Travel, USA

A Weekend at Glacier National Park

While Montana may not be the first state that comes to mind for a getaway, it has so much to offer. The rugged terrain, beautiful rolling hills and miles of incredible roads to drive can fill anyone with a sense of wanderlust and maybe a teeny bit of curiosity as to what farm life may be like. After all, the landscape is filled with cute barns and hay fields, and the population of the whole state (1 million) is a quarter of the population of Los Angeles alone (4 million). But what it lacks in hustle and bustle, it more than makes up for in scenery. And few places in the nation are as beautiful as Glacier National Park.

Glacier National Park, also known as the crown gem of the continent (that’s right—the entire CONTINENT), is a truly impressive park spanning 1,583 square miles (4,101 square km). The views are akin to Banff National Park in Canada, with stunning trails, sweeping vistas, colorful wildflowers, energetic wildlife and—you guessed it—GLACIERS. While you can see MUCH beauty simply driving around Going-to-the-Sun Road (the main fairway through the park, much of the most awe-inspiring viewpoints at Glacier can only be seen while hiking, making it a hiker’s dream park.

I would highly recommend staying a full week if you have the time, as this allows you flexibility to see as much as possible while giving you leeway for any trail closures due to bear activity, wildfires, snow or other roadblocks. We had a few must-do hikes planned, but some of them never opened while we were there due to bear activity. If a bear is spotted on a trail, the trail will close until there are three subsequent days without any sightings.


THINGS TO NOTE FOR GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

BEARS – OH MY!

Glacier is home to a sizable bear population, including roughly 300 grizzly bears. Make sure to take bear spray with you! Our wonderful hotel Duck Inn Lodge had spray that they loaned us, but you can also buy this (and a bear bell if you desire) anywhere in the area surrounding the park. Be cognizant of your surroundings, don’t take food out while you’re hiking and avoid twilight hours when bears may be more active. We opted to wait until sunrise to do some of our hikes as we did not want to be the only ones on the trail and stumble upon unsuspecting bears.

COVID CLOSURES (East Glacier)

In a normal season, you can drive straight through Glacier from the west side of the park to the east side via the Going-to-the-Sun Road (50 miles). But during 2020, the entire east side of the park was closed, and there’s a ticketed entry system being planned for Summer 2021. Please be mindful of this, and check for park closures on the park website ahead of your arrival.

GETTING THERE

There are a few different ways you can get to Glacier National Park: Planes, Trains and Automobiles (but really, though).

PLANE: if you are flying into Glacier National Park, the nearest airport is in Kalispell and aptly named “Glacier National Park International Airport.” My direct flight from LAX was roughly 3 hours and $300 roundtrip.

TRAIN: If you fancy a smooth ride, WiFi and a great window view, Amtrak’s Empire Builder route has three different stations servicing Glacier Park.

  • East Glacier Station: Usually open April – October
  • Essex Station: Spot just outside park between East and West entrances
  • West Glacier Station: Located about 2 miles from Agpar Visitor Center within the park

AUTOMOBILE: Regardless of how you get to Montana, you will definitely need to have or rent a car once you’re there. Depending on where you’re driving from within, there is a lot to see along the way (Banff National Park from the North, Badlands National Park from the West, Yellowstone/Grand Teton National Park from the South, Mt. Rainier National Park/Seattle/Portland from the West).

NOTE: If you want to rent an SUV once you arrive to Kalispell, make sure you book your car far in advance. When we were making our booking in July a few weeks before our August trip, all SUVs were sold out through OCTOBER! We liked our sedan, but driving an SUV is easier for high clearance on dirt roads.

WHAT TO PACK

What you pack will depend on the season, but it’s not called “Glacier” for nothing! We went the beginning of August and while Kalispell, Whitefish and surrounding areas were all in the 90s F, the mountains are a different story. We were FREEZING on some of our hikes. I’ve also seen photos from friends posting in July where the trails are all covered in snow. So whatever the weather report tells you, be sure to bring layers! You will also want to pack bug spray, a first aid kit, sunscreen and hiking boots.


WHERE TO STAY

We opted to stay in Whitefish, which is roughly a 30-min drive (26 miles) to Glacier National Park’s west entrance.  Whitefish is a little closer to the park than Kalispell, and the town is simply adorable.  We stayed at Duck Inn Lodge, which offered lovely views of the river and daily delicious breakfast (still drool when I think of the egg omelet/casserole of the day!).  The adorable property is run by Tyler, Mark and Alyssa, who are very friendly and were great resources for our questions about the area.


