What can I do in Red Lodge in June?

Hi there forum experts

I%26#39;m planning to fly into Billings, and drive through the Beartooth highway to enter Yellowstone NP. Reaching Billings on Day 1 2pm, I have my first two nights that I intend to stay outside Yellowstone; which I%26#39;m thinking of doing 1 night in Red Lodge and 1 night in Cooke City.

What can I do in Red Lodge (in mid June) if I choose to stay there? I reckon road trip from Billings to Red Lodge will take me no more than 2hrs, so am wondering if there are things to do there, either on day 1 afternoon, or day 2 morning, before I embark on Beartooth hwy. (P.S. I%26#39;m not into golfing and I guess there%26#39;s no skiing in June. Like sightseeing and nature stuff.)

Thanks!

What can I do in Red Lodge in June?

Walk and shop on the cute main street, look at pretty views from everywhere, hike to Greeno Lake (or further) at the base of the pass , head out to BearCreek Tavern, drive over to Roscoe and East Rosebud Lake, go up to the ski area, hit the bakery, look at the old postcards at Flash%26#39;s, walk along Rock Creek, take in dinner and a show at the Round Barn...

http://www.redlodge.com/default.asp

Flying into Bozeman, then off to ...? Suggestions?

Hi everyone.

Well I had my first trip to Yellowstone planned for the last two months, then I get a call this week from the airline telling me that the Jackson airport is going to be shutdown the week we are there (May 20-27) and now we are flying into Bozeman.

However, we WERE going to stay one night in Jackson before heading up to Gardiner for the rest of the trip, so now I have one day to explore some place new before Gardiner.

Can anyone give me some suggestions on what you would do/where you would go if you were me, before heading to Gardiner?

We are coming up there for the relaxation. Wherever we go does not have to be nice, and prefer quiet and rustic. Would love to spend a day fly fishing somewhere in the middle of nowhere!!! Or just somewhere we could explore nature for the day.

Things I%26#39;ve considered: GNP and Beartooth Hwy

GNP is just too far north to go I think to drive up there, then right back down, so I%26#39;m thinking something west or east of Bozeman. I would LOVE to drive over to Red Lodge, then take Beartooth through Cooke City and into Gardiner, but I don%26#39;t know if it will be open in time??

Sorry for the long post, but I would truly appreciate all of your opinions.

Consider this your trip ... what would you do?

Thanks

Kevin

Flying into Bozeman, then off to ...? Suggestions?

Beartooth may well not be open yet by May 20.

Were it me and I had to ';check up'; short of Gardiner I would probably spend a night just up the road at Chico Hot Springs and have a good soak in the hot water. The restaurant there is excellent. There are other places from Bozeman you could explore but there is basicaly only the one way in to Gardiner, via the Paradise Valley, so would involve back tracking. From Chico you could pass through Gardiner, drop down into YNP and even make a day trip all the to GTNP and then back north to check in. Similarly if Beartooth is open you could pass through YNP to go up there and back track to Gardiner.

Flying into Bozeman, then off to ...? Suggestions?

Beartooth will not be opened. What about a side trip to Cody and enjoy the museums. Take a day and go thru Grand Tetons and spend the night in Jackson if you have the time. We were there late May/early June of 2007 and 2008.

Bozeman itself is a great town. Lots of things to do there.

Main Street is cute and fun, Museum of the Rockies is very well done, highlighting the work of Jack Horner, noted Montana paleontologist and local history. Have a piece of pie at the Western Cafe for a local experience. Go fishing on a destination trout stream -- the Gallatin River runs on the north edge of town. There are outfitters all over to take you fishing if you%26#39;ve never been. This is a different kind of fishing than bait fishing -- give it a try.

If you want to get out of town, there are hotsprings in Four Corners west of Bozeman and in Norris

(great fishing on the Madison) a little further West. Just north of Norris is Lewis and Clark Caverns. Not too far in that direction (great fishing on the Jefferson) is Butte, a fascinating historical city largely unaffected by time. Go to the Mining Museum there, and the Mineral Room on college campus (formerly known as School of Mines). Have a pasty at Joe%26#39;s, or a pork chop tenderloin sandwich at Pork Chop Johns.

I would not go to Cody that day because it is too long of a drive for the payoff. I love Cody, and you should go, but it is far for a day trip from Bozeman and back to Gardiner. Remember, time slows down when you go through the park.

The Bozeman to Columbus to Absarokee to Red Lodge trip to Gardiner is a classic if the road is open. Just keep checking.

Livingston is a fun town, too.

There is river rafting on the Yellowstone near Chico, and Chico itself is a very worthy stop. You don%26#39;t have to stay overnight there to swim.

Thank you all for the replies.

I think the museums would be great to tour, but I probably would not drive a long distance just to go.

The fishing, wildlife and outdoors are our main objective. I was born and raised on Arkansas%26#39;s White and Little Red Rivers, so I%26#39;ve been fly fishing for a long time.

However, I know that we are going to miss the Yellowstone fishing season, one of the reasons I want to stay in Montana that first day, so I can get my flies in the water!!

I will be traveling with my 65 year old grandmother, so probably will not be much on the swimming or rafting (but definitely one of these days!)

Would still love to hear everyone%26#39;s opinions. Thanks!

Sorry, still me, just posting under my wife%26#39;s account because she was already signed in!!

Generally, the projected opening date of the Beartooth Pass is Memorial Weekend which this year is early (May 23-25). The highway department works really hard on plowing the road because its always been a big tourism event. Most years they get it opened by then but it can close quickly if there is a snowstorm. Usually they get it back opened the next day. Last year was an unusually wet and cool Spring so the opening was delayed. The pass also closed a couple of times (for a day or two) in June. If you go to my profile you can see what the top of the pass looked like in the end of June last year. In the 30 years I%26#39;ve been going up over the pass (multiple times each year) last year was the first time there has been that much snow (next to the highway) that late in the year. There have been many times I%26#39;ve gone up the weekend after Memorial Weekend and there is hardly any snow. I remember going over the pass 15 years ago and watching skiers use the extreme ski school at the top of the pass in mid July. This year the Beartooths have gotten quite a bit of snow. However, the last two days here it has been over 80 so that melts snow pretty quickly. I don%26#39;t know what the long term May weather outcast is predicting.

If you can be really flexible and don%26#39;t mind last minute changes I%26#39;d keep the idea of going over the pass open. It is definately worth driving over it. The status of the pass is posted on the Montana Department of Transportation website:

http://www.mdt.mt.gov/travinfo/

Thank you so much for the link. I%26#39;ve been looking for that.

Yeah I really had my heart said on Beartooth. I guess I could plan for that, and then have a back-up plan.

I would not necessarily mind backtracking from the Red Lodge area, back into Bozeman and down to Gardiner if you guys think that the Red Lodge/ Absarooka area would be worth it for me?

Any lodging that you know of with fishing out the back door???

Thanks~!

Hmmm. If you%26#39;re flying into Bozeman, spending one night there, and then onto YNP . . . maybe spend your first night at the Gallatin River Lodge http://www.grlodge.com/, and do a little fishing right there at the lodge?

Considering all the snow dumped on that area this past week, it%26#39;s highly doubtful the Beartooth Pass will be open by the time you arrive, so I wouldn%26#39;t plan on it. But, as another advisor posted, you never know . . . if the pass is open, plan for an entire full day from Bozeman east to Red Lodge, over the pass and back west through Cooke City to your destination in Gardiner.

Another spot for fishing is in Ennis MT, a little over an hour away from Bozeman. Not sure how the fishing is early in the season.

www.ennischamber.com

Ennis has a lake, from which the Madison River flows. Below the Bear Trap Canyon you can fish the Madison without a boat, but you%26#39;d want waders and gear. The Madison is a blue-ribbon trout stream known for huge trout.

Be sure to check in to local fishing rules for catch and release, and get the appropriate license.

Is there a link for when/where GTTSR is open or closed?

Both for construction and the opening and closing for the season.

Thanks.

Kent

Is there a link for when/where GTTSR is open or closed?

Hi Kent,

I have been watching these links like a hawk for our June trip!:

鈥ps.gov/applications/鈥oadstatus.cfm

鈥ps.gov/applications/鈥ttsroadplowstatus.cfm

Regards,

Rob

Is there a link for when/where GTTSR is open or closed?

Thanks, Rob. I went last year for the 1st time about July 8 and I don%26#39;t think GTTSR opened until the first part of July, but they got a lot of snow in 2008. While I was there the wind blew 25 to 40 mph on the eastern side for 4 or 5 days and it sure took some of the fun out of the trip. The lakes had white caps on them. I%26#39;m an amateur photographer and I was thinking about going again--- maybe in late Aug or early Sept and hoping for better weather (less wind).

Kent

Driving time questions

Hi all --

We are looking to visit Glacier NP in late June, probably before GTTS road is open. Please advise probable driving times between these points:

1. Kalispell to Many Glacier, via US 2.

2. Many Glacier to Waterton

3. Waterton to Calgary

Thanks!!!

Dara

Driving time questions

Kalispell to Many Glacier will be 2-3 hours.

Many Glacier to Waterton about an hour.

Waterton to Calgary about 3 hours.

Driving time questions

Yep, that sounds about right to me! 2. and 3. depend on how long it takes to get through customs, but hikes%26#39; estimates are good.

