A trip to Glacier National Park
I have been fortunate to travel to many beautiful places around the world, but Glacier National Park is very special to me for many reasons. While I traveled pre-COVID in 2019, the trip is still fresh in my mind. My 14-year-old son and I made an impromptu trip, taking advantage of my wife's travel to India. In addition to the scintillating views, Montana offered great activities for a perfect bonding with my teen, something that I encourage everyone to try once in a while.
Glacier National Park is located in Montana on the US-Canada border. To get to the Park from other states, you need to fly into Kalispell, Montana. Summer (May-September) is the peak season for visiting the park and exploring the glacier properly.
The park has seven entrances, but the West Entrance is the most popular and easiest to access. There are many beautiful motels inside the park, which you can find here. However, these hotels are difficult to book on short notice in the summer. If you plan ad-hoc like me, you will have to stay at hotels outside the park, most of which are in the Kalispell/Whitefish area. I recommend staying in Kalispell for at least a few days during your visit. Kalispell hotels are more modern, and you also find a lot of great dining options, much needed after a long, tiring trip to the park. I stayed at SpringHill Suites, about 40 minutes from the West Entrance to the park.
Activities Outside the park
While there are many things to do in the park, you should not miss out on the activities outside the park. A great place to spend a day is Whitefish Mountain Resort, where you can do scenic lift rides, Zip lines, hiking, and other fun-filled family activities.
Glacier Rafting Company offers Whitewater rafting in Flathead River, which is both a thrilling and scenic family experience around the park.
The West Entrance
I recommend starting the exploration with the "Going-to-the-Sun" road, which starts at the West entrance, goes through the continental divide at Logan Pass, and ends at the East entrance. Remember, the trip through this road is not about the destination but the journey. Throughout the trip, you will enjoy the breathtaking views of the mountain ranges, waterfalls, flora, and fauna. This road trip is easily one of the best you will find in the US.
Tip: I highly recommend purchasing an audio tour from GuideAlong, formerly known as GyPSy Guide. Start it on your phone as soon as you enter the Western Entrance of the park. The audio tour was extremely helpful for us in navigating the path, identifying key places to visit, and learning the park's history.
Food options are very limited during this drive. At the beginning of the journey, you get a few options at Apgar Village and Lake McDonald Lodge. I suggest you pack some food there before continuing the journey. After crossing Lake McDonald Lodge, the next proper option to eat is at the end of the journey at St Mary's Lodge. We made the mistake of not packing food and had to survive on chocolates and cookies until we reached St Mary's Lodge in the evening (around 5 PM). Having said that, I had my best Beet Salad at this place!
Hiking Options
Glacier National Park is a hiking haven for enthusiasts of all ranges. The park has various hiking trails with different difficulty levels clearly marked. Even for a family with young kids, hiking can be an absolutely fun trip. We went on a moderate hiking trail of Iceberg Lake , which took us about half a day to explore leisurely. This trail starts at the Many Glacier location, just behind the Swift Current motor inn.
Visiting Many Glacier, Two Medicine Lake
If you are in the Kalispell area and visiting Many Glacier for trails like Iceberg Lake or Grinnell Glacier, note that it takes about a 3-hour drive to reach the start of the trail at Swift Current Motor Inn. Factor that into your plan, and pack enough food from Swift Current Motor Inn before you start your journey.
Visiting areas like Many Glacier and Two Medicine Lake from Kalispell can be a huge pain if you plan to do a lot of activities there. There are no hotels on the park's eastern side unless you book the hotels inside the park well in advance. For this reason, we booked an Airbnb in East Glacier Park for a few nights so we could cover these areas without driving 3-4 hours from Kalispell. The Airbnb we stayed at was old but decent and 15 minutes from the Two Medicine Lake. The food wasn't great, but it was fine for a 2-night stay.
The cell coverage was non-existent inside the park four years ago, and I doubt if things have improved now. I strongly suggest offline maps for easy navigation, especially when heading toward East Glacier Park. The eastern side is less populated, so be prepared for long, lonely drives in the evening without any cell signal and people in the vicinity. Check the gas levels frequently and ensure you have sufficient gas in the car before entering the park. Although it might sound scary, a properly planned trip will avoid any pitfalls and help create a very positive experience.
Happy vacation!