FAVORITE PHOTO SPOTS

Now the part you’ve all been waiting for! Here are some of my favorite photo spots from our time at Glacier:

GOING-TO-THE-SUN ROAD

There’s honestly so much beauty to see right from the road at Glacier National Park. Many of my favorite shots were taken just by pulling over the side of the road (make sure you always park in a designated pullout)! I especially love getting photos around the Logan Pass area.

LAKE MCDONALD

No trip to Glacier National Park is complete without visiting Lake McDonald. In fact, it would be rather difficult to see the park without stumbling upon this 10-mile long lake. Conveniently located near the west entrance and running parallel to the Going-to-the-Sun Road, Lake McDonald is warmer than a lot of the other lakes as it is not comprised of glacial water (we actually saw steam coming off of it the morning that we visited).

PHOTO TIP: Visit Lake McDonald for sunrise, when the sun emerges from behind the mountains and lights up the water through the mist! You’ll likely have it all to yourself as well—save for a few photographers. If you want to take photos on the dock, route your GPS to Apgar Loop.

HIDDEN LAKE TRAIL

Hidden Lake Trail was hands down my favorite hike at Glacier National Park. In my opinion, it was the most rewarding in terms of the views-to-miles ratio. Every step we took was surrounded by stunning vistas, colorful wildflowers and wildlife (from marmots and goats to chipmunks and a longhorn sheep in the distance). Because this hike is so popular and the Logan Pass parking lot is the primary starting point for a few different well-known trails, make sure to arrive early in the morning. We found out this trail had reopened (after previously being closed due to bear activity) late in the morning, so arrived around 12pm and circled the parking lot for a full hour before we found a space!

PHOTO TIP: The overlook is a great resting point, but the best views of the lake are a little further down the path. Continue on as though you’re going all the way down, and stop at some of the stunning spots as you go!

Distance: 2.6 miles (roundtrip) to the overlook; 5.2 miles (roundtrip) to the lake
Trail Difficulty Rating: 8.05 (Moderate)
Parking: Logan Pass

ST. MARY’S FALLS & VIRGINIA FALLS

The hike to St. Mary’s Falls was honestly far more enjoyable than we expected! This hike was heavily trafficked and definitely the easiest of all the treks we embarked on. A mix of waterfalls, mountain views, lakes and woodland trees—what more could you want? Would definitely recommend this one for families. Parking is limited, so try to hit up this spot early as well.

TIP: There are unmarked waterfalls on this hike that are so beautiful, we didn’t even realize we hadn’t made it all the way to the last set of falls and turned around! Keep going—it’s worth it!



Distance: 1.7 miles (roundtrip)
Difficulty: 2.13 (easy)

WILD GOOSE ISLAND

This one is a simple pull-over-the-side-of-the-road-and-get-a-shot kind of thing. Wild Goose Island reminded me a bit of Spirit Island in Maligne Lake (Jasper National Park, Canada). This adorable island is a photographer’s dream—especially on a calm day at St. Mary’s Lake (it was insanely windy when we visited!).

FUN FACT: Wild Goose Island is the tiny island in the first scene of Stanley Kubrick’s film, “The Shining.”

HIGHLINE TRAIL (TO GRINNELL GLACIER OVERLOOK)

Distance to Haystack Pass: 7.2 miles (roundtrip)
Distance to Granite Park Chalet: 14.9 miles (roundtrip)
Distance to Grinnell Glacier Overlook: 15.5 miles (roundtrip)
Difficulty: 21.16 (strenuous)
Parking: Logan Pass

This heavily trafficked hike is one of Glacier National Park’s most famous—and for good reason! While a difficult endeavor with narrow pathways (some cliffside with ropes for you to hold onto as you walk) and steep switchbacks, this hike is surrounded by beautiful views. If you go all the way (which we did not), you’ll be rewarded with an overlook view of Grinnell Glacier. Definitely want to revisit one day and do the complete hike!


everything to know for glacier national park - guide
Lifestyle, North America, Travel, USA

24 Hours in Death Valley National Park

I am so excited to share with you guys about Death Valley, and truly don’t know why it took me so long to finally visit. We were only here for 24 hours, but even so, this strange destination left such an impact on me. Few places have made me feel more like I’m on another planet than this jaw-dropping landscape.

zabriskie-point-death-valley-view-couple-goals-california-usa

This desert national park located on the border of California and Nevada is truly otherworldly, has become one of my favorite road trips to take from Southern California. The harsh climate and fascinating history from the Native American inhabitants to the craze of the Gold Rush and mining colonies make this land lost in time a fascinating place, and exploring the scattered ghost towns or ruins will cause you to feel like you’re in the Wild West.

Continue reading “24 Hours in Death Valley National Park”