Glacier National Park

[Tractorat]

Thinking about making a trip over the Glacier National Park maybe some time mid June. I've never been there before.



We'll be staying at motels rather that camping, so I won't be pulling my trailer. Can anyone tell me what the roads are like in the Park ? Are they all paved like in Yellowstone etc ? Im planning on just driving my car. But if the some of the roads are unpaved, I would probably drive the truck. Also, Ill have to see what the weather is like when we leave. But if there is a good chance of snow on the roads in the park (in June), I would still probably drive the truck. Planning on maybe staying in Kalispell.



Thanks in advance

 

[goodguys75]

I would think most national parks are very car friendly:-laf

 

[JJPage]

Everything was paved that I rode on, the only snow you may encounter would be on "the road to the sun", we were on our motorcycles and it was snowing on the 4th of July! Once we came down from the glacier it turned to rain, and it did that all the way back to Camp Apgar(sp).

Glacier is not anywhere's near as large as Yellowstone, but very, very beautiful. McDonald Lodge is inside the park, but spendy...

 

[BIGNASTY]

Trat



Im giving you a webcam deal thats at all the major parts of Glacier. Mid June is early for some parts of the park and as you can see some of the others are almost snow free. If your going to the west side it has historically had light snow and the east is somewhat heavy. What part of the park are you going to? Most all of the big spots have anything from BIG TIME hotels to mom and pop out side the park motels. I dont know if in mid June that the Going To the Sun road will be totally open. Its still pretty deep up at Logan Pass. What ever you do I WOULD BRING CHAINS it snows at anytime of the year if the weather is right. Definitely RAIN GEAR is a must ANY TIME.



If your bringing your Digital a circular polarizer filter is a must for greens and blues like you have never seen. You know more about that than I. Anyway if you need any info let us know if we can help. If you see a BIG UGLY guy on a mule smelling as hard as kerosene that might be me we leave for the bear study on Tue. May 1 gone for at least a month we will be very close to the south part of the park. HAVE A GREAT TIME ITS ONE OF THE JEWELS OF THE U. S.

Glacier National Park Webcams - Glacier National Park





BIG

 

[JJPage]

Hey BIG, that is a great link you provided, revived lots of memories! Thanks!

 

[BIGNASTY]

Not a problem!!!!!!!!!! I have one to the fire watch towers that are equipped with the cameras to keep and eye on the weather for the upcoming trip. Don't know about where your at to the East but im looking at building an ark. Its rained for 4 days. I got out today and dug my trench for my drain pipe across the drive and I dont think the pipe is going to be big enough around for the amount of water. :-laf Ill see about that website for the tower cams its pretty cool.



BIG

 

[Patty]

Make sure you visit The Back Room restaurant in Columbia Falls. The Back Room - Home

Awesome food! We stayed in Columbia Falls over Christmas and went skiing in Whitefish. Bring your passport and cross the line into Waterton Lakes National Park... also very nice. The 2 parks are joined at the border. We used to take a boat from Canada to the USA and hike for the day.

 

[jelag]

This is a beautiful trip... but don't leave until you call the park and make sure all the roads are open for the summer... often the roads are closed sometimes into late May or early June... winter takes it tole on this park like Yellowstone and it mid July before they start to patch the frost heaves... but its one great park...

 

[Grizzly]

Tractorat, Glacier NP is our favorite National Park in the US and Canada. The best way to tour the park is to take the Going to the Sun Tour on their Red Bus Shuttles. They are refurbished old limo open top shuttles. The Going to the Sun road is very narrow with hair pin sharp curves. The drivers are excellent and great narrators. You can enjoy the park much more by taking the tour.



Besides rain gear, take your camera and a spotting scope.



Enjoy the park, george

 

[BSMcCauley]

Grew up about 3hrs drive east of Glacier (back in the days of the double-nickel limit) and have to say that Glacier's my favorite park. Nature's beauty at it's best. You'll definitely want to take the Going-to-the Sun highway at least once. A car or pickup is fine. There's a length limit not much longer than a pickup, so RV's aren't allowed - at least not on the climb past the weeping wall around past where we used to have snowball fights as kids in August where they had to plow the road through a glacier in August. Might be tough with a slide-in camper in the back of the pickup - I'd only try that eastbound and you might drag the side up high on the overhangs even then...



When my new wife and I were just married, we came through there and ended up idling through the middle of a Robin Williams movie set just by St. Mary Lake. Found out later they were using the beauty of Glacier Park as the backdrop filming “What Dreams May Come”.



Plan lunch at St Mary Lake Lodge and save room for the Huckleberry pie!



