At nearly one and a half million acres Glacier National Park in Montana is impressive and boasts over 200 lakes and streams, 50 glaciers and more than 700 miles of wonderful hiking trails. These numbers are impressive, but they do not even start to convey the breathtaking beauty of this national park.
They do not begin to describe how the mountains around Lake MacDonald glow pink in the setting sun and almost force you to stand transfixed to this view until darkness falls. Neither do they describe the huge field of tall bear grass stalks with their white flowers which simply shout at you to roll back the years and run through the meadow like a child.
But your first point of call should one of the visitor centers in Apgar, Logan Pass or St. Mary where you can find out all about the area and pick up some excellent hiking guide books.
One of the best ways to get to see many of sights of the park is to drive along the famous 50 mile Going-To-The-Sun Road which was built in 1932 and skirts around Lake MacDonald before crossing the Continental Divide at Logan Pass some 6,700 feet above sea level. From Logan Pass it then descends down to Saint Mary Lake which is an awe inspiring body of water.
If you want to go hiking then there are plenty of options and the area near Belly River offers some glorious scenery and numerous campsites where you can take a rest. For those people who are looking for a longer trip then you can backpack in from Canada, crossing Brown Pass and ending at Bowman Lake.
Another great site is the Hole in the Wall campground which offers 20 waterfalls and thousands of lovely wildflowers. Look upwards and you will see the water coming from a waterfall which pours out of a natural hole in the rock face which gives the area its name.
If you would like a taste of adventure then how about a whitewater rafting trip? You can either join a group of eight people on a larger boat or brave the water yourself in a kayak. Even beginners find that it an easy trip and there are few rocks to contend with, but it will nevertheless give you plenty of fun as you rush down the Flathead River.
For those who like an easier life there are also the Red Bus tours. Millions of visitors have enjoyed seeing the park from these open-topped buses, but take along lots of sunscreen as the sunshine in Glacier during the summer months is very strong.
If you are driving yourself then a good place to stop off is the Trail of the Cedars boardwalk. This area has been free from fire for more than 500 years because of the high moisture content and the result is some of the biggest cedar and hemlocks to be found anywhere. If you are patient you will also spot a flying squirrel or two and, as night begins to fall, you will hear the owls hooting.
Watch the video related to Glacier National Park
An amatuer photographer’s first attempt at making a professional video. Glacier’s most beautiful backcountry locations including a special segment on specactular waterfalls few park visitors ever see. Part 1 of the recently shot Glacier DVD. This 20 min. film recently was nominated for best new nature documentary in the music category as well received an award for photography from the Wildlife Film Festival held in May of 2008. All funds for this project are being donated to the Glacier …
Help answer the question aboutGlacier National Park
If the glaciers in Glacier National Park all melted away, what sorts of features would they form?
There are less than half as many glaciers in Glacier National Park as there were 150 Years ago.
thanks for the memories! I miss the park, worked/hiked there about 25 years ago, my heart has never left. Our 19yo son was baptised in McDonald creek, sacred dancing cascades………what a place! Schdanly
your very welcome and great to hear!
My husband and I often go during off-season so we can ride our bikes on Going-to-the-Sun Road. It’s heaven on earth, and what you can see when you get out of a vehicle is life-altering.
Thank you for this video and music, it has given me a sense of peace today.
it was fun to make in such a beautiful environment. glad you liked too
thanks!!
This is so nice! I’ve been to Glacier a few times already and it’s like a spiritual journey. Been to the east and west side of Glacier as well as into Alberta, Canada. Can’t get enough. Thank you for all your beautiful Glacier videos with the hypnotic Native Indian background music. It’s a perfect combination.
I hiked there 10 days in the backcountry in 2008 and I’m going back again this year as well. It’s some of the most beautiful land I’ve ever seen. My partners and I even came face to face with a large black bear, he was about 20 feet away. We also saw some grizzly’s, closest encounter was thankfully about 100yrds. We also saw many more animals and some very close encounters with marmot and mountain goat. Many great photo-op’s…
i went there. it’s SO AMAZING. i highly recomend going!
this is beautiful….im definitly gonna take a vacation. thank you for posting
I just got back from a week of backpacking in Glacier (did a section of the Northern Traverse from Goat Haunt to Boulder Pass by way of Hole-in-the-Wall). It was my first time there and I was completely blown away – Glacier has some of the most awesome scenery and hiking anywhere in the US (maybe the world). I don't think you can do a bad hike there.
