elizabethadventuresblogGlacier National Park is without a doubt my favorite park of the twenty-five I have been to so far. Glacier is filled with endless alpine lakes, turquoise waters, colorful rocks, abundant wildlife and some of the most amazing hiking in the United States. The views truly just get better around every corner.
Before making a trip to Glacier National Park, there are a few things you need to know. Below I will be sharing some things I research about prior to my trip as well as some important things I learned while there. Being able to talk to rangers and experience things firsthand truly help make the visit more enjoyable. This is a National Park you don’t want to just visit without being properly educated on what to expect. Because my biggest take-away from this park is that you just can’t expect. Every day could be different and having backup plans and flexibility is key to exploring Glacier.
Entering Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park is a United States National Park, therefore you will need an entrance pass. There are two options when purchasing a pass: a weekly pass and a yearly pass. Passes can be purchased at the gate entrance, but it is faster to purchase them prior at your local recreation store, like REI or online.
The yearly passes are called “America The Beautiful” passes. They not only get you into all U.S. National Parks for the year, but federal lands and monuments as well. If you plan to hike or travel more during the year, it is the best options. Weekly passes cover one car and 4 people for a 7-day period. Passes are $35 and can be purchased in advance or at the gate, in store or online as well. Entrance gates often have lines, so purchasing any pass in advance will help move the entrance process along for everyone.
Learn more about the various pass options and obtaining one here.
Various Sections of Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park covers 1 million acres of mountain terrain. You could spend years here and still not see all there is to see. Knowing how Glacier is broken up into areas will help you determine where you want to spend your time. The two main terms used to describe areas of the park are West Glacier and East Glacier. Within these two sides of the park are smaller areas as well. Logan Pass is located near the center of Going-to-the-Sun road and connects the East and West side of the park. It is easily one of the most beautiful drives in the United States.
Below I’ll share what to expect from each of these sections and hopefully help you figure out where you want to go. The Glacier Park Collection site is an amazing resource for finding maps of each of these areas, and you can find it here.
West Glacier
West Glacier is the busiest section of the park because of its proximity to larger towns, hotel accommodations/campgrounds and the larger park visitor areas. There is a large mix of backcountry trails as well as popular front country trails along the Going-to-the-Sun road up to Logan’s Pass.
Lake McDonald
Lake McDonald is the most visited section of the park. It is where a majority of the restaurants, campgrounds and various amenities within and near the park are located. Lake McDonald itself is one of the park’s iconic spots for boating and enjoying the views of the park. The Going-to-the-Sun road begins at the Apgar Entrance near the lake.
There are multiple gas stations outside the park as well as one near the entrance. This area has the most hotel accommodations and campgrounds, so it is the busiest entrance. This entrance will have longer wait times than others due to the higher number of people using it. There are plenty of family friendly trails as well as trails that connect to backcountry hiking throughout this area.
Polebridge
Polebridge is located in the northwest section of the park. There are two front country lakes and campgrounds, but a majority of this area is backcountry. Many people go here for backpacking and to escape some of the crowds. This is an area of the park I have not been to yet but hope to backpack and explore more.
East Glacier
East Glacier is from Logan’s Pass at the top of Going-to-the-Sun road to the east border of the park. It includes the areas of Saint Mary, Two Medicine and Many Glacier, as well as the entrance to Waterton Lakes National Park. East Glacier had some of my absolute favorite hikes and areas of the park. This section of the park is actually where I saw all of the 17 bears I saw on my trip as well as many other animals found throughout Glacier! If you’re wanting to see wildlife, be sure to explore East Glacier.
Saint Mary
Saint Mary is a small town just outside the east entrance to the Going-to-the-Sun road. It sits at the border of the park and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. There are a few restaurants, markets, campgrounds, lodges, and gas stations here. This section of the park has Saint Mary Lake with a water ferry, campgrounds, and plenty of hiking trails. There were multiple shorter waterfall hikes as well as a junction for the Continental Divide Trail, which leads to a handful of alpine lakes. This is also where you can find one of the visitor centers and permit stations, just past the entrance gates.
This section of Going-to-the-Sun road is where I saw a handful of the bears I saw on this trip. There are large meadows as you get lower in elevation as well as a large burn scar where if you pull off or keep a close eye out, you may spot some too. I didn’t hike much in this area, but did camp three nights in the town of Saint Mary. I would love to do some of the waterfall hikes and lakes in this area on my next trip to the park.
