After a refreshing long weekend with long-time friends, we traveled north to Glacier National Park. Before arriving, there were four things we knew about Glacier: 1. The Going to the Sun Road was remarkable and not to be missed. 2. You needed a pass to drive the Going to the Sun Road. 3. There are a lot of people. 4. You should arrive early. As prepared travelers, we made sure to log on to Recreation.gov at 8:00 a.m. the day before our arrival to get our three day pass. But we later found out that we severely underestimated the number of travelers in the park and just how early we should arrive. You've likely heard that the National Parks have been pretty busy since 2020, so to regulate the visitor population, heavily traveled parks or park attractions have implemented a reservation system. Since Glacier stays closed under 18-24 feet of snow for most of the year, an exorbitant amount of people flock to the park during the four-month open season. Visitor reservations are supposed to aid in overcrowding, but there are some loopholes in the system. The main road through the park is closed from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., but the entrance is still open. So, once visitors get in the gate, no one checks their reservation and they're free to go anywhere they want. Taking full advantage of the loophole, visitors without passes just wake up earlier! We talked to one group that said they entered at 4:30 a.m.! As you're about to find out, we learned passes don't really mean a hill of beans when it comes to controlling the number of visitors. We were imagining that the two hour drive along the Going to the Sun Road would have lots of stops along the way with beautiful overlooks and short hikes that would fill an entire day with activities. And, in theory, that is likely a correct assessment. So when we set out Tuesday morning, we were prepared with a packed lunch and "just-in-case" dinner, but left our day-hike backpacks at home. We were able to stop at the first pull off for views of a river and teeny waterfall, and we found parking at "The Loop," the only switchback on the mountain and an engineering marvel of its time, with beautiful overlooks. But by the time we reached the mid-way Logan's Pass Visitor Center where we would find our first hiking options, the entire parking lot was full and at least thirty cars were zig-zagging up and down rows waiting for a spot to open. We drove around the lot for about 25 minutes, then gave up. Every parking lot from there to the end of the road were completely full. We cruised out to Many Glacier at the eastern side of the park for views and hiking, but every trail there was 9-15 miles and we weren't prepared for that kind of distance that day. (Lessoned learned: be prepared for anything!) So, we returned to Going to the Sun Road, retracing our route, hoping to find parking. We drove past Sun Point: no parking. At St. Mary's Falls, the small lot was full and five cars were already waiting at the side of the road, trying their best not to block traffic. We drove back and forth, back and forth, waiting to park. Nada. Decided to drive back to Logan's Pass. The lot was so full then, that rangers had completely blocked it off and were guarding the lot entrance so no one else tried to enter. At that point, we were left with two choices: burn up fuel driving back and forth until we could park or go home. Of course going home is never an option for those with FOMO (eh-hem Dustin Ramsey). Fortunately we had our trusty GyPSy Guide* to listen to along the way. Had the info memorized by the third or fourth trip through. We managed to snag a spot by St. Mary's Lake near the tiny Wild Goose Island, which is famous for it's opening scene in The Shining (1978). There was an overlook with a gorgeous view and a short, skinny trail leading to the lake. Another visitor wanted to venture down to the lake, but he was afraid to by himself (grizzlies and black bears are plentiful in this area), so we all grabbed our bear spray and dabbed our feet in the crystal clear water for a bit. Later, we took turns sitting in the unparked truck while we visited with a family of wild mountain goats near a boardwalk off the main road. Around 3:30, we decided to try our luck at the main visitor's center again. Y'all, we found a parking space! The day was almost over and we felt like we could finally begin our adventures! The Hidden Lake Overlook was 2.7 miles (one way) through a golden valley surrounded by sedimentary striped mountains. We watched a herd of 15-20 big horned sheep grazing on the grasses as we passed. The cool air and beautiful views must have put everyone in a good mood, because all of the hikers were chatty on the trail! One family even gave us their phone number so we could call them when we get to their stomping grounds in California! The next day we went white water rafting with Glacier Rafting Company down the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. The river was pretty calm with only one level three rapid and our guide was quite capable, making sure no one in the boat went swimming in the frigid waters. Our boat certainly wasn't full, with just the four of us and two older gentlemen, so Dusty and I and our guide had to work pretty hard to fight the wind that seemed to come out of nowhere. The kids learned to work as a team and stay in sync with other paddlers, and of course loved the thrill of going through the rapids, though they both said they wished they had a wilder ride.
lay those purple mountains majesty that we've always sung about, with little white glaciers tucked between their ridges. We saw a mountain goat and finally got to see our black bear! Fact: Scientists predict that the glaciers at Glacier National Park will all be gone by 2030 if the warming trends continue. When seeing gorgeous views like this, it didn't take long for nature therapy to do its trick. After an elevation gain of 2200 ft, we reached the mountain summit, revealing Grinnell Glacier tucked between the peaks and the ice melt lake below . What. a. sight. I just had to stand there for a moment taking in the strange and peaceful views. The fog hung low, so we couldn't tell just how high the surrounding mountains were. As it turns out, we were so in awe of the view that we didn't take many pictures, not that it would do it any justice.
mountain. The views were just as beautiful seeing them from the other direction. Of all the hikes we've done, in all corners of the earth, this hike was my favorite. Absolutely stunning from start to finish. Tips for GlacierGlacier is absolutely beautiful and has a lot to offer, whether you prefer enjoying the views from a car or ferry or you're wanting to get into the backwoods and explore. If you have a chance to go, I highly recommend it. Due to the high volumes of visitors, we don't feel like we were able to make the best of our visit, so if you ever get to go, here are some recommendations. 1. Don't underestimate the crowds. Don't forget to get your pass on Recreation.gov to make life easier on you, but also don't think it will help thin the crowds that much. We went after Labor Day, hoping to miss summer crowds...but so did everyone else! We didn't have traffic, per se, but we couldn't find parking. Some people say they've actually been stuck in lines of traffic the whole way down GTTSR.
a pretty penny, but you'll be able to say you rode in a Red Jammer, which has been serving park visitors since 1936, and you'll have a personal tour guide.
3. Campgrounds are nicer in West Glacier, and the park campground is first come, first serve. Have an idea of what you'd like to see and do and plan accordingly based on where you're leaving from.. We wasted a lot of time driving back and forth. 4. Check the National Park Service website for trail closures. Glacier has the highest population of bears among the national parks, so they often close trails due to bear activity. 5. Part of the park is in Canada! Glacier is the world's first International Park, sharing territory with Canada, the U.S., and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. We unfortunately didn't get to Canada, but if you go, bring a passport and check it out! 6. The best way to conclude your days at Glacier is with huckleberry ice cream at the Huckleberry Patch in Hungry Horse, just west of West Glacier. Here you will find anything you can possibly imagine made of huckleberries from jam to honey to gummy bears, pies, tea, coffee, BBQ sauce, and more. 7. Lastly, if you are physically capable, don't miss the Grinnell Glacier hike! If 11.6 miles is too much, consider purchasing tickets on the ferry to get you across Swiftcurrent and Josephine Lakes to cut at least 3.5 miles off. Either way you choose, you won't regret it! *Contains affiliate link
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