In addition to our big backpack, we also did a day hike down to Hidden Lake from the Logan Pass visitor center. This is a short, but nice, 6 mile round trip to beautiful lake with a very good chance of seeing mountain goats. From the same area, you can take the famous Highline Trail along the ridge known as the 'Garden Wall' for as far as you like (a popular day destination is going about 4 miles to a bluff called the Haystacks). This route will give you good sweeping views down McDonald Creek (the major drainage in that area). Both of the above are very popular with hikers.
Although I have not done them myself, I asked a lot of locals and rangers for day hike recommendations (I plan to be back) and here are some recommendations:
Ptarmigan Tunnel and Iceberg Lake (starts near Many Glacier) – very popular day hikes with a lot of good scenery (Iceberg lake is so named because it has ice chunks floating in it till late in the year). WARNING: as of last week, these trails were still closed due to bear activity.
Pitamakin Pass and Dawson Pass loop (starts out of the Two Medicine area) – I hear strong hiking locals like to do this 18+ mile loop as a day hike, though I think I would rather do it as a one nighter. Pitamakin Pass is famous for its raw above-the-treeline scenery.
Cobalt Lake and Two Medicine Pass – From Two Medicine Lake (which you can either hike around or take the tour boat), you climb up to Cobalt Lake (a pretty mountain lake) and then continue up a steep climb to Two Medicine Pass with incredible views to the east. A backcountry ranger that I talked to really raved about this one.
The first leg of our trip (from Goat Haunt up the Owen Valley to Lake Frances) would also make a nice long (12 miles round trip) day hike, but it has the logistical headache of having to take the ferry across Waterton Lake from Canada and needing to have a passport ready for the US ranger station at Goat Haunt (the lake crosses the national border).
In planning our trip, I used "Hiking Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks" by Erik Molvar and "Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park" guide by Vicky Spring. Both were very good, although I think that I slightly preferred the descriptions in the later book.
For maps, we carried the Trails Illustrated Glacier Wateron Lakes hiking map from National Geographic (I also have their maps for a number of other parks). The visitors centers there also sold a larger and somewhat more detailed topo of the park, but it looked less easy to carry.
I also had the Moon publications "Glacier National Park" handbook by Becky Lomax and the Insider's Guide to Glacier National Park. Both of these were general area guides rather than trail guides. I found the Moon book to be a very useful resource for planning my trip, finding places to eat and stay and getting suggestions for areas to visit, while the Insider's Guide was little more than a business directory.
For food, be sure to try out the breakfasts at the Whistle Stop Cafe (north edge of East Glacier), Serrano's mexican food restuarant in East Glacier (good mexican food in Montana, who knew?) and the homemade pie at the Park Cafe (north of Saint Mary). Our group had mixed results at the Two Sisters Cafe (just north of Saint Mary), though their selection of local microbrews was good.
You will want to check out this website;
http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/index.htm
There are several hikes that you can take in the park the website above has a list of trails, how long they are and what the difficulty of them is. Any trail that you take you will see a ton of wildlife and some of the most beautiful scenery in the US. Glacier is really an amazing place. When hiking you will want to be aware of the wildlife you will encounter and be prepared for this. You should always hike with a bear bell and bear mace. The bell helps notify all wildlife not just bears that you are there. Watch what kind of food you take, always walk with someone or a group, be sure to have a cell phone on you and a first aid kit. Glacier is a beautiful place however it is a place that you must be prepared for. Be sure to check in with the ranger station/visitors center before you hike, they have the up to the date weather information and can give you some great info for you hike. Be sure to take you camera and some binoculars you don’t want to miss anything. If you have the time I would highly recommend checking out some of the ranger programs and guided hikes. They are a great way to learn/see the park. You really will enjoy Glacier, it is one of the best parks in the US! Have a great time!