Thanks a lot!!!

Dara

whitefish with preschooler

Looking for an active summer vacation with our little one, and considering renting a house at Whitefish. How warm are nearby lakes, and is there a large sandy beach?

whitefish with preschooler

Not sure what the temp of Whitefish Lake in summer however our kids have never complained it is too cold! City Beach has a nice sandy area, very gradual drop which makes it great for little ones. Bathrooms and snack shack as well. There are a couple of other beach access areas but I am not familier with them. City beach also has lifeguards.

Prettiest spots between Yellowstone and Glacier?

We have decided that now we just want the most scenic spot to stay the night between Yellowstone and Glacier.

We are looking for small towns, mountains and wildlife.

Your suggestions are most appreciated! :)

Prettiest spots between Yellowstone and Glacier?

It%26#39;s all scenic -- are you headed to East or West Glacier?

Prettiest spots between Yellowstone and Glacier?

We stayed in Polson, MT. We were in a Best Western right on Flathead Lake. Great views from our balcony. Wife really liked it. From there, nice drive north along the eastern side of the lake. We stopped at the National Bison Range on the way and were still there by 4:00PM.

We were headed to Swiftcurrent on the eastern side of the park from there. We got checked in around noon at Swiftcurrent.

montanahotels.org/cities/Polson/hotel/58128/

Look at the pictures.

eye make up

Jacob's Island Bark Park

Is anyone familiar with this dog park? We will be in Missoula for 1 night in late June and will have our dog with us.

What is the park like?

I have looked at the online info provided by the city and have found some pictures of the park. It looks nice in the pictures.

Are there good swimming ops for our dog in the river?

It looked like there was river access.

Are most of the dogs that go there friendly do the owners keep track of their dogs?

We don%26#39;t really do dog parks out here - too many people bring their aggressive dogs into the park, turn them loose and then ignore them until there is a fight.

If we brought our dog%26#39;s Chuck-it, would that cause massive problems with other dogs?

Thanks for any information you can offer us!

Jacob's Island Bark Park

From what I recall, most of the dogs that go there are friendly and the owners do seem to keep track of them. The park goes right down to the river, but I%26#39;m unsure of swimming opportunities in early June as the Milltown Dam (upstream of Missoula) has been removed and no one is quite sure what this year%26#39;s run-off event will be like.

I don%26#39;t think any toys you bring will cause massive problems as most seem to bring toys for their dogs or bring them there for easy access to the river.

west yellowstone lodge

did anybody stay there,good/bad

any pictures of hotel?

west yellowstone lodge

Here is their website

http://yellowstonelodge.com/

west yellowstone lodge

I stayed there in 2007 and it was fine. Nothing fancy but clean and nice. We stayed in a corner room and had lots of space which was nice since there were 4 adults. The pool area is a little small but nice and clean. What we liked is that they have differant size rooms some even with 4 queens. I think all room had a mini fridge but double check the website to be sure and some have microwaves. The breakfast area has free wifi and breakfast was average and I believe they had waffle makers. We are staying again this year for 2 nights in July. It is perfectly nice and I had no problems with rude staff that has been reported in reviews tha I was a little worried about however it is also nothing special so depending upon you expectations you should be fine.

oops I meant 3 queens. Sorry

August Temps, Air conditioning

Some friends and I are looking to visit Yellowstone this Aug. The lodging we%26#39;re planning to book (in West Yellowstone) doesn%26#39;t have air conditioning. I really hate being hot at night, but it looks like the evening temps are in the high 30%26#39;s low 40%26#39;s? That should cool the room down quickly, if it%26#39;s accurate! Could someone who has been there in the past few years speak to their experience with the weather? Thanks!

August Temps, Air conditioning

Yes, it cools down quickly. Despite the vegetation due to altitude the air is seldom humid and the area basically arid. Dry air (and thin air) cools (and heats) faster - basically as in a desert. Once the sun goes down, especially if it is clear out, any daytime heat will radiate away pretty fast. If not clear then chances are the day did not heat up that much to begin with and there is likely a good breeze too. The muggy humid gulf air that invades the Midwest and makes for sleepless nights without A/C never makes it to Yellowstone. Air there comes from the Pacific and is wrung out over many rows of mountain ranges on the way.

Record high temps in August average around 82掳F with the worst ever 91掳 in 1969. Between 1971 and 2000 the highest August mean daily minimum temp was 44.5掳 - meaning the average of the highest overnight temp seen in each August in that period. The highest mean temp was 83.5掳. The absolute highest overnight low from 1924 to 2004 was 58掳 in 1968 and 1983. Data from: www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?mtwesy

So it is pretty much a slam dunk it will be comfortably cool (if not chilly) at some point every night. A good reason for lodging operators not to invest in A/C.

how many days needed to see yellowstone?

we plan on driving from Boise to Yellowstone over memorial weekend...will it be too cold? how many days should we plan on staying?

thanks!!

Cari

how many days needed to see yellowstone?

Good morning Cari,

Of all the things that we CAN tell you about Yellowstone, the weather is about the hardest to guess, especially in May and early June. Being a regular springtime visitor myself, I can tell you that springtime is my favorite time to be in Yellowstone, with all the park waking up from the long winter, and the newborn bison and elk calves romping around, the bears coming out of hibernation with their new cubs, and even possible wolf pups to see. However, the greater Yellowstone area doesn%26#39;t usually get a ';standard'; spring like a lot of the country does. It can go from winter right into summer, and that can happen within a 24 hour period anytime between early May and mid June! So, ';will it be cold?'; We could see temps anywhere from the 20s like we had on a few occasions last year, into the 70s like we had in 2007. ';Normally'; by Memorial Day weekend there are more springlike days than winter,and any winter weather, including snowfall does not last that long. But it can always be a guessing game. The best suggestion is to dress in layers, and come prepared for anything!

How long to stay is pretty much a personal thing. Everyone comes to YNP expecting something different. Some folks are happy with a drive-through.... NOT recommended at all! While others, myself included, can not get enough of it. For first time visitors we usually recommend at least 3 or 4 days to allow time to get a good taste of everything. Then when you%26#39;re ready to plan that return trip, you%26#39;ll have a better understanding of the size and character of Yellowstone, and all there is to experience in this awesome place!

The ';bad news'; is ... If you do not have lodging reservations by now, your chances of finding anything inside the park are getting worse by the hour. You might try this toll free number for the lodging agent, Xanterra 1-866-439-7375 to see what might still be available. If you can%26#39;t, or don%26#39;t want to stay inside the park, you should be able to find motels in any of the surrounding towns. West Yellowstone offers the most choices for eating and lodging, with Gardiner, and Cooke City coming in second and third. Jackson and Cody are great to visit, but a bit too far out to make good bases for YNP.

Enjoy your visit, and I%26#39;m sure that you will have a great time!

how many days needed to see yellowstone?

I agree that 4 days is good. Three will leave you feeling like you saw a lot. Since you%26#39;re driving from Boise, I assume you%26#39;ll have some warm clothes with you not just Florida things. Might still be winter when you get there.

I%26#39;d call the number in the previous post relentlessly (daily). The economy is still in the tank and there may well be more cancellations between now and late May.

You might find some helpful information on our website. There%26#39;s a trip report from early last June, sample itineraries, planning information and a lot of pictures with comments.

www.alandsuejohnson.com/yellowstone_home.htm

thank you for the info...we are going to postpone our trip until July..when we will have more time to spend.

cari

Sounds like a good plan. You%26#39;ll be glad you waited until you have the extra time to spend in the Park.

If you know when you%26#39;ll be visiting, I would suggest you call the above number ASAP to get your lodging reserved.

Come back with any further questions!

where would you recommend staying? Do not like to rough it!

thank you again.

Rental car companies out of Spokane that charge extra

Checking to see if anyone has done any research or ran into any issues with renting a car in Spokane and driving to Glacier National Park. I found (what I thought) was a good deal renting from Dollar Rent-a-Car in Spokane. I booked, then happened to read the fine print that said if you drive the car outside of WA, OR, or ID that it would be an additional $0.32/mile for the entire length of the rental! And if you drive it to Canada it is another $12/day! I re-booked at a slightly higher rate through Alamo, but couldn%26#39;t find any fine print stating those policies. I%26#39;m going to make sure to call them to double-check though. My plan was to re-book the car if any rates looked good between now and our departure date. But I%26#39;m concerned that other rental companies will have similar policies that aren%26#39;t stated well...then we get burned when we go to rent our car. Anybody have any advice?

Thanks

Rental car companies out of Spokane that charge extra

Found that to be true when we rented out of Denver last year. Really have to read the fine print.

Rental car companies out of Spokane that charge extra

We are also flying to Spokane and driving to Glacier this coming August. I was going through the same thing, originally booked with Thrifty on what I thought was good rate, then (like you) found out to go to Canada (which we really want to do to go to waterton) would be another $15 a day. Then I was going to go with Enterprise, but they do not allow their cars to go to Alberta. British Columbia is fine, but no Alberta, period.

Finally settled with Budget, whom I confirmed charges no extra fees for any states around that area and no additional fees to go to Canada (Alberta or otherwise). We are paying $241 for an 8 day rental with unlimited miles in an intermediate size car. I booked directly on their website.

