East or West

I%26#39;m taking my 70 year old parents to GNP for their wedding anniversary. They are in great shape and good hikers. I%26#39;m looking for advice on which side of the park to stay on - east or west? Any recommendations on what to see?

Thanks,

VH

East or West

If you can get rooms at Many Glacier hotel on the east side, that would be the most celebration-worthy. The views from there are spectacular, and the Many Glacier area has some of the best hiking in the park.

Grinnell Glacier and Iceberg Lake are two fantastic hikes, about 9 to 12 miles in length; I think the elevation gain is about 2000 feet. There are ranger-led hikes to both areas almost every day and these are great for learning about the geology, flora and fauna of the area.

East or West

Thanks for the input - we will do just that. We live in the Atlanta, GA area and our looking forward to this trip.

VH

I completely agree with that...staying at Many Glacier Hotel would be ideal %26amp; that would allow you to have easy access to some great hiking. In Many Glacier alone you have great day hike possibilities to Iceberg Lake (9 miles), Ptarmigan Tunnel (11 miles), Cracker Lake (12 miles), Grinnell Glacier (7 to 11 miles--depending on if you take a boat shuttle), Bullhead Lake (6 1/2 miles), and Swiftcurrent Pass (13 miles).

How long and when will you be in the park?

Sean

Arriving Saturday, July 4th, so we%26#39;ll have Sunday - Wednesday entire days to enjoy the park. I was thinking about staying at Many Glacier three nights and west side for two nights - does that sound like a good idead to you? Any things we should see besides hikes?

Thanks for the input.

Van

Yes, that is a good plan!

Hopefully the Going-to-the-Sun road will be open so you can drive that way between east and west. Be sure and stop at Loga Pass (there is aparking lot) and walk the boardwalk out to Hidden lake overlook. You could also cross the road and walk a short way on the Highline trail---the views are fantastic.

If you book your westside lodging at Apgar, at the far west end of the lake, you will have nice views down the lake and into the heart of the park. There are boat rentals (rowboats and kayaks, and maybe small motorboats) and this might make a nice change from hiking. There is a nice little visitor center/bookstore there.

Try for Many Glacier hotel and Village Inn on the west side. Village Inn is clean but furnishings are old. The view of Lake McDonald is why you are there. Look for rooms now. Being the week following the holiday and really what some consider the first full week of park access, you need to get rooms now!

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