Many Glacier
Many Glacier is located north of Saint Mary about 30 minutes and was easily my favorite part of the park to explore. This is where Swiftcurrent Lake and Many Glacier Hotel are located. The road in is a gravel road, but easily drivable for any car. There are ferry boats, countless glacier and alpine lake trails, a campground and small store. There is no gas station here so be sure to have a full tank of gas.
Swiftcurrent Lake is the smallest of the lakes you can paddle on in the park and easily has the best view. The hike here takes visitors to some of the many alpine lakes where you can see the glaciers surrounding them. It also has trails that connect to the other areas of the park. You will be sure to have a bear sighting in this area of the park as well. I saw multiple on trail as well as on the side of the road and out paddling the lake! Besides the Going-to-the-Sun corridor, this is easily the next most popular area of the park.
Two Medicine
Two Medicine is located in the southeast section of the park. It isn’t as popular and busy as some of the other areas of the park, but definitely worth a visit if you have the time or are going to be in the area. The road to Two Medicine Lake is a gravel road, but drivable for any car type. There is no gas station in this section of the park, so be sure to go with a full tank. There is a small market at Two Medicine Lake.
Two Medicine Lake has a water ferry, a campground and hikes for all skill levels. There are multiple smaller lakes to explore and some waterfall hikes in this area. The mountains and lakes aren’t as grand as the northern section of the park, but it is still a beautiful place and quieter if you’re looking for less crowds.
Waterton National Park
Glacier National Park actually stretches into Canada and shares a border with Waterton Lakes National Park. You can access this small park via the east side of the park. You will need a passport or passport card as well as meeting any current requirements for travel set in place by Canada to enter. I did not venture to this section of Glacier because I didn’t have time, but hope to go back someday.
Glacier National Park Permits:
Let’s talk about permits! Glacier National Park has permits for multiple activities throughout the park. Two of them I was aware of, and was able to snag my permits months and even days prior to the start of the trip. The third permit, watercraft permits, was something I hadn’t expected and learned more about while in the park. Below I will cover the three main permit systems throughout the park and everything you need to know about them.
Going to the Sun Road 3-Day Permit
This is a permit that has only been around for a few years. Permits were first implemented during Covid. It is a system that will most likely remain in place because I’ve seen firsthand the improvements they have brought to the parks. With that said, it could be a permit that eventually ends as well.
Going-to-the-Sun road is the main road that connects West Glacier to the east side of the park. It is an extremely popular road not only because of its access, but because of the absolute beauty of the road. It takes you up Logan Pass where you can enjoy views of mountain peaks and valleys below for miles. There are also countless trails as well as a visitor center off this road. When going to Glacier National Park, this is the road most visitors want to drive and explore off of.
Although you can hike and explore Glacier without a permit in all the other areas, you will need to obtain a 3-day vehicle permit to drive Going-to-the-Sun road between May 27 through September 11, 2022, from 6am to 4pm. If you are unable to get a permit and want to drive through here, you can do so without a permit after 4pm. Going-to-the-Sun road closes nightly between 10pm-6am. If you have a reservation for lodging or a campground off Going-to-the-Sun, you will not need a permit for the days you are camping there. Access to the road comes with the campsite reservation.
After entering the park, there are checkpoints at both ends of the road where you will need to show this permit or they will turn you around. Make sure you have a copy downloaded or a screenshot of it prior to going since you most likely won’t have service.
How to Get the Permit?
You can get a Going-to-the-Sun road 3-day vehicle permit by creating a recreation.gov account. Once you have an account created, go to the “Going-to-the-Sun” permit page. This is where you will get early access permit as well as day before permits.
Essentially the permit is good for three consecutive days starting with the first date shown. If you want to start entering the park on August 5th, you will get a permit for August 5th. The permit will then allow you to also enter this area on August 6th and 7th. If you are wanting to continue to have access past those three dates, you will have to obtain another permit starting the next day you want access.
There are two ways to snag a permit. The first is by reserving a permit 120 days in advance or the date you wish to enter. If you want to drive the road on August 5th you will want to log in at 7am MST 120 days in advance to try and get a permit. If you are unsuccessful or miss the deadline for the early permits, you still have a chance. Remaining permits are released at 7am MST the day prior. So for an August 5th entry you will want to log in on August 4th to try and win a permit.
