Before our adventure to Glacier National Park, many people said that we needed to enjoy everything we saw up until that point because nothing would compare once we saw Glacier. Glacier was beautiful, but to say that nothing compares is like comparing apples to oranges. Yellowstone, with its geysers and natural beauty, is just as breathtaking as Glacier but in a different way.
We started our trip with the iconic Road to the Sun. People advised that we might not be able to travel this road in our Dodge dually pickup and Ford F350 long bed, but we had no trouble. It is a slow and tight journey, but if you take your time it is very enjoyable. Parking is an issue in most pull off spots but there is plenty to see just riding in your vehicle.
We were able to find a spot to park at Logan Pass and were rewarded with mountain goats walking down the mountain, into the parking lot, for an up close photographic opportunity.
The lakes along the way were crystal clear with multi-colored rocks that shone in the sunlight.
One of our favorite places in Glacier was Two Medicine. This area is less visited by tourists thus making for an enjoyable day. There is a beautiful lake with hiking trails that are designed for the hiker looking for less strenuous hiking and trails for those who enjoy a more robust hiking experience. Which ever you choose, there is reason for celebration at the end! There are beautiful falls and meadows along the hiking trails.
Many Glacier, on the upper east side above St. Mary, is very pretty but very crowded. There are limited parking spaces available and when the lot is full, the NPS Rangers close the entry gate until parking spaces become available, generally until the morning hikers are finished and begin to leave in the afternoon. We waited 2 hours outside the gate, on the side of the road, before being able to go into Many Glacier. Once parked, we quickly realized that to see anything in Many Glacier you had to hike. The Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, located next to the parking area, offers accommodations, good food, and a beautiful setting. Traveling with a young man in a wheelchair, part of our group had to head back because the trails were not wheelchair accessible. We hiked up to Red Rock Falls and were excited to see a Grizzly bear way off in the distance on the side of the mountain.
St Mary’s area of Glacier is the east entry for the Road to the Sun, and is a beautiful drive with meadows, wild flowers, and St Mary’s lake. It is a different view than the west side of Glacier but equally as pretty. One of the most photographed places, Goose Island, is on the east side of the park. We were fortunate to see a black bear in the meadow and were able to capture an interesting photograph when he stood up to look around.
We took a day trip to Waterton Lakes on the Canadian side of Glacier. The town was quaint with cute shops and ice cream parlors. Most of the roads were closed due to the fires from 2017. The lakes at Waterton were breathtaking. The water was crystal clear with a beautiful shoreline and marina.
One of our favorite, most unexpected, days was a trip up the west side of Glacier. We drove 85 miles on unpaved roads heading for Kintla Lake and Bowman Lake. The very rough roads were well worth the jarred spine to see the beauty of this area. Because most people won’t make the drive, the area was not crowded. We happened upon the very quaint 2 building town of Polebridge. The Polebridge Mercantile has an amazing bakery with huckleberry bear claws and homemade breads and cookies. The saloon next door has a limited menu of burgers and sandwiches but well worth the stop for a late dinner after exploring the lakes. Outdoor seating with perfect light as the sun was setting was a wonderful plus.
While in this area, you will get your fill of huckleberries. They are everywhere! Huckleberry ice cream is delicious as was the huckleberry pie. They even have huckleberry beer.