Thanks for the feedback. I just booked with Avis. I still have to call them to confirm that we can drive to Montana and Canada, but I don%26#39;t see anything that says otherwise.

We%26#39;re also planning a trip to Glacier and have not yet made flight arrangements - looking at all options. How far is the drive frm Spokane to Glacier?

Looks to be about a 4 - 5 hour drive. But from what I have read, it is a pretty scenic drive. If you can fly into Kalispell, that would put you about 1/2 hour from the park. But it wasn%26#39;t worth the extra cost for us coming out of Saint Louis.

This may be a dumb question, but how would they know you are driving into Canada, unless you get in an accident?

I rented through Hotwire from the Kalispell airport. The only drawback is you have to prepay, and you do not know the rental company when you book, just that it is in the airport terminal. I saved about 150 dollars, plus we secured unlimited mileage.Turned out to be National, which had a fee of .25 per mile after a 700 miles on their direct website for the same vehicle. Since we plan to drive to Banff, that was not a good option.

I suggest anyone looking for unlimited mileage and a great price try Hotwire in addition to the company websites.

Fly fishing guides in/near Glacier?

We are planning a trip in early July to West Glacier area, and my husband is interested in a fly fishing guide for a day. Does anyone have any recommendations? He is experienced, but has never fished in MT.

eye make up

Hotel near airport

I am looking for a nice hotel near the airport. Any recommendations? Do any hotels have a shuttle to the airport? Thanks so much!

Hotel near airport

Chris,

Bozeman%26#39;s ';motel row'; is only about 8 very easy miles from the airport. You will find many of the national chains there, and some do have shuttles.

We have also used the Holiday Inn Express in Belgrade, less than a mile and a half from the airport, and they have a shuttle as well.

Hotel near airport

Yes, Bozeman is close, 10 maybe 15 minutes, there is the C,mon Inn, Residence Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Windgate Inn, Hampton Inn, etc, all nice. Most have shuttles to the airport.

Hilton Garden, Best Western, and Wingate Inn all have shuttles from the airport. You should try and spend a day in Bozeman, it%26#39;s a really cute college town with great restaurants, fun shopping, and a well known museum.

Thank you...I think I will spend a day in Bozeman!

best, most scenic route from YNP to I-90

We have just one day to travel by car from Yellowstone - leaving either by the north or west entraces - to West Glacier and want to see as much of Montana%26#39;s beautiful scenery as possible. We%26#39;ve planned to make short stops along the way and have at least one mid-day meal and dinner. Suggestions about routes to I-90 are MUCH APPRECIATED!

From Yellowstone to I-90, there appears to be three possible routes we identified so far:

*North Entrance of Yellowstone through Paradise Valley / Yellowstone River to I-90 in Livingston

*West Entrance of Yellowstone via US Hwy 191 along the Gallatin to I-90/Belgrade

*West Entrance of Yellowstone via US Hwy 287 to I-90/near Whitehall - with a possible side trip to a ghost town - Virginia City, Nevada City, or Pony - and possibly a dip in Norris Hot Springs.

best, most scenic route from YNP to I-90

North entrance via Mammoth and Paradise Valley is a straight shot to I-90. A lot depends on where starting from at Yellowstone. We usually stay at Chico Hot Springs along that stretch. This would be the fastest route to I-90 and get the most freeway miles. Plus the valley is really pretty. We%26#39;ve seen a fair number of deer and other animals along there too early in the morning.

Although not far along the route,and with only one day to get to Glacier it might be too much time, Chico does offer day passes to their hot pools. Pay and get towels in the tavern. Then again the faster route might buy a little time for a quick soak.

best, most scenic route from YNP to I-90

We%26#39;ll be staying in Gardiner for three nights at the beginning of our 15 day trip. I%26#39;m hoping the evening after hiking Mt. Washburn and the south rim, we%26#39;ll have time and energy left to make it to Chico for dinner and a soak. We%26#39;ll be going south to GTNP where my husband has a conference, so we%26#39;re actually leaving for Glacier from there (that%26#39;s the way we had to do it with vacation and conferences schedules). So, it seems that we can go via the north or west entrances to Glacier are possible. We%26#39;ve done a cross-country road trip with stops before, so 9+ hours on the rode (only one of two this whole trip because we%26#39;re flying) is doable. It does stay daylight longer with the change in latitude. We just want to take the most scenic route.

We stayed north of Gardiner a couple of years ago - a few miles past Devil%26#39;s Side. Is the rest of Paradise and Livingston worth seeing? Can you comment on the Gallatin Valley or along the Madison (with a short ghost town side trip to Virginia City)? As I saw on another post, even going to the grocery store in Montana is a scenic trip!

All the routes are pretty.

There aren%26#39;t any short cuts through the park, so to get all the way to West Glacier from Jackson in a day, you should consider just crossing the pass and bombing up the interstate to Butte. Butte is an interesting city to spend an hour. Driving through the park will take a looong time, and there is plenty of scenery along the way.

Don%26#39;t get me wrong, I%26#39;ve spent many a fine hour at Norris and in Pony, but you have a lot of miles to get under your belt. Virginia City is pretty nice. The territorial capital of MT is Bannack, located west of Dillon. It is a ghost town. People live in Pony, so it is a ';ghost town'; that isn%26#39;t really -- still a cool place though.

There is a hot springs in Boulder MT which is fun, and the Health Mine (go down in a mine shaft to breathe radon and cure your arthritis!)

Fairmont Hot Springs is more of a developed resort, Montana-style, but the pools are nice.

If you want to get scenic, you could take the route by Seeley and Swan instead of going all the way to Missoula on the interstate.

That is still a twelve hour drive without stops, according to Google Maps.

If you%26#39;re interested in Montana history at all, read the book by Roeder and Malone. You can read about Henry Plummer and his gang of robbers in Bannack, and how the vigilantes cut them down. The current Montana Highway Patrol uses the vigilante message in their patches.

Hello Ainwa,

Thanks for your insight! Targhee pass, West Yellowstone?

truegrit -- did I read correctly that you%26#39;re going from GTNP to West Glacier in one day? If that%26#39;s the case, you will not have any time to make sightseeing stops along the way, so hot springs at Chico or Fairmont, Virginia City et al are not very feasible. Seriously, whatever route you take will be quite scenic, so even a stop for a lunch picnic will delight. Each of the (by my count) four possible routes has some highlights. And these routes can have a totally different look at different times of the day (i.e., sunrise versus sunset). Since you are already staying in Gardiner at the start, I would nix going the north route through Livingston, because going back through YNP will be very slow, and you%26#39;ll have already seen some of it. Going over the pass from Jackson WY to Driggs ID can take a big chunk of time during tourist/construction season, but it%26#39;s a gorgeous drive. And I would prefer going north through West Yellowstone and the Gallatin canyon than the route through Dillon, but it will add a little more time to the drive. Don%26#39;t sweat the route too much, though. If you want to go with a shorter route, you will still have a very scenic drive.

ainwa and RobUSA,

Thanks for your suggestions. I know, we%26#39;ll have a really long driving day from GTNP to GNP, but as my husband says ';we%26#39;ve done it before and we can do it again.';

Here%26#39;s the route we%26#39;ve pretty much settled upon:

US 191 North to MT 85 to I-10

I-10 West to US 93 North to MT 35 (east side of Flathead Lake to Bigfork) continuing NW to Lake McDonald Lodge...527 miles / 9 hours 36 minutes per Google maps.

ainwa, thanks to for your suggestions from Many Glacier to Billings...once again, that will be driven in a day. Two days of scenic driving to enjoy two days for a 1st visit to Glacier seems worth the drive time! We%26#39;re planning on heading south on a more westerly route - US 89 to US 287/I-15 to I-10...460 miles / 7 hours 54 minutes per Google maps, so maybe they%26#39;ll be time for a couple of quick stops.

Having driven all of these routes, the prettiest really is up the Gallatin Canyon, you can grab some lunch in Big sky or preferably at the Gallatin Gateway Inn (if they are still open at lunch).

MT Dreaming,

Thanks so much for your insight. There were so many beautiful photos of Paradise Valley on Google Earth and not as many for Gallatin, so we really appreciate your sharing your ';been there'; on all three possible routes.

Gallatin Canyon is the way we%26#39;ll go!

MT Dreaming,

Thanks, too, for the suggestion on Gallatin Gateway Inn. Checked the website - great history, just my kind of place. Unfortunately, it only mentions ';dinner'; :(

Greater Yellowstone Flyfishers guide service

Our plan is to send one day fly fishing, hopefully in YNP. A Google search yielded many outfitters and guides. Greater Yellowstone Flyfishers has horseback day trips which sound great. Looking for comments from anyone who used their guide service, particularly for this type of trip, before we make reservations.

Missoula to West Glacier

We have just one day to travel by car from Yellowstone to West Glacier and want to see as much of Montana%26#39;s beautiful scenery as possible. We%26#39;ve planned to make short stops along the way and have at least one mid-day meal and dinner . Suggestions are MUCH APPRECIATED!

From I-90 northward to West Glacier:

*US Hwy 93 to Montana Hwy 35

OR

*Montana Hwy 200 to Montana Hwy 83 through Swan Valley? Read about lots of deer/wildlife on this road. Two (2) hours to Big Fork?

From US Hwy 93, which is the most scenic Flathead Lake route to take?