I was able to get two of my needed permits in advance thankfully. I needed to get one more though so I had to do the day prior permits. This was one of the most stressful permits I’ve had to attempt. Every release day there are 921 Going-to-the-Sun road permits available. This seems like a lot. I was logged in prior to the release time and had two accounts ready to snag a permit. I kept adding them to my cart but every time I ended up with a pop up box stating the site was too busy and couldn’t reserve my permit!
In a matter of 2-3 minutes it showed 921 permits down to 73 available permits. I was feeling stressed and extremely frustrated. Luckily I was able to finally get one to load at 73 left, but be prepared for chaos and just keep refreshing. If you are going with someone else, make sure they are also up, logged in and trying to obtain a permit. You can let the other one know when one of you is successful so only one person books a permit.
If you want to learn more about Going-to-the-Sun road, the permit system and see a map fo the area, click here.
Glacier National Park Backcountry Camping Permit
If you wish to do any backpacking in Glacier National Park, you will need to obtain a backcountry permit either in advance or at one of the Backcountry Ranger Stations throughout the park. You cannot camp outside of a campground without a permit. Most of the backcountry campsites have a limited number of sites to protect the resources and trails from overcrowding. Getting one in advance is the best chance you’ll have at getting what you want.
When picking up permits at the Ranger Station there is a 15 minute backcountry video everyone must watch. A ranger will then make hikers answer a few questions on the video. It discuss bear safety, what to pack, how to properly store scented items at the campgrounds and where to camp. If you are a regular backpacker like myself, it will most likely be a lot of information you already know. It’s still a great refresher and I learned about the specific campgrounds I would be staying at. Be sure to have your permit on you and easy accessible so you can show it to a ranger on trail if they ask to see it.
Advanced Permits
All Advanced permits are available through Pay.gov. Opening day for permits is March 15th and they will be awarded in random order. Any permits that come in after March 15th will be sorted in order after opening day permits are awarded. It can take a few months for results to be emailed to applicants, so keep checking your email and be patient. In 2022, there were over 4,000 opening day applications to sort through.
The biggest part of applying for a permit is to determine where you want to go and any backup choice. You can learn more about permit systems and how to have a backup plan on my “Permits and Lotteries” guide. The first step in picking where you want to go is to do some research. Google things like “best backpacking in Glacier” and search blogs (mine included!) and Pinterest for inspiration. Create a list of top places and then research those places more in depth. You will need to know how long the hikes will be, elevation gain, etc to determine if it’s an attainable hike for the time you have or dates you want to go.
The AllTrails app and the National Park Backcountry Guide Map are extremely helpful to learn more about mileage and where exactly the trails are located within the park. I applied for two different backpacking trips during my week at Glacier but only received one of the two permits I tried for. I could have opted to try for the failed permit by getting it as a walkup permit, which I’ll be sharing about below, but instead decide to add another day hike to the agenda.
Once you know where and when you want to go, use the Pay.gov site to enter your information. It’ll guide you through and you will want the park map for this process. You can fill out the permit prior to opening day. When March 15th arrives, you just have to submit it and wait for the results.
To learn more about the permit process and backcountry camping, visit the National Park Website. It will discuss group sizes, permit changes or cancellations and fees more in depth.
Walk Up Permits
If you either weren’t able to get the permits you wanted or you are taking a last minute trip, you still have options. You can visit any of the Wilderness Ranger Stations throughout the park to get walk up permits. They are available the day prior before you want to start or the day of. You will have the best chance at getting what you want if you have a list.
If you are going to try for a walk up permit I highly recommend researching trails/destinations you are hoping to go to and create a list of a few. You may not be able to get your first or second choice. If you have multiple options it will make the process faster for you and those waiting behind you. Plus you’ll hopefully leave with a trail you know you want to hike.
Glacier National Park Watercraft Permit
This is a permit I didn’t know about prior to getting to Glacier because I just didn’t really look into it. I brought my inflatable paddle board because I knew I’d want to paddle on Lake McDonald. The first thing I did when I got to the park on the first day was head to the lake for a little R&R before a week of non-stop hiking. There were multiple signs mentioning boat permits being required. I wasn’t sure if it was just for motor boats like a lot of places or if I needed to get one for my paddle board.