Check this link for status of the road and their progress at clearing the spring snow off it: Going-to-the-Sun Road Information and Transit System - Glacier National Park

 

[Roscoe14]

I live in Bellingham and made that trip two years ago towing my 30 ft Cougar 5th wheel.

Two day trip to make it comfortable. The roads in the park are beautiful. . everything is paved, including the campgrounds. The only gravel encountered was construction spots on the going to the sun road. (a must drive - hope there's no snow for you). Glacier Village has a nice hotel/cabin resort that is on the shore of LAke McDonald. We stayed in Apgar campground for four days... wanted longer but ran out of water! Fantastic area and drive. Have Fun!

 

[PWirth]

I live right by Glacier Park in Columbia Falls. If all you plan on is going across the Going to the Sun hwy then a car is great. The roads are rough gravel up to Bowman and Kintla Lakes but most cars can still make it (as long as they aren't a low rider). Going to the Sun feels really tight in a dually but it can be done. Bring your hiking shoes and fishing pole, there are miles of trails and you don't need a fishing license in the park. They are still doing construction work on the Going to the Sun this year, this will delay the opening to mid June and will require up to a 30 minute wait where they have reduced it to single lane traffic.

If you want another beautiful drive you can drive around Hungry Horse Reservoir. Stop in at the Spotted Bear Ranger Station and ask how to find the Gorge. This trip would want the truck, but it can be done in a car. Just be sure to fill up the tank before you start out, it is over 100 miles round trip.

 

[Dieselnerd]

Ah, memories. We bought a new camper in 1970 and our first big trip was to Glacier. Beautiful park and we've been back a number of times since.



Nothing compares to that first time. Growing up in flat country doesn't prepare you for those wonderful mountain views! We took baths in streams that were so cold but felt so good.



Our little kids at the time are older adults now but they still talk about the first time in Glacier and that 1970 trip.

 

[Tractorat]

Thanks for all th feedback. I think it will be a nice trip.

 

[Newt]

If going to Glacier, a little trip around the West side will take you to Pole Bridge Mercantile. It's worth the trip. The Polebridge Mercantile

Newt

 

[Mark31]

BIGNASTY, several years a small group from here in SC took a few weeks to go ride their horses at some of the special places out west. No matter whether you were young, old, male, female, if you weren't seen washing every other day, you got chunked in, no matter how icy the stream. No "hard kerosene " on that ride! Mark

 

[BIGNASTY]

I do the jump in the lake myself. But THERE IS A FIRE AND A BIG FIRE GOING BEFORE I JUMP IN. I dont care what you do when around animals that are hauling equipment and my A** up a pass they SWEAT BAD and your going to smell,like the equipment does. Just part of the romance of the ride. That ride is a minimum of 17 miles from town to camp sometimes more on some of the spike camps THAT'S ONE WAY. We have done a loop and a half and could not sit a saddle any longer. Throw a tarp out tie your wrist to the horse and sleep with your gun in case something SPOOKS THE HORSE AND IT RUNS. I use Velcro to tie to the horse that way it wont drag me along with it. It just makes sure that you are awake.



During hunting season Jason my Nephew and I are sometimes in the saddle 18 hours a day. We dont have time to take care of all the niceties of life. My Mule Daisy doesn't seem to mind the smell so why should I. Taking out game and bringing back supplies is the most important thing to hunters that pay 6 grand to have it THEIR WAY. It would be different if it were just a pleasure ride. When we do that its not a LONG DAY IN THE SADDLE. You can take your time and smell sweet as a Daisy. Jason and I are not out there trying to impress anyone BECAUSE NOBODY IS AROUND ANYWAY. We need to get the game back so the butcher can get it ready ASAP so the hunters can take it with them. The cost of shipping an ELK is REALLY BIG MONEY and if we doooo daaaaa around and they pay more I dont think my BIL would get many return hunters. SIRVECE IS THE NAME OF THE GAME. I HAVE YET TO HEAR SOMEONE SAY ... ... ... . OK WHO FARTED???... ... ... ... . BECAUSE MY MULES AS TALANTED AS THEY ARE CANT SPEAK:-laf



BIG

 

[AMink]

If you decide to jump in Lake McDonald, I suggest checking your boys at the door! That is some chilly water! It is a beautiful park. What's really neat is the mountains really aren't super tall. I think maybe 10,000' but they look huge just by their geology. You'll love it.

 

[BIGNASTY]

I think Granite Peak is the tallest in MT and its under 10k Now that I said that ill go check. Wow Im impressed it's 12+k I was wrong. Most of the mountains in MT are not that tall. Because of how they were formed. It was not a collision of tectonic plates it was an overlapping of plates That formed most of MT

 

[Grizzly]

You're correct, it is Granite Peak in the Beartooth Mountains and it's 12,799 ft. It's located northeast of Yellowstone.