Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park

It’s been a few years since I last traveled to Glacier National Park, but it’s stunning. Located in Northwest Montana,I recall the drive from Bozeman being about 4-5 hours, and the building excitement as we got closer. This park is not for the faint of heart, if you’re going to camp here you need the right gear. We went in late August, and at the time all I had was a 20 degree sleeping bag and even then I still recall being a little chilly.

About the Park:

Glacier National Park is home to nearly 700 miles of hiking trails, 110 of which are along the continental divide, which spans the park North to South. Many day hikes are available in the park as well as back-country camping with campsites. However, much of the backcountry camping and hiking is inaccessible till early to mid-June due to snow pack and avalanche risks at the higher altitudes.

My personal favorite from when I traveled to Glacier was the Iceberg Lake trail, a 9.3 mile trek that features a lake nestled in the basin between a couple mountains. It rarely gets sun exposure, so as such there are icebergs floating in the middle of this crystal blue lake.

Glacier is also home to some of the finest fly fishing in the country. A permit is not required to fish in park waters. The threatened bull trout must be released immediately back to the water if caught; otherwise, the regulations on limits of catch per day are liberal.

The recommended times to go to Glacier are June-September. However, May and October are do-able, but the higher elevations of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, including Logan Pass, may be blocked by snow.

Getting Around:

The park offers a variety of shuttle services, including a free hop on, hop off shuttle system that runs point-to-point along the Going-to-the-Sun Road between the Apgar Visitor Center and St. Mary Visitor Center. A fee-based shuttle service, operated by Xanterra, runs from the St. Mary Visitor Center and Many Glacier Hotel/Swiftcurrent Motor Inn and connects to the Going-to-the-Sun Road shuttle.

Where to Stay:

Campgrounds- https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/camping.htm

What you need:

3 Season Tent

Sleeping Pad

Sleeping Bag

Stove

Pots/Pans

Lantern

Binoculars

Hiking Boots

Backpacks

Sunscreen

First Aid Kit

Multipurpose Tool

Re-fillable water bottle

Hiking Boots

Rain Jacket

Synthetic Layers

Camera

Bear Spray (available for purchase at all Glacier National Park Lodge retail locations)