I pulled into the inspection area to get a permit and found out anything going in the water, including inner tubes, needed to be properly inspected and given a permit that attached to the outside of the item going on the water.
Be sure to check out the National Park Website for yearly restrictions on the various lakes. Every year they may have different limitations or requirements, so know before you go.
Why is There a Permit Requirement?
Permits are required to prove that you had your boat and flotations inspected properly before taking them out on the water. So why do boats need to be inspected? The inspection process is to protect the pristine waters of Glacier National Park from invasive species. So for some it may seem like a hassle to go through this process, but it is extremely important to follow through and inspect all vessels to make sure these amazing waters will remain beautiful for generations to come. It’s a simple step to do our part in keeping the park as it should be.
Invasive Mussels are the main reason these permits exist. It is the parks way of actively making sure they can’t take hold and ruin these lakes. Mussels are known to reproduce quickly, taking over the shorelines and causing fowl odors. The beautiful, colorful rocks of the lakes shorelines would be covered in mussels. So let’s make sure we do our part and get everything inspected, because you’ll never know if ones secretly hiding out on your stuff.
Getting a Permit and How Long it Lasts
You will need to have a permit from opening day, usually mid-May until October 31st, for any day you wish to be on the water. For motorized boats, be sure to go to the National Park Website and learn more about the process and requirements. If you are bringing a non-motorized boat or floatation, the inspection process is free and available at the park.
When I went there were two inspection areas at the time: South Lake McDonald and just past the lodge at Many Glacier. Two Medicine was closed at the time, but depending on the year they may have an inspection site. There are signs stating Boat Inspection on the main roads, so follow the signs. If there is a line, get in it and wait your turn. It’s a relatively quick process.
You will need to provide any item that will be going in the water, including paddles and life jackets, so have them out and ready to show. They will inspect your item(s). If it passes inspection, they will issue you a paper permit that will get zip tied to the outside of your boat or flotation.
They will ask you where you are staying and for how long. Please be honest with what you share. The permit is only good for the days you are in the park. If you leave the park to drive to a different area, you will need to get a new permit next time you take it out. I was only in the Lake McDonald area for that day so when I drove to Many Glacier, I had to get a new permit two days later. I left the park and reentered, therefore I had to get a new permit.
Glacier National Park Shuttles and Tours
There are three ways to explore the park: driving a car, taking a park shuttle and booking a tour. Because of the limited parking lots along Going-to-the-Sun road, using the free, first-come shuttle is a great option. If you’re staying at a campground within the park, you can catch a shuttle just outside your campground and not even have to drive. Another option for catching a shuttle in this corridor is to park at one of the visit centers and catch a shuttle from there. You can check out the shuttle stop map here. Learn more about the shuttle systems, when they run and how to use them wisely here.
While exploring Going-to-the-Sun road, you will spot a lot of red, open-roofed tour buses. Tours depart from the west and east side of the Going-to-the-Sun road. It is an additional cost to take a red bus tour. You can learn more about them here. They run start at $54 a person and are a fun way to tour the park and learn from a knowledgeable guide.
Hiking With Bears
One thing I noticed about Glacier is how many people didn’t seem to understand that bears aren’t like our house pets. They are wild animals that can attack at any point and need to be respected, just like all the wildlife in the park. It’s never okay to walk up to a bear or purposely put yourself close to it. Sure, there will be times on trail where you will have a close bear encounter, and I’ll share more about that below, but always keep 100 yards or more between you and a bear. You can learn about encountering bears or wolves in the park here.
If you are driving through the park, you will most likely see a bear at some point in a meadow or eating near the side of the road. You can safely get out of your car in a pull out if the bear is 100 yards or more away. If the bear is right next to the road and you cannot keep at least 100 yards distance, do not stop and get out of your car. This is dangerous for you and for the bear. At any moment that bear can feel overwhelmed by people being present.
Bear Sightings Off The Road
I saw crowds gathering closely to bears multiple times while I was in the park. This is extremely unsafe and should never be done. You can drive slow and snap a photo or video as you go by and still remain safe. If you choose to safely pull over to see wildlife, remember you car has to be in a legal pull out or completely over the white lines or you are illegally parked. Parking partly in the road to see wildlife is extremely unsafe for other drivers and causes a traffic jam. Be respectful of other visitors and park safely off the road.
