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If close encounters with large predators, hiking cliffside trails, and venturing
into remote, mountainous terrain are not your bag, then may we suggest driving
past the entrance gate to Glacier National Park? On the other hand, if
unparalleled scenery and the opportunity to see the full lineup of wildlife that
greeted Lewis and Clark when they swung through Montana way back when is your
notion of a great vacation spot, then Glacier is your kind of park.
Crowning
the Rocky Mountains, Waterton, in
Canada, and Glacier, in the U.S., are
national parks that allow nature's
continuities to override national borders.
Named for the rivers of ice that continue to carve its spectacular alpine
landscape here, Glacier continually ranks as the most pristine of America's
national parks and the one people would most like to revisit.
Don't be surprised if a hike in the park leads to a grizzly bear tearing
lazily into a rotten log for a meal of tasty grubs; grizzly sightings are a
tradition here, and a guarantor that hikers take precautions like clapping,
singing, and wearing bells on their bootlaces to make sure the encounters are
from a safe distance. Glacier also is home to wolves, mountain lions, and
mountain goats.
The same remote quality that makes Glacier hospitable to these solitary
species makes it less accessible than other national parks; a visit to Glacier
demands a bit more effort before it surrenders its charms. But it won't take
long for you to discover that this is one of the park system's true gems.
Drive to
the Sun
Going-to-the-Sun Road is the marquee drive in Glacier and perhaps the most
scenic stretch of tarmac in all of North America. It has been described as a
"don't look down" road. It bisects the northern and southern halves of
the park, crosses the Continental Divide, and is designated a National Historic
Landmark. If you have quads of steel, then consider bicycling Going-to-the Sun.
The screaming descent is worth the uphill toil. Whatever the size of your
vehicle, be sure to detour into the numerous turnoffs for awesome views of
mountainsides and wildflowers.
Hike the
Nation's Spine
Glacier National Park boasts some of the most remote backcountry hiking in the
Lower 48 and nearly 700 miles of maintained trails. The eastern slope of the
Divide tends to be drier and it has more dramatic alpine scenery. The southern
part of the park is more remote and less visited. A great and vigorous hike to
the Continental Divide is on the Dason-Pitamakan trail. It climbs through
diverse landscapes to the Continental Divide and then explores the Dry Fork
drainage. The trail starts at the Two Medicine north shore trailhead and travels
more than 16 miles out and back over moderately strenuous terrain with an
elevation gain of 2,935 feet.
Carve
Tracks Into a Mountain
Western slopes in the northern Rockies are famous for their dry, powdery snow,
and Glacier is no exception. Telemark and cross-country skiers alike can get
their "freshies" (first tracks after a big snow) throughout the park
free from the sounds and smells of snowmobiles, which blessedly are prohibited
in the park. The route most suited to a mellow Nordic trek is the Upper Lake
MacDonald Trail, which follows Going-to-the-Sun Road for 8 miles. The Autumn
Creek Trail near Marias Pass offers a more remote ski experience, but also puts
skiers into avalanche country. Check snow conditions before heading out.
Cast for
Dolly Varden
You won't find Brad Pitt in Glacier National Park, but you might snare Dolly
Varden. Fly fishing in the park is rated as world-class, with cutthroat trout,
rainbow trout, Dolly Varden trout, eastern brook trout, arctic grayling, and
kokanee salmon on the menu. Another plus: Out-of-staters don't need a license to
fish at Glacier. Lake fishing tends to be better than stream fishing, with good
fishing reported at Elizabeth, Ellen Wilson, Grace, Hidden, and Isabel Lakes.
The North Fork of the Flathead is known as the best stream fishing, but because
spring runoff is so dramatic all rivers are best fished from mid-July through
September.
Paddle
the Spring Melt
The opaque emerald waters of the North Fork and the Middle Fork of the Flathead
entice hundreds of courageous paddlers every spring when the melting snowpack
and glacial runoff swell this river into a raging monster. The Middle Fork is
known as the wildest river in Montana as it traces Glacier's western border.
Shaefer Meadows, about 25 miles upriver from Bear Creek, has an airstrip and is
the most frequent starting point for wilderness rafting trips.
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