of year for this hike is August, but it is still doable during other summer months. It is a veryyy long hike (11.2 miles out and back) and can take around 6 hours to complete according to All Trails. They have also labeled it as "hard." But you will get to experience amazing views, waterfalls, lakes, wildlife, and the beautiful glacier! So if you're up for the challenge and the trail is open, I would highly recommend giving Grinnell Glacier a go! HERE you can find a great overview of this hike, along with some stunning photos!
• The Highline Trail: This was another trail that was highly recommended to us, but unfortunately we didn't have enough time to do it on our trip. It's 11.8 miles, and you will have INCREDIBLE views the entire time. There is even a .8 mile side trail that you can take to get a view of Grinnell Glacier, BUT that part is very steep & difficult! The rest of the trail seems to be a gradual up and down (according to AllTrails) so while it is long, it is definitely doable! I also want to note that there are some narrow parts, so be prepared for that if you are afraid of heights.
You will start the hike off of Going-To-The-Sun Road, across from the Logan Pass Visitors Center. However a lot of people recommend you park at The Loop, and take the free shuttle to Logans Pass. Below are some photos that my friend sent me from her hike on the Highline Trail!
Grinnell Glacier Overlook (via the Highline Trail):
Where To Stay
• Clear Sky Resorts ($$): We stayed at Clear Sky Resorts and had a really great experience! I will say there are some not great reviews online, so not sure if they have had more issues recently or if we just lucked out! But we really enjoyed our "glamping" experience. We stayed in the 4 person sky dome, and there was a fireplace inside of the dome and complimentary robes + s'mores! It was a cozy spot to come back to after hiking and exploring all day! I will say the setup isn't as remote as it appears online.. It is right off of the highway, and the domes are pretty close together. So you don't have too much privacy, but we still thought it was a super fun concept! It's about a 20 minute drive to the west entrance of Glacier NP.
• Glacier National Park Lodging ($$-$$$): If you are able to book in advance and snag a room inside the park, I would absolutely say to do this! We saw Village Inn at Apgar while kayaking on Lake McDonald and it was SUCH a great location; right on the water. We also visited Many Glacier Hotel (pictured below) in the northern part of GNP, which is where some of the bigger hikes are! The hotel is STUNNING and also on the water. It seems like it may be pretty difficult to snag a room though, so definitely look far in advance!
• Hotel in Columbia Falls ($-$$): Also located about 20 minutes from the West Entrance is Columbia Falls, which has a good bit of hotels to choose from! A few good options I found with good reviews are Wonderstone (looks a little more modern + recently renovated), Meadow Lake Inn, and North Forty Resort which has individual cabins! They have 1, 2, or 3 bedroom cabins depending on the size of your crew, and even a glamping tent! North Forty is a bit further, but still only 27 minutes from the west entrance.
• Airbnb Rental: You can never go wrong with an airbnb rental, and luckily there are some great options near Glacier National Park; hosting anywhere from 2 - 16 guests! They are similarly priced in comparison to the hotels as well! So this could be a great option for larger families or groups!
Additional Tips
• BOOK EARLY!! I know I've mentioned this multiple times already, but figured I would re-iterate it one last time ;)
• Bring bear spray on all of your hikes! You can bring some from home or purchase it in the park, but this is a MUST considering you are in bear country. Luckily we never had to use ours, but you definitely want to have some on hand. Also be sure to make a lot of noise while hiking
• Eat alllll the huckleberry. I'm talking huckleberry pie, huckleberry ice cream, huckleberry margaritas.. You name it, they probably make it with huckleberry 😂 It is a staple around Glacier National Park, and it is very tasty!
I hope you have a blast exploring Glacier National Park! Feel free to DM or email me any questions, & be sure to tag me in your photos if you do anything from our itinerary! @freshprinceofbuhlaire
Xo,
Blaire
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