Bear Safety on Trail
If you are hiking any trail in the park, there is always a chance you will have a bear encounter. Most encounters result in the bear being scared and leaving you alone. You should always go prepared for a negative encounter though and follow proper bear safety on trail. The biggest danger you will face with bears is when they are startled by your presence on trail, they are gathering food or if there are cubs. Below I will share what you carry and do to safely hike in bear country.
- Always carry bear spray and know how to use it. Bear spray should be easily accessible, not inside you backpack or in a place that would take you a bit to pull out. Wearing it on your backpack or chest belt will help keep it easily accessible. Keep in mind that if you are flying here, bear spray is not allowed on airplanes. You will either need to purchase some outside the park or rent it inside the park. All the markets around the park will carry it and there are rental places within the National Park.
- Make noise on trail. Making your presence known on trail will prevent bears from being startled. You never want to startle a bear because it could result in a negative encounter. How can you make noise on trail? Wear a bear bell and make sure it’s placed where it will regularly jingle. If you are in a group, talk. Talking as you hike allows the bears and other wildlife to know you are present. I like to clap or tap my poles every so often to help make noise on trail too. If you are hiking around a water source or it’s windy, it can make it hard for bears to hear any of the noises you make. Be extra aware of your surroundings near water or on windy days and try to take extra steps to make noise.
What to do in a Bear Encounter at Glacier National Park
Chances are if you go to Glacier you will see a bear at some point. I saw 17 bears on my week long trip and had multiple times where others saw the bear on trail just before me and I didn’t, so there were even more around than I saw. Knowledge is key to feeling comfortable on trail in bear country. The most important thing you can do is try to prevent a bear encounter from happening in the first place by following the steps above. Store food properly and make yourself known.
If you do have a bear encounter where the bear seems interested or aggravated, here are some steps you should take:
- Make yourself known. Calmly let the bear know you are there and human. Stand your ground and do not move. Make yourself look as large as possible but not threatening. Hold your hands above your head or hold a coat up to appear larger while calming talking to the bear.
- If there is food out, quickly put it away. Do not let the bear get access to your food.
- Do not remove your backpack and if it is not on, carefully put it back on in case of an attack. Make sure you have your bear spray easily accessible and grab it to potentially use.
- Do not run or try to climb a tree. Carefully move out of the bear’s line of travel if it is moving towards you to give it space to move.
- If a grizzly or brown bear attacks you, play dead. Curl in to the fetal position with your back up to protect your organs. Your backpack will help protect you from the attack. Continue to fake dead until the bear leaves the area. If it vigorously continues to attack, fight back and use anything you can to hit its face.
- If a black bear attacks you, do not play dead and fight back right away, concentrating your fight at it’s face.
For a detailed guide on how to react during a bear encounter, read the National Parks detailed guide “Staying Safe Around Bears.”
Other Wildlife Within Glacier National Park
Bears are not the only animal you will come across that you need to be cautious of. You should never approach, touch or feed any form of wildlife. Other large predators found in Glacier are wolves and cougars, although not see as often. Always be aware of your surroundings and make your presence known.
Moose are present in the park and if you’re lucky you’ll see one munching on leaves or basking by the water. Moose are very territorial and do not like having people encroaching on their space. Matter of fact, I had one charge my car once in Alaska. A car! So give them as much distance you would a bear and be respectful of their space.
Mountain goats and bighorn sheep, or rams, are seen regularly throughout the park. These animals aren’t like farm animals. They are wild animals and do not like having their space invaded. You should always give them a minimum of 25-50 yards of space. Never approach them or bother them. They will defend their space and attack people if they feel like their space is being encroached.
You will also see plenty of marmots and other ground critters. These animals will take any chance they get to sneak some food or nibble on anything sweaty, including shoes and the handles of hiking poles. Be sure to always store you gear and food safely. NEVER FEED THEM.
Properly Storing Food & Scented Items
No matter where you are hiking, it is extremely important to store you food properly. This is even more true when you hiking in a park like Glacier. Not only are there rodents, mountain goats and sheep, there are bears in Glacier. Luckily, unlike other national parks, these bears have not learned that people and cars equal food sources. This is generationally learned, so it is extremely important to do our part to make sure food and scented items are stored properly.
