Glacier National Park in northern Montana can be the perfect location for your next trip. If you like to retreat close to nature and enjoy what it offers, this is perfect for you. You will see the glaciers standing tall over pristine aqua waters, lakes, and so much more. There is a lot to explore as the park stretches over a million acres with 26 glorious glaciers! Although the glaciers are shrinking, there is still a great view to look forward to.
The national park is massive, and you should make a proper itinerary. If you don’t know what hikes to go on, or where to stay, your trip can be abysmal. You can use your Cox cable and internet deals to do some research in advance and plan accordingly. There are some great hidden treasures on hiking trails that you don’t want to miss. So, pack your bags and cross off Glacier National Park from your staycation list.
Things To Do
Glacier National Park is much more than the glaciers it was named around. You can be surprised at how much more this place has to offer. Here are some amazing things you can do in Glacier:
Hiking
Your trip is incomplete without a hike in real Montana! The National Park Service claims that more than fifty percent of visitors in Glacier Park opt for a trek. It would be surprising if the number was any lower than that! Beware, though, as the hikes can be very challenging. You should prepare yourself with first aid kits and necessary items. Some of the hikes are simpler, while others are multi-day treks you will need more preparation for.
There are a few great trails you can take. Here are some of the most popular ones with a note on their difficulty:
- Trail of the Cedars: 1 mile, flat, easy
- John’s Lake Loop: 2 miles, easy
- Hidden Lake Overlook: 2.8 miles, 460 feet elevation gain, easy to moderate
- Avalanche Lake: 4.5 miles, 700 feet elevation gain, moderate
- Iceberg Lake: 9.6 miles, 1200 feet elevation gain, strenuous
- Grinnell Glacier: 10.6 miles, 1600 feet elevation gain, strenuous
Boat Tours
If you are not a fan of glaciers and mountains, there are lakes that you can enjoy. The Park has 131 named lakes in its vicinity and hundreds more unnamed lakes that you can explore. The Glacier Park offers guided boat tours at Many Glacier, Rising Sun, Two Medicine, and Lake McDonald. You will have to buy tickets for each guided tour, and children under 4 can ride for free.
You can also rent boats per hour on your own and take a trip down the lakes. The rentals also include double kayaks and rowboats so you can have more fun.
Wildlife Tours
It’s Montana, so you can expect wildlife – especially bears! The wildlife in Glacier Park is probably the main attraction for many tourists here. The Park is home to some of the most amazing wildlife species in America. It is advised to take ranger tours so that you don’t come across any accidents. No matter how cute that bear looks, it is a wild animal, and you should not approach it.
Going-To-The-Sun Road
If you are a fan of serene and scenic drives, you should take the Going-to-the-Sun road. It is probably one of the most beautiful roads in all of America. The road twists and turns around mountains for 50 miles and can take you around two hours to drive the entire length of it. As the road is always busy there might be some traffic jams on your way up. The view is amazing all the way through, and there are various pit stops. You can park on the sides, take pictures, and just relax in the fresh air.
The top is Logan Pass, where you can park and take in the magnificent view. Logan Pass is the highest place in Glacier that you can reach by car. Once you’re at the top, you can take some of the trails that start from the Pass. The parking spots fill up super-fast, though, so you should try and get there early morning.
Red Bus Tour
The Park offers bus tours in vintage red buses from the 1930s. The tour buses are one of the oldest fleets in the entire world! So, you can feel close to nature and also history on this bus tour. The tour can take you up Going-to-the-Sun Road, the Two Medicine area, and Many Glacier. The curvy roads, rugged mountains, and excessive wildlife all await you at the Glacier National Park.