*Continue on 93 or

*Take State Hwy 35?

Missoula to West Glacier

With regards to US Hwy 93 and the most scenic route I%26#39;d have to give the edge to 93 because there are a few more places to pull out and shoot photos than available on Hwy 35.

I%26#39;ve travelled Hwy 83 several times and beyond white tail deer, I%26#39;ve not seen any other wildlife. Mind you, I%26#39;ve mostly been on it during the middle of the day instead of dawn/dusk when wildlife viewing is maximized.

If there is an accident on 83 or 35, it might extend your travel time by an hour or more.

Just remembered, there will be construction on US 93 this summer so be sure to stay current because there is a high likelihood that portions of 93 will be down to one lane.

My apologies if my answer brought forth more questions.

Peace.

Missoula to West Glacier

We had good food at the Kwa TagNuk resort in Polson. The restaurant is overlooking the lake. Driving east of Flathead lake is nice and, in season, you might stop and buy chierries....delicious.

June 19, 2009 GTTS open

I called glacierparkinc today about my reservation, and they told me that Going-to-the-sun road is scheduled to be opened June 19th. Has anyone else heard this?? Is this true??

thanks.

June 19, 2009 GTTS open

Mid June is the date they always shoot for, but based on weather that date can change. For instance, last year there was the anniversary celebration for the GTTSR scheduled for late June at Logan%26#39;s Pass. It had to be moved to Lake McDonald Lodge as the road couldn%26#39;t be cleared in time.

June 19, 2009 GTTS open

Hi Hikes,

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge (we got the June lodging discount). I never really thought about GTTS not being opened by late June, probably thinking it%26#39;s similar to Beartooth Hwy). Do you think we%26#39;ll be ok June 30?

I hope it will be open by the last week of June as we will be there also. We usually go in Sept. but wanted to see more snow on the peaks this time. In the past few years there have been two occasions that the road didn%26#39;t open till about July 1. I hope that%26#39;s not the case this year!!

alanna, you can follow the progress of the snow plows at the GNP website, here:

http://www.nps.gov/glac/

Click on the link under ';spring plowing has started';.

We had an unusually large amount of snowfall in April this year, and I have to think that GNP got those same storms. If that is the case, it%26#39;s possible that the opening could be delayed a bit.

I would give it a 99% by end of June. Weather has not been helping, unfortunately.

I have been watching the weather and it looks great. Is the snow not melting?

Last week, the east side of the park received from 3-4 feet of fresh snow. While the weather now is better and melting has occurred at the lower elevations, there is still snow higher up on the road(Logan Pass) and also rock debris from slides. The crews are encountering anywhere from 10 foot drifts to 20 foot debris piles.

As Camping Girl suggested, follow the progress they are making on the road on the Glacier page. Be sure to look at the slide show and you will get an idea of just what is involved to open the road. It involves so much more than most people realize. I also used to think it was just snow plowing like we do around here, but the snow depths are huge and there are also the rock slides and avalanche danger to deal with. After you see some of the pictures you will be amazed by the work done by the crews.

Camping in Montana

We are visiting Glacier National Park in July/August and will be staying in lodges/cabins because of my (irrational????) fear of grizzly bears. But we%26#39;re driving from Michigan to Montana, tent camping along the way. We wanted to so some camping in Montana, but where there is no threat of big bad grizzlies. Any suggestions? Are grizzly bears all over Montana? We love to hike and kayak. Thanks!

Camping in Montana

I spent an entire summer camping in Montana and never once saw a bear of any kind! That said, there are grizzly bears in many places in Montana.

Check this link for more info.. fwp.mt.gov/wildthings/tande/grizzlybear.html

Camping in Montana

Don%26#39;t go off in a grizzly panic here!

Here are some things you can do to feel better: Keep your food locked in the car at night (hanging from trees if backpacking).

After you eat, wash all dishes and dispose of all food scraps far from your campsite in an approved trash receptacle.

Don%26#39;t wear the clothes you wore all day (to cook and eat in) to bed.

Set up your cooking area as far as you can. and downwind, from your sleeping area.

Make noise, chatting and talking as you lounge around your campsite.

If you see an adorable bear cub, Leave. Get in your car if you can, then leave.

IF you do these things, you can rest assured that you are not appealing to a bear. Summer is when food is plentiful and, BTW, you%26#39;re not food.

There are no Grizzlies, or bears of any sort, when you are in the great open spaces of eastern Montana. All the ranges mentioned are remote and don%26#39;t have a lot of campsites, with the exception of the National Parks.

These bears do not hang out in campgrounds where there are people. There are many professional people who make sure that any bears who become habituated to people are removed.

So take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy your camping oddysey. You%26#39;ll have a great time out here, and you%26#39;ll be quite safe.

LET%26#39;S GO BLUE!

Grizzly bears are not all over Montana. We don%26#39;t tent camp in Yellowstone or Glacier, but we did take our pop-up to many other parts of southwestern Montana. What%26#39;s your planned route? How far from it are you willing to detour?

eye make up

Travelling Time

Hi from UK

Many thanks for past help in planning our trip!

Can I please ask how long you reckon it will take us to drive from Loveland, Colorado to Little Bighorn Battlefield. I think mapquest estimates around 6 1/2 hours, but I%26#39;m hoping we may be able to do it in a little less time. Does anyone have experience of this journey and where would be a good middle stopping point.

Thanks once again.

Travelling Time

Being as it is all freeway that is a big plus for keeping things from slowing down (due to two lanes each way) but it is harder to get ahead of the time estimate without exceeding the posted speed limit. Then again 5-10 mph over the posted speed is pretty much a given in any of the Western U.S. I had heard that Wyoming has lowered freeway speed limits by 10mph or so which in most states is a subtrefuge for making the prior speed limit now the common speed. Hard telling if the mapping sites have factored the new ';legal'; speed into the calculations. GoogleMaps has 451 miles in 6h12m so seems something like 70mph. But you may be amazed at the number of cars quickly passing anyone doing that speed.

If worried about getting a ticket you could stop at any big discount store (WalMart, Target, etc...) and get a radar detector. Still for UK visitors pleading confusion between mph and Km/h can sometimes talk the way out of a ticket. Five mph over should be relatively safe from being stopped but would buy only about a half hour savings.

Casper would be a logical halfway point but personally I think the area around Glendo and Glendo State Park is prettier.

Travelling Time

Thanks for your help. We always try to keep to the speed limit - just wasn%26#39;t sure how accurate mapquest was!

I will certainly look into Glendo for the stop. Thanks again.

I think it will take a little more than that time, since you will certainly need to stop and use the facilities at least once! Maybe even get a bite to eat...

I think the times given are generally a little on the ';miracle'; side, but there are no major cities with rush hours to slow you down. It%26#39;s all interstate, too, with hopefully no major construction delays.

Travel in a pack of other cars without being the leader or the follower, and beware near highway interchanges (where there are coffee shops), and you can travel the prevailing speed without much worry of a ticket.

These are wide open spaces we%26#39;re talking about here! The posted speed limit on the Interstate is 75, but most people will be going a little above it, I predict. That%26#39;s about 130 kph.

Don%26#39;t forget to allow time to travel to your ultimate destination, as there%26#39;s not much else in Crow Agency.

We make the Bozeman - Fort Collins run once or twice a year -- usually summer, but sometimes winter. We figure ten hours, with Buffalo as the midpoint. That includes quick restroom breaks and a half-hour for lunch, which is usually the Subway in Buffalo. So 6.5 sounds reasonable, maybe allow for 7.

Thanks for all your advice. We land in Denver from the UK around 18.30 hours and will then drive to Loveland for an overnight stop.

The following day we will drive to have a look round the Battlefields and we will then travel to Billings for an overnight stop, before heading to Yellowstone via the Beartooth Highway.

I know the day will be long but hopefully not too bad.

Thanks again - appreciate all your input!

May Trip to GNP

My weeklong vacation begins May 17. My husband and I have reservations at Meadow Lake Resort in Columbia Falls, MT and plan to explore that area as well as GNP. Updates on the GNP web site show 21 miles of the Going to the Sun Road open as well as other side roads.

鈥ps.gov/applications/鈥oadstatus.cfm

Tips and ideas are welcome for exploration and hiking based on availability.

Thanks!

May Trip to GNP

You may be able to hike to Avalanche Lake if you want to hike about 4 miles roundtrip. Just because the road is open though doesn%26#39;t mean the trails are clear. We were there once in May and the road open to Avalanche but once we got off the Trail of Cedars and continued to Avalanche snow depths were up to two feet. Make sure you travel on Highway 2 if the GTTSR isn%26#39;t open and see the Many Glacier area. You should be able to go to Fishercap Lake. On the east side drive in and see St. Mary Lake. I don%26#39;t know if you will be able to hike to St. Mary/Virginia Falls. Also the road in Two Medicine is open to Running Eagle Falls. Check the park page and see if they have updated the trail status section. Also ask at a ranger station once you arrive.

May Trip to GNP

Please let us know how your trip was and what trails were open when you get back

Have a great time...ENJOY!

Another trail that usually clears fairly early is Apgar Lookout. It offers good views of Lake McDonald area.

Places to buy food

My husband and I will be staying in Glacier National park the last week in August and the first week in September. Although we plan on dining at the hotel, is there somewhere close by that we could pick up supplies for day hiking such as bread, lunch meat and other such things.