A fed bear is a dead bear. Bears that learn to gather food from campsites and cars often have to be put down. Help protect these beautiful animals and always store your food in the recommended manner the campground or park says to.
It’s also extremely important to never eat or keep scented items in or near your tent at any time. Animals will eat through your tent to find scented items. If you’re at a campground, keep all food and scented items by the picnic table, not near the tent. Never leave car doors open unless you are at the car getting items from it.
You should also never leave scented items and food out at camp unless you are preparing it or eating it to limit the scents around camp that would draw wildlife in. While backpacking, campsites have designated areas to eat. Keep your food hung and only eat in these spots so your campsite doesn’t have any scents bear can pick up.
Scented Items
Below I’ll share the four ways scented items and food can be stored. First, what exactly are scented items? This is any non food product that has a scent to it. Things like your toothpaste, lotions, soaps, etc all carry a scent that can attract wildlife to your camp. Scented items, along with all food, must be stored properly to prevent animals from smelling and finding them. Always rule on the side of safety and store it. I don’t keep anything in my tent besides my sleeping gear, clothes, light source, battery pack/phone and bear spray.
How to Store Scented Items & Food
- In your car- If you’re at a campsite or trailhead, store all items not going with you on the hike inside your car. Thankfully bears in Glacier have not learned to break into cars for food like other places, so it’s safe to store these items in your car.
- Bear lockers- Most campsites, especially those inside the park will have shared bear lockers. Other parks where bears have learned to break into cars will have one at every site. This is not the case at Glacier. They will have bear lockers scattered throughout camp that you can put items into. This is a great option if you don’t want to store them in your car. Anyone can access these lockers. They are shared with the entire campground.
- Bear hang- If you are backcountry backpacking, campgrounds might have a designated place to hang your food and scented items. It is a large metal pole where you can string your rope and a bag holding your items. It is extremely easy to use and helps keep these items well out of reach from all animals. You will need to pack a rope at least 25ft and a bag large enough to store your belongings to use these at camp.
- Bear canisters- Another options is to bring a bear canister with you. These weigh a lot and aren’t necessary since camps have bear hang poles. Research the backcountry campground(s) you are planning to stay at to make sure bear cans aren’t required, otherwise you can leave it behind. If you know there is a bear hang pole, there is no need to carry the weight of a bear canister unless you want it. I packed one for the trip but never used it.
Trail Closures Throughout Glacier National Park
If you go to Glacier National Park, chances are at some point a trail or area will have a closure for various reasons. Due to the extensive wildlife and weather, trails may not be open at times. There are three main reasons for trail closures in the park: Abundant food sources, frequent bear activity and snow levels. Below I’ll share a little more on what these three closures are for and how to find out more through the National Park site.
If there is a trail closure, respect it. Do not continue on the trail. Not only are you potentially putting yourself at risk, you are risking the lives of park rangers who would potentially have to come help you if something were to happen, as well as any animals you encounter. These closures are not a guideline you can choose to follow if you want. Go to the park with plan b and even c hikes and stay off closed trails.
- Snow Levels Closure: Every year snowfall and snow melt will greatly affect when trails can open. I went in mid-August and some trails had just opened at the beginning of the month. Unfortunately there is no way to truly predict when the snow will melt here. If you want the best chance of open trails, you’ll want to go in late summer or early fall to avoid snow closures on trail.
- Bear Activity Closure: Trails can be shut down at any time due to wildlife. The most common reasons for this is abundant food sources.
- A possible dead animal carcass. If there is a dead animal carcass on or near a trail, it will be closed for safety. A dead carcass will attract other predators which creates an unsafe hiking environment.
For more information on trail conditions by month, click here for a more detailed explanation from the National Park.
For up to date trail closures, click here to see what the current conditions are in the park.
Best Time To Visit Glacier National Park?
This is honestly a loaded question because it depends on the previous winter snowfall and what you’re personally looking to get out of the park. A lot of the higher elevation trails will remain closed in June and possibly well into July due to snow. Trails could be closed due to increased bear feeding. After talking to a ranger this often happens in June, but can be any time of year.
If you’re wanting to be able to drive the roads and see more snow in the park, late spring or early summer would have the most snow still on trails. This will result in trail closures to higher elevation hikes, but potentially less crowds. It would be a great time to explore lower elevation hikes and some of the lakes like Lake McDonald.