I look at it this way, whether you hike 100 miles or 100 feet, there aren't many places more beautiful to do so than there.
Get a GPS and a GOOD set of walkie talkies. (The GPS prevents you from getting lost, and the walkie-talkies will work where cellphones will not.) If the more experienced folks leave you behind, just stay in touch and catch up in your own time, or just have them meet you back at the car.
Glacier Nat. Park is beautiful. Don't miss it.
About 5000-6000 cu in .The lower cubes are always better is a hiking myth . The reality is that gear takes up space and whatever gear you cannot get in your lower cube pack will wind up lashed to the outside of it.. Personally I would prefer to get a bigger cube pack and have as much as my gear as possible riding on the inside of it,
Get an external frame Kelty Tioga .Sure your buds will make fun of you for buying a new old fashioned pack but nothing beats an external frame for comfortably carrying weights over distances
A couple years ago, some friends and I decided to do 5 night backpacking trip in Glacier and after reading the guidebooks and consulting the maps, we decided to do the section of the Northern Traverse trail that runs from Goat Haunt up to Boulder Pass and back.
Rather than backtrack, it would have been nice to continue to the west and come out of the park at the Kintla Lake ranger station but the logistics of that proved too challenging (it is a long long way between the trail heads). No complaints though as our trip was awesome – I have done a lot of backpacking and I would still say this ranks as my number one trip ever and it matches your requirements pretty close.
Here was our intinerary:
Started at Goat Haunt ranger station (south end of Waterton Lake, you have to go around into Canada and take tour boat across the lake to it – you need your passport on the hike because Goat Haunt is a US port of entry).
1st Day – Goat Haunt to Hawksbill camp (6.5 miles, mostly gradual climb up a pretty mountain valley past Janet Lake). Hawksbill camp is a little boring (would have stayed at Lake Frances, if a spot had been open).
2nd Day – Hawksbill to Hole in the Wall Camp (4 miles, mostly uphill). Hole in the Wall is an amplitheater carved into a high canyon wall by glaciers and now filled with little streams, fields of wildflowers and clumps of trees with jagged peaks rising all around. It is considered one of the most scenic camps in Glacier and I would agree.
3-4 Day – Hole in the Wall to Boulder Pass (3 miles with a lot of uphill) The trail works around the upper part of the bowl and into Boulder Pass on the top which feels like being at the top of the world. Boulder Pass camp was excellent with incredible views of glaciers, valleys and peaks. Another little hanging valley nearby made for excellent exploring. We spent 2 nights here so we could have a day to just relax and explore.
5th Day – Boulder Pass to Frances Lake (10+ miles, but all downhill). Lake Frances is a beautiful lake with an excellent camp right by the shore. A waterfall (coming from the glaciers and snow fields above) feeds into it and you hear it all through the night in the camp.
6th Day – Lake Frances back to Goat Haunt (7.5 miles, but mostly a nice gradual downhill through the valley).
During our trip, we saw a bear, moose, ptarmagins and marmots. We went in late August (the week before Labor Day) and the weather was nice without being too warm or cold (Glacier weather can be unpredictable though). Huckleberry and Thimbleberry bushes full of fruit were all over the place (especially along the lower valley).
Other 5-7 day routes that we also looked into at Glacier included starting at Cut Bank Trailhead, going to Atlantic Creek camp, up to Morning Star Lake camp, across Pitamankan Pass to Oldman Lake camp then over to No Name Lake camp and out at Two Medicine. We also looked at doing the Gunsight trail from Jackson Glacier trailhead (near Saint Mary Lake) up to Gunsight Lake and over Gunsight Pass to Lake Ellen Wilson, Sperry Chalet and down to Lake McDonald on the other side. Unfortunately, many of the ideal routes in Glacier are point to point and require some way of getting between trailheads (which sometimes can be much further apart by road than by trail).