Places to buy food

There is a small grocery in St. Mary%26#39;s by the gas station, but they are fairly pricy and have limited selection. Depending on where you are are coming from, (possibly the airport?), we usually stop at the Super 1 at Columbia Falls (I think that is the town). It is on the main road not far from the airport as you head to the park.

Places to buy food

Are you staying on the east side or the west side?

There is a small store at West Glacier that has a good selection of groceries, including bread, cheese, lunch meats, etc. as well as some produce.

We are arriving by Amtrak and staying the first night at the Glacier Park Lodge I believe on that is on the East?

If you fly into Kalispell, where is the best place to shop for a week. We will be traveling with our 1-year-old, need to pick up milk, ice and a cooler etc....

Does Many Glacier have refrigarators in the rooms? We have a family room...

Thanks!

Have never stayed in the family room at Many, but the other rooms have no fridge. We always buy a cooler and as stated stop at the Super 1 on the way to the park. It is about 15 minutes or so from the airport. As for the other post, I%26#39;m not familiar with stores in East Glacier but there are small motels and restaurants there and I would think a small grocery would be there also. Maybe someone more familiar with that town can help.

There is a ';general store'; in East Glacier; they carry a reasonable selection of basic groceries, including some produce. There is a similar selection available in West Glacier also.

I know that there is a shuttle for $30.00 per person going from Glacier Park Lodge to Many Glacier where we will be staying for another 3 nights. Is there a shuttle that takes us from Many Glacier to Lake McDonald Lodge and then another that goes to Whitefish.

Glacier in early June

Hi everyone--

My husband loves Glacier and wants to return there in early June this year. I read the posts about the snow and the hiking trails. I have three questions:

1. What are the low and high temps at night and during the day?

2. Which lodges do you recommend for the best accomodations? We live in a hand hewn log cabin year round. While we don%26#39;t need to be in a cabin, we do want to stay in a very nice place (where I will be comfortable!).

3. I want to be able to get warm when I go back to my room. Do the rooms have heaters in most of the lodges and hotels?

Thanks for the info.

Warmly

Carol

Glacier in early June

I just read more of the recent postings. I can see that because GTTS road will likely not be open for travel, our trip will be different than it would be if we went a few weeks later. We are interested in staying at the Lodge in the Canadian portion of the Park. Any recommendations on how to see the park in 5 days or so, given that GTTS isn%26#39;t open, are appreciated!

We will not be hiking but I would like to take a boat ride and generally enjoy the park.

Regards,

Carol

Glacier in early June

At this time of year, you really don%26#39;t know if GTTS road will be open or not. At least part of it will, some from both ends. It isn%26#39;t a lot more time to circle around on highway 2 than it is to cross GTTS, so you could see as much as is open.

I think you mean the Prince of Wales hotel in Waterton. This hotel is scheduled to open June 7 so you need to call as soon as possible if you want reservations. If you want a cabin outside the park in the U.S. try www.vrbo.com. This may be the best choice for you as the hotels in the park are more historic and offer few amenities. The scenery and location are the main reasons for being in park. It could easily be in the 70%26#39;s during the day but will cool down to 40%26#39;s or maybe some 30%26#39;s at night.

More often than not, June is a very rough month in Glacier. Not often warm (though it can be0 more likely cool to cold, with wind and rain. GTTS could be open, this was an average snow year, but we won%26#39;t know for a while. A nice accomodation is the Great Bear Lodge in St. Mary. Newer and sometimes good early season rates.

Sorry, K2 but I have to speak out on the suggestion of Great Bear Lodge. It gets bad reviews lately and speaking from personal experience, I couldn%26#39;t recommend it to anyone. We have stayed there three times and two of those were less than great experiences. Last time for over 300 a night we could not even get a washcloth. When I complained about it, they told me to write it on my survey card, no offer of compensation or apology. The other time the bed had not been changed or the bath cleaned before our check in. When I called the desk, they came and removed the dirty towels from the bath and that was it. All of our stays were in the premium rooms and I don%26#39;t feel you get what you are paying for. The rooms could be great but the service and management are the biggest complaints posted.

Waterton would be worth a trip, the snow generally disappears there a little earlier (lower elevations). The Prince of Wales is the ';lodge'; in Waterton. I wouldn%26#39;t worry about reservations too far in advance - June is still pretty quiet in the park. The POW is not my first choice for lodgings in Waterton - there are other places with many more amenities for so much less money. But your call. In early June you would probably be okay to call a day or two ahead of time and you would be able to find a room in the park somewhere. If you absolutely have your heart set on one place, then you might want to reserve a couple of weeks in advance. Let me know if you want some other recommendations on lodging in Waterton. All places will be heated, many have fireplaces.

The boat ride at Waterton is way better than any of the boat rides that you can take on the GNP side of the park, IMHO.

Hey thanks for the good info. I would love to have your recommendations for anyplace to stay in or near Glacier. thanks!

Route - Many Glacier Area.

Hi - we would like to take the early boat from Many Glacier (8.30)am to do the guided hike to Grinnel Glacier and wondered if anyone would know how long it would take to drive from Rising Sun Motor Inn to the boat.

Many thanks

Route - Many Glacier Area.

rising sun to st. mary = 5 miles. St. Mary to Babb = 8 miles highway. Babb to many glacier = 12 miles of mixed surface road. Take an hour to be safe, allow for animal sightings toward Many Glacier and time to park and get to the boat.

Route - Many Glacier Area.

Many thanks again.

And to avoid disappointment, make reservations for the 8:30 boat trip in advance. It sells out, and many people who arrive in the morning expecting to buy a ticket have to go on a later boat.

Instructions for making reservations are on this page:

http://www.glacierparkboats.com/reserve.htm

It is OK to arrive to pick up your reserved ticket in the morning.

Many thanks for the advice - we will try to make our reservation as soon as poss.

kind regards

Shuttle service from Swiftcurrent

During September 2009, will there be shuttle service from Swiftcurrent lodge to Logan Pass? My plan is to

hike Highline Trail to Granite Chalet and then back to Swiftcurrent lodge via the swiftcurrent valley trail. Also, does anybody know if this route from Granite Chalet would be mostly downhill?

Shuttle service from Swiftcurrent

You will need to take two separate shuttles I believe. The first is the East side shuttle which will take you to from Swiftcurrent to St. Mary%26#39;s and from there you can catch the Hiker%26#39;s shuttle on the GTTS to Logan Pass.

They have closed the shuttle Labor Day the last few years (which this year is September 7th).

I did this hike last September and it is 15.2 miles with the chalet being right about the mid-point of the hike. The hike to the chalet has no real significant elevation change except a 300-400 foot ascent to Haystack Butte.

The hike from the chalet starts with the most strenuous part of the whole hike. You ascend around 600-700 feet to Swiftcurrent Pass in the first mile from the chalet. After this you switchback down about 2,300 feet to the Swiftcurrent Valley floor and then have around 5 miles of level hike to the Swiftcurrent area.

Shuttle service from Swiftcurrent

Thank you Toddnick. It would be on Sept. 3 if I decide to go for it.(hopefully the shuttles will still be running)It sounds like a good idea. This would be my most challenging hike during my week in the park. I just purchased a new pair of hiking shoes yesterday to start breaking in. Thanks again for your response.

Good luck!!! This was my favorite hike of the eight I did in the Park. Highlights include the ';exposed'; rimrock section at the start of the hike, lots of mountain goats in the Logan Pass area at the beginning of the hike, incredible vistas, great views of Heaven%26#39;s Peak, a chalet tour (it will be open until the 7th of September this year so you can grab a snack/water as well), the spectacular view from the top of Swiftcurrent Pass looking down across the whole valley, and moose in the lakes that you pass as you traverse the valley back to Swiftcurrent.

(I%26#39;ll probably be doing the Highline to the chalet and up to Grinnell Glacier Overlook and back to Logan Pass this year in mid-September as the shuttles will have stopped)

consider (if you have the energy) the grinnell overlook mentioned above. 2/3 mi straight up (about 1/2 mi b 4 the chalet) but well worth it. A better overlook is 1/4 mile south along the ridge from where most people stop to look down. Bullhead lake is the lake most often populated with moose as you come down off of the pass, though posters last year were commenting on fishercap lake just b 4 the end of the trip at Swiftcurrent.

toddnick, I was checking out your itinerary and photos from your trip last year. (the mosse shot was my favorite!) Your entire trip must have been amazing. I%26#39;m very psyched to attempt this hike now in Sept. It sounds like I will be missing you on the trail by just a few days this year. I%26#39;m trying not to let all the bear talk on these forums stress me out to bad. Although your encounter with the Grizzly on the swiftcurrent trail has encouraged me to get bear spray and a few bells especially since I%26#39;ll be hiking solo also. In your Glacier travels did you ever do any hiking in Waterton? The Crypt Lake hike sounds interesting or perhaps just the shorline trail.

Kskelley, thanks for the good ideas. I will need to get out my map now and rethink this. Perhaps, I could hike to the Grinnell Lookout,Chalet, and proosibly the Swiftcurrent valley Lookout and then head back the the Loop and shuttle back to Swiftcurrent Lodge. Then if I can squeeze it in I could do a seperate hike to the Fishercap lake on a different day. So many hikes, so many options, never enough time. This Glacier thing may turn out to be an annual event for me. Last year I fell in love with Yosemite, this year it will be Glacier!