Late summer into early fall will be the best time to hike the higher elevation hikes. Snow will have melted and they will most likely be open. The risk of late summer visits is the increase in fire danger in the area and possible smoke blowing in from surrounding areas. Unfortunately there is no way to predict the yearly fires. Fall will also bring about beautiful fall foliage and the later in fall you go the less likely you’ll encounter smoke and fires.
Although a majority of the roads in the park are inaccessible in the winter, winter can still be a great time to visit! The road from the west entrance to Lake McDonald is plowed, weather dependent. The park can be a popular spot for cross country skiing and snowshoeing the closed roads or front country trails. Learn more about snowshoeing and skiing in the winter here.
No matter when you choose to go, there is no wrong time to visit this park. Every season will bring about a different experience and new places to explore.
Glacier National Park Accommodations
There are two ways to stay around Glacier National Park: camping or hotels. There are options for both within the park as well as outside the park. If you’re wanting to find accommodations outside the park, I’d suggest getting on Google Maps. Start in the area of the park you want and searching for the type of accommodation you want (ex. search “hotels” or “campgrounds”). You can also search other blogs for recommendations. This will show you everything in the area and take you to their direct websites or phone numbers to book.
Camping within the park is a mix of first-come-first-serve and reservable sites. You can learn more about which campgrounds offer which and how to reserve them here. A benefit of staying in the park is that you can walk to some of the trails from camp or easily catch a shuttle. Plus you’re closer so you can reach the trails early before outside visitors come.
There are 6 hotel-like accommodation locations throughout the park you can book if you’re looking for a non-camping option within the park. You can learn more about them and how to reserve a room here. These lodges are a great way to enjoy more amenities and still be close to shuttles or trailheads.
Places I stayed on my trip:
- Many Glacier Campground– This is a campground located within the park and was such a great place to stay! All the trailheads in the area are in walking distance or a very short drive. There is a small market, Swiftcurrent Lake and the Many Glacier Hotel in the area. It has flushing toilets and dish cleaning stations. You can book a site at this campground through the link above.
- Divide Creek Campground– This campground is located in the town of Saint Mary, just outside the park. I really enjoyed staying here. The staff was extremely friendly, the campground was quiet and it had a great location to reach the park quickly. It has two outdoor showers you can pay extra to use and a vaulted toilet in the middle of camp. Learn more about booking a site at Divide Creek here.
- Wander Camp– This was a fun glamping splurge on this trip! It was so nice having a comfy bed to sleep on, no tent to set up and a proper shower halfway through the trip. It is located down a long dirt road so it was a quiet spot to stay. You can learn more about this fun glamping experience here.
In Conclusion
- Always practice leave no trace principles when visiting the park. We must all do out part to help protect this beautiful place and it’s amazing wildlife.
- Glacier National Park is one of the most beautiful places I have visited and a must see on anyones list. Unlike other parks, there is a lot that visitors should know before going. Be sure to save this blog to refer back later. Research as much as you can in advance. Travelers plan trips a year in advance in order to and be prepared for the permits and reservations needed.
- One of my favorite places I ate at around the park was at the Sunflower Cafe & BBQ. It was a cute outdoor, covered spot with really great food! I will definitely be going back on my next visit!
- Logan’s Pass visitor center parking lot is usually full by 7:30-8 am, especially on a weekend. Go early or plan to wait for a spot to open. A lot of people only do short hikes or explore the visitor center, so there will be spots that open regularly. You may have to wait a while though.
- If you are unable to snag a reservation for a campsite within the park, don’t fret! Accommodations in Saint Mary and West Glacier are so close to the park. They have plenty of great options and with them being such a short drive, it doesn’t feel like you’re going out of your way.
- Always go prepared to encounter a bear. I saw 17 bears and know I hiked past more I couldn’t see based on other hikers sharing encounters. Always carry bear spray in an easy to access location, like the front of your body. Be sure to read up on bear encounters and feel confident you know what to do.
- Always hike prepared by carrying the 10 essentials in your backpack, which you can learn about here.
I hope this guide helps you with your adventure to Glacier National Park! It is one of the most beautiful National Parks and a place you’ll want to return to over and over again. If you have any further questions or want to share your experience after, please leave a comment below!
Happy Hiking!
Elizabeth
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