Glacier is a beautiful place and whatever route you chose, I don't think you will be disappointed. Remember though that prime hiking season only lasts a few months (late July through early Sept) and so you want to get your permit reservations in as early as possible especially for the popular routes and camps which fill up fast.
well, it has been a while since i have been to glacier park, but i can tell you that if you go on a full moon. ride the Going to the Sun Road down at midnight…..it is unbelievable.
In Yellowstone, at the Gardener enterance there is a small walk (to short to call a hike) to a place called the Boiling River. It is where the water from Mammoth Hotsprings joins the Gardener River. People go soak there; it is a great spot. Yellowstone is always too crowded for me, but the Beartooth Mountains and/or Crazy Mountains (near Bozeman) are a great place to hike with great trails.
Truthfully, your BEST bet would be to go to Barnes and Noble and buy the Montana Atlas and Gazateer. If you are traveling to MT, it will help you tons.
Enjoy the big sky country
The Avalanche campsite is a good tent campground with two recommended hikes nearby, Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake.
Unlike Avalanche, the Sprauge Creek campground is a tent only campground that is also near many hiking trails and alongside Lake McDonald. This campground is near the Going-to-the-Sun Road so it does get some traffic noise.
A third option is Rising Sun Campground on the north shore of St. Mary Lake. It is within hiking distance of three waterfalls although there are not as many hiking options as the previous two campgrounds.
All three campgrounds are only open from May-Sept.
I, too, am heading to Glacier in August, and have checked out a few guide books from our local library. It's a great way to orient yourself. Also, there is a ton of information on the NPS website, including photos and videos in a format they call eTours and eHikes.
We'll be hanging out mostly along the Going-to-the-Sun road, but we also plan trips to Many Glacier and Two Medicine Lakes… we're hoping to find it a little less crowded at Two Medicine Lakes, but the scenery still looks just as incredible.
Have a great trip!
If you plan to take pictures on the western side of the continental divide as you traverse the Going-to-the-Sun Road, you better not be driving. There are few places to pull over and you need to concentrate on the road. You’ll know what I mean when you see this engineering marvel. It literally hangs off the cliffs. In my opinion, it is one of, if not thee most scenic roads in North America and perhaps the world. The views are drop-dead gorgeous. Pictures cannot do it justice. If scenic beauty is the measuring stick, then Glacier NP is the crown jewel of our National Park System.
As far as direction is concerned, lighting is a function of the time of day. If you start the drive in the morning, the east to west approach will be best for photos taken on the eastern side. If you start the drive in the afternoon, the west to east approach will be best for photos taken on the western side. At mid-day when the lighting is flat and the shadows short, you should be able to get decent pictures (but not the best) of either side of the mountain.
The drive is not so long that you can’t do it more than once. The first time I drove the Going-to-the-Sun Road I did it from west to east. I hung out at Apgar on the western shore of Lake McDonald until mid-afternoon before starting up the road. The sun was still high enough that there wasn’t too much glare when shooting photos looking west. A polarizing filter might help reduce the glare and saturate colors. There are very few places where you can actually pull over to take a photo. If you’re lucky and all alone on the road, you can stop for a minute to take a photo before moving on. Other than that, you best leave the picture taking to a passenger. I took just a few pictures of the eastern side that day because of the less than ideal lighting. Instead, I drove back up the road the following morning going from east to west and stopping at Logan Pass.
I found that the pictures I took of the western side on the first day were somewhat disappointing. But, it wasn’t because of the lighting. The reason they were disappointing is because it’s impossible for the camera to capture what my eyes saw. The views were so majestic and awe inspiring that they were impossible to photograph. Perhaps someone will the skill and talent of Ansel Adams could do it but for me it was impossible.
My photos of the eastern side better reflected what I saw. Not because the views were less grand than the western side but because the rugged snow covered mountain peaks, deep sculpted valleys, waterfalls and long morning shadows made for much better pictures than the grand open expanses of the west.
Take your pictures but don’t forget to spend some time drinking in the views. The photos cannot compare to what the mind remembers. One other thing – Glacier is grizzly country so if you plan to hike you should consider carrying bear spray. It could save your life.