I did 8 hikes in 10 days my first time at Glacier last year and am planning on doing 13 hikes (10 new ones and 3 repeats including Highline) in 16 full days at Glacier this year and that is without doing Waterton. My third trip to Glacier I might take the time to drive up to Waterton and do a few hikes because I have heard very good things about the Crypt Lake hike.

I consider bear spray a must at Glacier (and make sure that you attach it to you where can grab it and take off the safety quickly) and I did lots of singing and talking while solo hiking as well.

I have heard negative things about the Loop hike so I would either go over Swiftcurrent and enjoy the nice views as you descend the switchbacks or do what I%26#39;m doing this year and do a 16 mile out and back (including Grinnell Glacier overlook) from Logan Pass on the Highline.

You will have lots of options, the park is diverse. The bear spray is a must, I put it in my front pocket as I find it easier (more importantly, quicker) to access. That said, in 30 years in the park I have never used it and only drawn it once. Make a lot of noise, keep your eys and ears open and you should be fine.

I found a great description of this hike on this thread. I also looked at hiker shuttle schedules, says hiker shuttle leaves swiftcurrent at 7:30am.

glacierparkchat.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php鈥?/a>

Thanks Qino2! The link was just what i needed to confirm my plan. This sounds like the perfect hike for me. Do you know if the 7:30am departure shuttle from SwiftCurrent Lodge is for this season in Sept.? I%26#39;ve been checking the nps.gov site for the 2009 schedule and nothing is posted yet. I%26#39;m also waiting and hopeful to view the ';Glacier Explorer'; publication for Sept. 2009 but I guess it will not come until later in the summer. Thanks again for your help.

eye make up

10 to 14 Days at Glacier - Spend How Much Time Where?

Hi,

First off, thanks so much for all the info on this site - helps a ton!

My husband %26amp; I will be flying into Glacier the end of August 2010. We%26#39;d like to get our lodging set in a couple of months to ensure staying at the places we want. With that in mind, we are hoping to see as much of Glacier as we can. We love to hike and plan to do so each day, even if it%26#39;s a short hike. We know we want to spend a good deal of time in Many Glacier and we%26#39;re also thinking of staying in Apgar for awhile. We%26#39;re wondering if you could give us ideas of areas we%26#39;d want to stay to see the whole park, and how long in each area. I can get quite car sick, so we%26#39;re a bit concerned about Going to the Sun road. We will travel it for sure one way, how hilly/curvy is it? We thought about flying into Kalispell, tour the lower part of Glacier (keep in mind we%26#39;d like to do more hiking than site seeing), and circle around Glacier that way. If GTSR isn%26#39;t too hard to travel, maybe we%26#39;d be better skipping the lower part of Glacier? Any recommendations on East Glacier or St. Mary%26#39;s or stay at Many Glacier and drive to the other spots such as Two Medicine? Or really stick to the East and West sides and eliminate the south side all together? Still trying to decide about Waterton also....

With 10 to 14 days, and thinking we may never get back to Glacier, your suggestions on what areas to see would be great. Thanks so much!! Therese

10 to 14 Days at Glacier - Spend How Much Time Where?

Here%26#39;s a link to pictures, stories and comments from our trip to Glacier.

http://www.alandsuejohnson.com/glacier_np.htm

The pictures have comments and some of the albums try to show what the trails look like. Grinnell Glacier and Hidden Lake both turned out well.

I%26#39;d spend 5 or 6 days at Many Glacier (we stayed at Swiftcurrent). Absolutely beautiful area. We spent one whole day watching moose at Fishercap Lake. Also leave a day or 2 to stay at Waterton, CA. I%26#39;ll let someone else give details since we didn%26#39;t make it up there.

I think Apgar is a good choice.

I wouldn%26#39;t drive to Two Medicine from Many Glacier. I%26#39;d stay down that way someplace but can%26#39;t help with a name.

I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;d have a big problem with Going to the Sun Road. It isn%26#39;t so much that%26#39;s its real crooked as it is that there%26#39;s a drop off. Here%26#39;s a link to an album where we tried to show what it looks like.

alandsuejohnson.com/western%20parks%20trip/g鈥?/a>

10 to 14 Days at Glacier - Spend How Much Time Where?

What type of lodging are you looking for?? There are many choices in the Glacier area. In the Park itself there are Historic Lodges ($150-200 per night), Cheaper Motor Inns ($100-$150 per night) and Campgrounds (around $20 per night). None of the Park lodging is 5-star in the resort sense; no TV%26#39;s, no air conditioning, thinner walls, mediocre food but it is really all about location.

I%26#39;d spend at least 5-6 days at Many Glacier; great hikes close by include Grinnell Glacier, Iceberg Lake, Ptarmagan Tunnel and Cracker Lake (all 10-12 miles).

Two Medicine also has tremendous hiking opportunities with Dawson/Pitamakan (18 miles), Scenic Point (6 tough miles), Cobalt Lake/Two Medicine Pass (11/16 miles) being some of the highlights. I%26#39;d recommend two nights here either camping at Two Medicine campground or lodging in East Glacier.

Perhaps the best hiking in the park starts at Logan Pass (some would also argue Many Glacier). My personal favrote is the Highline trail to the Granite Park chalet. Hidden Lake is also a nice but way too popular option.

On the west side good hiking opportunities include Apgar Lookout, Avalanche Lake and further north Quartz Lake Loop.

If you don%26#39;t like driving then I do recommend moving your base camp at least a few times as it takes 1/5 hours to get from Many Glacier to Logan Pass and just a little less to reach Two Medicine.

That should be 1.5 hours......

I agree with staying in Many Glacier area and also Apgar for a few nights, with most of the time in the Many Glacier area. In the Apgar area we like the Village Inn for the location. Beautiful sunrise/sunsets on Lake McDonald. Rooms are dated, but on our stay, very clean. You can also travel to the North Fork area from here as a day trip. Many people don%26#39;t make it to this area, but it is beautiful.Along GTTSR I would also hike Piegan and/or Siyeh Pass (either one 10-12 miles with a good bit of elevation gain) and also St. Mary/Virginia Falls. Waterton is about one hour from Many Glacier and Camping Girl should be able to offer suggestions for hotels if you want to stay the night. If not, it can easily be done as a day trip.

Thanks! You people are good 鈥?and quick!

We were wondering if people liked the North Fork area, glad to hear there are good hikes there. We are thinking of staying at the Apgar Village Lodge in one of their cabins for the West Side, so Hikes, I%26#39;m glad you recommend it. We also think we%26#39;ll stay at Many Glacier Hotel. We don%26#39;t need fancy, at all, just clean with comfortable beds. We won%26#39;t be there much anyway. We much prefer staying inside national parks.

AKJ 鈥?great pics! Very helpful.

Toddnick 鈥?thanks for listing some great hikes 鈥?love to hear what others have enjoyed!! We haven%26#39;t checked into Logan Pass enough 鈥?I will now! Where do you stay that%26#39;s close to Logan Pass? Do you stay there several days?

GTSR 鈥?I haven%26#39;t heard much about people getting car sick 鈥?when we were at Kings Canyon, the drive was tough on me. I was in the back seat though, as we were with another couple, and it%26#39;s just my husband and me for this trip. The drop offs will be OK I think, but hilly along with winding is hard. Is GTSR more gradual? Do you recommend we take it both ways?

I%26#39;m assuming since I don%26#39;t read much about people traveling Hwy 2, that the area doesn%26#39;t have the best hikes, am I correct?

I%26#39;ve been reading about Waterton, we%26#39;ll need to see if we want to get passports or not. It sure sounds like a great place. Would you suggest 2 days there?

Sorry for all the questions. And thanks so much again for all the answers!!

Apgar Village Lodge and Village Inn, that I mentioned, are different lodges. I have read good reviews of Apgar Village Lodge but don%26#39;t know if the cabins all have views of the lake. For Logan Pass, you can drive there from either the Apgar area or Many Glacier. It will be closer to access it from Apgar. Look at the hiking there and if you think it will take more than one day, stay at Apgar and travel from there. You can easily do Hidden Lake as you drive across the park. It will depend how far you want to hike, if at all, on Highline Trail, you may not be able to do both in one day. Avalanche Lake is also closer to Apgar, trail head is not far from Lake McDonald Lodge. As you go to the North Fork area stop at Polebridge. The Mercantile has excellent baked goods and Northern Lights Saloon is a good place to eat after your hike. I suggest Numa Lookout as one trail in that area. You can travel on the Outside North Fork Road, which is gravel and some pavement or the Inside North Fork Road. Last year I don%26#39;t think it was open the entire length due to washouts from heavy rains. (It may have opened later in the season, not sure)Check at the ranger station for road and trail status. Be forewarned though, if you take the Inside Road, it is rough and takes a lot longer to travel than the Outside Rd.

I was also going to suggest you make a day trip to the Polebridge/ North Fork areas.

Waterton is well worth one to two nights of your trip, since you have so much time available. I%26#39;d try to get the passports arranged if you can; I think you%26#39;ll be glad you took the time. Waterton is different geographically from GNP - even though they are in the same mountain range - and so it is worthwhile to make the effort to get ';up'; there.

