Travel to Glacier National Park without a car

I think it would be great if cars could be excluded from national parks. Many now have shuttle services but are hard to reach without a car. Amtrak has stops at Glacier National Park, and I understand that NPS has a free shuttle during the summer along Going To The Sun Road. There is also a commercial shuttle operated by a park concession. It seems to me after preliminary research that an inexpensive approach would be to take Amtrak to West Glacier, stay in Apgar, and use the free shuttle for hiking and sightseeing. There are some gaps in that strategy, though. One is that the train could arrive near midnight, and the biggest gap is the two miles between the train station in West Glacier and lodging in Apgar. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Travel to Glacier National Park without a car

I do know that the Belton Chalet is directly across from the train station and maybe you could stay there the first night. The only way I know to get into Apgar would be to find a kind soul that would give you a lift, or maybe someone at the Belton. You should call and ask if you stay there if they have any type of shuttle that would get you into the Apgar area. The free shuttles across the park are nice, but sometimes they are full and you have to wait for the next one. I believe to see the whole park you will have to get off at Logan Pass and get another shuttle. I think they travel from each side of the park to Logan and then turn back. For sightseeing you may want to try the Red Jammer Tour. They are not free but do appear to offer a great chance for sightseeing.

Travel to Glacier National Park without a car

Glacier Highland motel in across from the station and much less expensive than belton. Another option is a 1/4 mile hike into the village and the West Galcier bar. Many hotel emploees party there and you may, may be able to hitch a ride into the park and get dropped off at apgar campsites.

Shuttles run to logan, and then switch and catch the easgt side shuttle. You can also shuttle to east and many, but those are for fee, not free. Hitchhiking is spotty. I%26#39;ve done a lot over the years coming off long day hikes and somethimes get picked up immediately, and had as long as 2-hours to get picked up other times.

We met a couple on the Highline Trail hike last year that were doing the whole thing by public transort.

They took Amtrak to East Glacier (from Seattle; I think the arrival time was not bad), then a shuttle of some type to Many Glacier (actually staying at Swiftcurrent). They had ridden a combination of shuttles to Logan Pass for the hike that day.