Thanks so much for the advice 鈥?I really like all your suggestions and will be doing some more research. This site is a huge help!!

Hikes, thanks for the details!! 鈥?I%26#39;m copying your ideas into my notes 鈥?what a help!

Camping Girl 鈥?I think we%26#39;ll take your advice as well 鈥?do you have a favorite place to stay in Waterton that is clean and has a comfortable bed (necessity) 鈥?we don%26#39;t need luxury at all. We are more willing to pay extra for the location, not the amenities. What hikes do you recommend? I%26#39;m thinking we would go for two days to really see the area.

Thanks again!

My favorite places in Waterton are the Crandell Mountain Lodge, the Northland Lodge, and the Aspen Village Inn.

The Crandell Mtn Lodge is directly across from where the Kilmorey Lodge was (it burned down this January) so it is possible that there could be some construction going on there, as they rebuild the Kilmorey. I would imagine that would be a really minor issue but I would be remiss if I didn%26#39;t mention it, since it can be a real deal-breaker for some people. This is an old building that has been renovated. It only has about 10 rooms. The beds are great here.

The Northland Lodge is away from the downtown area near Cameron Falls. It is an older building, with small rooms and a large ';living area'; downstairs which all guests are free to use. There is a collection of books in this room that you can borrow while you%26#39;re a guest, and a huge fireplace which always has a fire going in it on cooler days. There are also muffins and coffee available to guests in the morning. The only tv is in the downstairs common room. The huge wrap-around deck upstairs is fabulous.

The Aspen Village Inn would be the only traditional ';motel'; of the 3. It is a lot newer than the other 2 places. The management there is fantastic. Both the Crandell Mtn Lodge and the Aspen are owned by the same group of people and you will find excellent service at both places.

I have info about all 3 of these places on my personal Waterton travel page, located here:

members.virtualtourist.com/m/adecc/dc729/

One highly recommended hike at Waterton is Bear%26#39;s Hump. The trailhead is located right behind the visitor info centre. It is a short but steep hike. Plan on about 45 minutes to hike up and about 15 to hike down. The views from the top are breathtaking. Bertha Falls is another great moderate hike (about 1.5 miles one way). If you check at the visitor info centre, they can give you great hiking recommendations based on your interests and fitness level. They will also give you free trail maps and let you know if any trails are closed due to bear activity.

I would urge you to take the Shoreline Cruise down Upper Waterton Lake while you are there. It will take about 2.5 hours, the commentary will give you a lot of good information about the area, and you often see wildlife on the shore as you travel along.

Drive up to Cameron Lake and the Red Rock Canyon while you are there. You can get plenty more info and photos of Waterton from my travel page, at the link above.

I hope that helps.

- CG

Wonderful information!!

We%26#39;ll be adding two days in Waterton based on this info. Thanks CG!!

East Glacier to Many Glacier

We will visit the East side of Glacier Nat%26#39;l park the very first of June 2009. Wondering if we can use East Glacier as a base for St. Mary, Many Glacier and Waterton. Seems like a long distance but like what we have read about East Glacier for lodging. Main priority is sightseeing by car with a little hiking and horseback riding thrown in.

East Glacier to Many Glacier

You have to decide if the purpose of the trip is to have great lodging or to see the parks. It is a long way from East Glacier to St. Mary, Many Glacier, and Waterton. The road doesn%26#39;t exactly lend itself to fast travel either.

East Glacier exists because that was the closest place to the park where the railroad passed through. It made sense when most tourists to that area traveled by train. Now it just seems rather isolated.

I%26#39;d probably lower my sights on lodging and find somewhere in the St. Mary to Babb area.

East Glacier to Many Glacier

East Glacier to Many Glacier is about an hour%26#39;s drive and then another hour to Waterton. So if you don%26#39;t mind the drive, it can be done. I would still try for a few nights in Many Glacier, just for the scenery, even if you don%26#39;t hike. Also the GTTSR may not be open all the way across depending on what part of June you are there. There is horseback riding at Many Glacier and Lake McDonald. I%26#39;m sure there are others, but those are the two I know of.

I agree that you should consider staying in or around the St Mary/Babb area. If your destinations are St Mary/Many/Waterton you will save yourself drive time. There are varied places to stay in the area, including specialty lodging. Take a look at www.paulranch.com, www.ducklakelodge.com, www.glaciertrailheadcabins.com and of course the Many Glacier Lodge. There is a lot to do in the area (I plan day trips for my visiting guests traveling to the park lodges and taking short hikes as we drive Going to the Sun. Good restaurants are open during the summer, although my favorite in Waterton (Kilmorey Lodge) burned down a few months ago. I will miss it on my next trip there. Going to the Sun may not be plowed all the way over the top by then, but the road is currently open as far as Jackson Glacier overlook on the east side, and the road crews are working diligently from both sides of the park.

We will be flying into Kalispell, renting a car. Should we stay at Lake McDonald Lodge West Glacier

or travel to East Glacier and stay somewhere there?

A long drive for one day after a long flight?

Linda

It depends what time your flight gets in. I think I would stay at Apgar or Lake McDonald the first night, just so you can relax a little after your flight and not have to rush. That way when you drive to East Glacier you can take your time. You can also explore the Avalanche area from the west side of the park before you move on to the other side.

ditto earlier replis, out of east you will get a great deal of windshield time

St. Mary or Many option would allow more time to soak up the scenery

East Glacier Park Stopover

We spent two nights at the the East Glacier Motel and Cabins (see separate review) in East Glacier. We stayed in the motel part which was clean and certainly adequate to our needs. Don’t expect the Hilton. East Glacier is just a wide spot in the road but it does have a very good Mexican restaurant, Serrano’s. Excellent margaritas and tasty Tex-Mex cuisine.

Day Five Waterton Lakes Park: Thursday morning we had breakfast at the Whistle Stop Café (across the street from the East Glacier Motel) which was just OK at best. Don’t expect speedy service if they’re busy (which they probably always are). The restaurant advertises their “world famous” French toast. This was the strangest French toast we’ve ever eaten. Think giant popover stuffed with yogurt and a few huckleberries.

After breakfast we drove across the Canadian border to Waterton Lakes Park which is worth the drive just to see the Prince of Wales Lodge against the backdrop of the Waterton Lakes. The little village of Waterton is worth a look and is a good place to stop for lunch with several cafes.

On the way back to East Glacier we re-entered Glacier National Park and took the drive to Many Glacier Hotel. This is a beautiful old lodge on the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake with a terrific view of the lake and Mt. Grinnell.

East Glacier Park Stopover

serrano%26#39;s is always a great place to hang out.

often the sight of our ';last suppers';, prior to a backpacking trip with a number of Ritas to chase the tasty food

interesting on the french toast...............

Driving Distance Apgar to Logan Pass

On average, how long is the drive from the cabins at Apgar to Logan%26#39;s Pass?

Thanks!

Driving Distance Apgar to Logan Pass

The entire road is about 50 miles and I think from Apgar to Logan Pass is a little over 30 miles. The part along Lake McDonald has a higher speed limit than the alpine sections, but on average for the entire road base your travels at 25-30 mph. There is also construction and you can have delays of up to 30 minutes if you get stopped. I would plan at least one hour from Apgar at minimum. This would not allow for any stops for scenery and photos.

Driving Distance Apgar to Logan Pass

early departure will avoid most of the traffic (prior to 9 am) and 1-hour will get you up (assuming no construction stops-which is a dangerous assumption) with time for a stop or two. Later will be slower

often mountain goats in the last 1/2 mile prior to the summit if you like animal viewing

considering a trip

While glacier park is one of the most beautiful places in the world, if you catch logan pass at the right time, when is logan pass going top open up in 2009, and when is the best time to travel to it?

considering a trip

They try to have the road open to Logan Pass by mid June but that doesn%26#39;t always happen. Last year was July 1. July and August are the busiest months for the park. We like the first of Sept. as the crowds are a little less and most lodges are open till mid Sept. If are asking specifically about Logan Pass, you need to get there early or the parking lot may be full. It is usually busy from ten to six or so and then the crowds drop back some.

considering a trip

Logan is projected for mid-June (subject to change) Will be much snow to end of june off to the sides and on the trails. Wild flowers will follow at Logan Pass. August is hell, especially late morning/early afternoon as the parking lot fills quickly. Sept. calms way down and fall colors around the 3rd week.

I prefer the early July as there is still snow to give contrast to the emerging green and wild flowers for photography.

Early / Mid June Trip

Hi! ... Our plans are set for our upcoming trip to Glacier. We are flying into Spokane on June 8 and will be staying in Whitefish for the first 6 nights. We will then be moving to the west side (inside the park) and staying at the Many Glacier Hotel for 2 nights. It%26#39;s my wife and 2 kids (ages 3 and 7). I am currently trying to get a little better feel with laying out or itinerary. I guess my biggest concern is GTTS road. I know there is a slim to none chance that it will be completely open. I think we are ok with that. We are hoping that the trade off is less crowds, more snow, and maybe a little better chance for viewing wildlife. Since we have 2 young children, we opted for staying in Whitefish (Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge) so they can have their evening dose of Spongebob (wink). We are not campers, so we opted a little more for local amenities. I am hoping our 2 days at Many Glacier will be the icing on the cake at the end of our trip. We would love to do some whitewater rafting. From what I see, there are a couple ';calm'; options that are available for kids of all ages. We also want to do lots of hiking/walking, but we would be after the shorter hikes and definitely not the 5 or 10 mile variety. Based on these comments, I would love any recommendations for ';must do%26#39;s'; for a trip this time frame in June. I hate to ask, but do you think our hearts are going to be broken with the number of roads not open or will there still be plenty to do and see? Is there a scientific 1% chance that the GTTS road would be completely open if weather was accommodating the next few weeks? Any and all comments are greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Rob

Early / Mid June Trip

The road across the park has opened a few times by early June, but it is hard to say. You can watch the progress being made at www.nps.gov and then go to Glacier and you will see the link. The progress being made was good till last week or so when they had significant snowfall. It was my understanding that the winter had really not been too bad. If the road is closed you should be able to access the Avalanche area on the west side. You can do the Trail of Cedars or past that to Avalanche Lake if the trail is clear and the kids feel like it. There is rafting on the west side, but I%26#39;m not familiar with any of the companies. In Many Glacier walk the trail to Red Rock Falls (near Swiftcurrent) to at least Fishercap Lake. It is less than one mile roundtrip and an easy trail. This would be a good chance for the kids to see wildlife as most mornings or afternoons you can find a moose or two there. Also take the boat (I think they will be operating starting June 6) and spend an afternoon at Grinnell Lake. You should be able to see some of the Two Medicine area also. Running Eagle Falls is a very short walk. With six days in Whitefish you may want to find other activities if you can%26#39;t make it all the way across the park. Probably a couple of days if you aren%26#39;t hiking a lot will be enough. We don%26#39;t mind going to the park and repeating some activities if we can%26#39;t access what we planned due to bear activity or weather, but the kids may not like that.

Early / Mid June Trip

Also look at the slide show on the Glacier page. Since you have not been to Glacier, this will give you an idea of how much is involved to open the road. It is truly amazing the work the crews do.

Many thanks Hikes!

Based on the update from yesterday, is this average or below average in terms of progress for this time of year?

www.nps.gov/glac/parknews/news09-15.htm

It seems they may be a little ahead of schedule. It is hard for me to remember, all I really remember is last year when there was a ton of snow and late season snow. I think it was July 1 when the road opened.

This was an average snow year for Glacier, late spring is always iffy and more snow can arrive anytime. Seems like normal opening (mid-june) for this year, until it changes............Snow likely this week.

Early in the year the rafting can be very cold and fast, may be a bit much for the ages. There is a park on the north side of hwy 2 as you drive between Columbia Falls and Glacier that has a number of attractions for kids, also a ';drive thru wildlife park'; that may provide options for you.

eye make up

driving across west to east..info about HWY 2

e are driving from Vancouver to Winnipeg..late June and thought we might like to do this south of the border for a change. I have driven from Saskathewan down through ND and across MT to Billings and then down to Yellowstone. We don%26#39;t really have any time for sightseeing except for stops to stretch our legs :( Main purpose is to get to Winnipeg on a route other than Trans Canada. Thought is to go down through Glacier Nat%26#39;l Park then head due east on Hwy 2 ...so to make a long question longer..is this a regular 2 lane hwy? Are there any ';hidden gems'; along this route? I think I read it%26#39;s the longest state hwy in the US..any thing ';not to miss'; ( like great pie!) along this route? Thanks and sorry we won%26#39;t be stopping longer

driving across west to east..info about HWY 2

US2, the Great Northern, is wide open, 2 lanes, endless views, in excellent condition and quiet but not much more than the road, grain silos and a railroad. You%26#39;ll pass many tiny towns and sometimes a larger one like Havre. A classic US highway and with the famous Montana Big Skies. Maybe make a short detour from Glasgow and visit Fort Peck Lake and the Dam.

And yes, we had coffee and pie along this route like in Havre but can%26#39;t remember the locations.

Tet

driving across west to east..info about HWY 2

Thank you.. sounds like an ideal drive.. and not much different from driving across southern Alberta and Saskatchewan.. but it will be a change! Also thanks for the suggestion.

Browning has a few powwows that are worth a quick stop if they are going on when you come through. Check the city web page for the dates.

Also, be sure to look in the rear view mirror as you leave Glacier.. the view as the golden plains rise up to the mountains is amazing. Maybe even stop the car!

Not sure which route you%26#39;re using to get to Glacier, but from Vancouver you could come down to the States, go across the North Cascades and over to Omak WA/Colville WA/Sand Point ID/Libby MT / Kalispell MT/ Glacier

The roads are all decent driving and the towns are cute. You could even go down to Hwy 2 and make a Hwy 2 Odyssey out of it, but that is a little further south.

There should be no shortage of good pie all along that route!

We don%26#39;t know which route we%26#39;re taking right now.. appreciate your suggestion.. had thought of going down into Wshigton or other option is Crowsnest (3) through southern BC. Will check out your routing...anyway we look at it it%26#39;s about 30 hour drive so + or- few hours won%26#39;t make that much of a difference.

Gas is quite a bit cheaper in the states, if that affects your decision!

Don%26#39;t stay on the Interstate and come through Seattle, I%26#39;d say. Either go across North Cascades or come down at Tonasket or other spot as you suggest.

Last Minute Honeymoon Trip in August

We just changed plans for our honeymoon this august and will be spending it in Glacier. Of course being last minute most of the lodges appear to be full. I do a have reservation at the Lake Macdonald Lodge Motor Inn.

Have any of you stayed here or heard of it? Also, any other suggestions of places to stay? I was told cancellations are common and I did have a chance to get into the lodge itself or a cabin.

Also, my parents are planning a trip for 2010. They were looking at the Lake Macdonald Lodge, Many Glaciers or East Glacier Lodge. Hiking and scenery are the most important things to them. Any thoughts??

Thanks!

Last Minute Honeymoon Trip in August

I have stayed in the Lake McDonald main lodge and wasn%26#39;t too thrilled. The room was what I expected in a park lodge but it wasn%26#39;t clean. We also stayed at Village Inn in Apgar right on the lake and it was also dated but very clean. If I were you I would keep trying for Many Glacier or Swiftcurrent for part of the trip. I think you would enjoy spending time on both sides of the park. The same is true for your parents. East Glacier (Glacier Park Lodge in east glacier is the lodge I assume you mean) is removed from the main body of the park but is close to the Two Medicine area. Some of the best hikes in the park (in my opinion) are in the Many Glacier area. There are hiking trails along the GTTSR also. Many Glacier is about 30 minutes from the east entrance of the park and the GTTSR. It really isn%26#39;t a bad drive, and I think the scenery at the lodge is much better than east glacier. What type of hiking are you or your parents interested in?

Trip right around the corner

Just realized today that we will be in YNP in only a month and a half! Where did the time go???? Can%26#39;t wait!

Trip right around the corner

It%26#39;s going to be a great summer. Lots of snowpack will keep moisture levels up, lots of wildflowers and beautiful green meadows with plenty of food for the wildlife!

Trip right around the corner

We will be there last week in July....looking forward to it as well!

Scott Street Yellow House Gardiner Montana

I am thinking about renting this little house.

It is opposite an activities center.

Does anyone know if it ok?

I have rented a house before and it was not a good experience and am very wary of making another mistake.

I don%26#39;t know of a site like TA where people can give reviews.

I should be grateful for any information.

Scott Street Yellow House Gardiner Montana

The only thing yellow I could find in Google StreetView on Scott St. was the Riverside Cottages. Little yellow houses. There are some reviews on TA for this place:

tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g45184-d122883-…

Otherwise if you have an exact address it might help.

Scott Street Yellow House Gardiner Montana

Thank you for taking time to reply. In fact the property is a VBRO place.

We stayed in a beach front house on Tofino Vancouver Island.The house was a disaster and it was obvious that the cleaner was not doing a good job. I took photos and reported the owner but she did a good job in turning it back on me EVEN though I had photographic evidence.

I am now wary of rental places as I like to read reviews on TA. Yes I know that there are negative reviews but it is easy to spot a ';high maintenance'; guest.

Thanks again for your input it is really appreciated.

Angler's Rest Condo

Does anyone know anything about This condo? We have a trip planned for last week in July. Currently we have all seven nights scheduled in Teton Village, but would like to move 3 days to West Yellowstone area. We are having difficulty finding something other than hotels. This is available.

Angler's Rest Condo

If you are unsure where I am referring I may can get more information.

Lodging for 9?

We are a family ranging from age 13 to 82. Looking for a place to stay in or near Glacier National Park this summer. My elderly parents don%26#39;t do stairs or long drives that well. We would be flying in from Texas. Any ideas on where to stay? Is the park do-able for an elderly couple - a few small strolls that aren%26#39;t too cumbersome? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Lodging for 9?

I would try www.vrbo.com and try to find a cabin near the park. I think the only way you can stay in park with that large of a group would be in a couple of rooms near each other. I think your parents will enjoy the ride across the park as you can stop and let them stretch their legs at various viewpoints. They can probably walk the Trail of the Cedars, Running Eagle Falls and stroll around the lake shores in the Many Glacier area. I%26#39;m sure they will enjoy the scenery from some of the public areas in the lodges or at a picnic area.

eye make up