Glacier National Park: What we enjoyed, what we wish we'd skipped, and what we hope to do next time
We travel fairly quickly in our nomadic life, and in visiting the US national parks, we often talk about "scratching the surface." This is our way of visiting a park for a few hours or a couple of days, seeing a few sights, and then moving on. We leave feeling like we got a sense of what the park offers, but we never really dive in deeper than that. Then there are those parks where we designate a more extended period of time to explore. This year, we opted to spend three weeks in the Glacier, Montana area, right outside the park's west entrance. We had a feeling that Glacier's vast wilderness would lend itself to ample activities, and we were excited to not only scratch the surface, but find some less popular gems as well.
Three weeks seems like a lot of time until we factor in work days, park entry time restrictions, and weather. Our first week brought rain nearly every day, and after that, vehicle restrictions kicked in, leaving us with limited time to explore the park. We also still work full-time on the road, and unlike last year in the Smokies, we didn't take a vacation week. We just filled our downtime with work and adventured around it. It wasn't a bad system. Because we were restricted to entering the park after 3PM, we had plenty of days where we could work the first part of the day and head to Glacier the second part. Even still, three weeks flew by. Glacier National Park is huge, and unlike some other national parks, it keeps you wanting more. We went to Mammoth Cave last year, and while we didn't have time to hike or explore the river, we did the cave tour, which is the main attraction. We can get rivers and hikes elsewhere. Even with the Grand Canyon, it's massive and there's tons to do, but we left feeling satisfied because we got to view the canyon from different vantage points. We'd like to someday hike below rim, but we were fine holding off on that until next time.
You may recall that my reaction to the Grand Canyon was immediate and intense. Glacier wasn't like that. It was stunningly beautiful, but our connection to the park was more of a slow burn. It makes sense because there is so much to take in. We're not just seeing one famous glacier. We're seeing multiple glaciers and their lakes and the turquoise rivers. We're seeing the northern US Rockies in springtime, with their melting snow and vibrant wildflowers. There are endless options for activities such as hikes, bike rides, scenic drives, and tours run by outfitters. Mountain life is our jam. We love areas where we can spend weeks, months, or even years, and always find something new. This is what Glacier felt like to us. It wasn't going to be a park where we felt like, "Cool, we saw it" and moved on. The more we saw of the park, the more we loved it.
It's clear that a return trip to this park is warranted, but we came away with some really unique and memorable experiences under our belt. Some we'd do again in a heartbeat, while others are best left to experience just once. Then, we have our list of excursions that weren't in the cards this time, but that we look forward to the next time our travels bring us to northern Montana.
What we enjoyed:
Ebike rides on Going to the Sun Road
It goes without saying that ebiking Going to the Sun Road was our biggest must-do in the park. We arranged our travels so that we could time our visit with the road's gradual opening, allowing us to bike the road before it was open to vehicles. We already published two posts on this, so we clearly really loved it. Sometimes these must-do activities end up being a letdown because they get so hyped up on social media and in articles, but Going to the Sun Road very much lives up to its expectations. These days, it's a little more complicated to get on the road due to the vehicle reservations, but it's popular because it's fantastic. Whether you choose to drive, bike, or walk, and whether you choose to see all of the road or just part of it, Going to the Sun Road should be at the top of everyone's list in Glacier National Park.
Hike at Rocky Point
Rocky Point is a 2-mile hike alongside Lake McDonald and is perfect for a quick nature fix when time is limited. We had a free evening and were looking for an easier hike but with a nice view. The Apgar area on the west side of the park offers a selection of easier trails, but many are through the forest and don't offer much beyond trees, or if you're lucky, a wildlife sighting. Rocky Point brought us through some forested areas, including one that's undergoing the long natural restoration process after a wildfire. Along the way, we had glimpses of Lake McDonald, but then at the end, we arrived to a cliff area overlooking the lake. The evening sun and clouds made the lake look jewel-toned, and the waves were active. It was a beautiful sight, and the best part is that this viewpoint probably looks different depending on the time of day and weather conditions. For this reason, Rocky Point could be hiked multiple times and offer new views each time. The cliffside has lots of side trails that were fun to climb, that all lead back to the main loop. Because we explored these trails, we ended up clocking about 2.5 miles total.
Hike at Trail of the Cedars
My birthday was coming to an end, and we decided to go into the park to catch the sunset. I'll talk more about that in the next section, but we ended up driving to Avalanche Creek to walk Trail of the Cedars. This is a nature trail that has a boardwalk. It's short and easy, but it takes you through the groves of mature cedar trees and also gives you nice views of the creek and a small waterfall. We were pleasantly surprised. We expected to walk it just for exercise, but we ended up having a great time. The sun had just set, so we were walking by twilight. We were the only people on the trail, but we did share it with a deer at one point. It was so quiet and majestic, and being among the big trees reminded us of walking in the Redwoods. We would definitely recommend walking this trail during the quieter hours of the day. It was so incredibly peaceful and the perfect way to end my birthday.
Apgar Village
Just inside the west entrance to the park is Apgar, which includes the Visitor Center, some trails, and the Village, a little community of shops, cafes/restaurants, and a lodge. The village is located on the shore of Lake McDonald and was a nice place to walk around and explore. We popped into a few of the shops and took pictures by the lake. It wasn't anything groundbreaking, but we enjoy the little mountain villages that lie just inside or outside the park. Apgar serves as a convenient jumping-off point for Glacier adventures.
Apgar Lookout Trail
Even better than exploring Apgar Village, was seeing it from 1600ft above! We wanted to do at least one longer hike while at Glacier, but we were limited to trails on the west side due to time and road restrictions. Apgar Lookout was well-rated, conveniently located, and in the range of difficulty we were searching for. One afternoon, we joined the post-3PM crowds and headed into the park. It was the longest we had to wait to get through the entrance gate, but even then it was only 10-15 minutes. However, once we turned off the main road and headed towards the trailhead, we barely saw anyone. There were a few people at the trailhead, and we passed 4 people during the whole 7+-mile trail. Rated as hard, the trail is a steady incline all the way up, with grades reaching over 30% in some spots. Our biggest battle was the sun, which was beating down on us in the late afternoon. It got up in the 80s that day, and for people who like hiking in temperatures in the 50s, it was a bit much. But we powered on, taking lots of water breaks on the way up. Thankfully, there was no shortage of views because we were hiking right along a ridgeline. The mountains were unbelievable. We were able to see the Flathead River, Apgar, West Glacier, and below us, the fruits of our labor: Our twisting, turning trail carved among the pine trees. We also got to enjoy the sights and smells of the wildflowers, and, the best part of springtime in Glacier, the friendly butterflies that enjoyed the trail along with us.
The summit of the trail has an old fire tower, which you're allowed to climb the steps to. We had some snacks on the tower before heading back down. The descent was much easier for us, but still felt like a long way down. We were sufficiently tuckered out by the time we got back to the truck, but we finally felt like we had done a quintessential Glacier hike.
What we wish we'd skipped:
Lake McDonald Boat Tour
One of the ways to circumvent the vehicle reservations requirement is to purchase a tour inside the park. Glacier has a few outfitters and adventure companies that work with the Park Service to offer excursions inside the park boundaries. To guarantee entrance into the park on my birthday, we booked a boat tour on Lake McDonald. We had plans to take the hour-long boat tour and then explore/do a hike afterwards, since we'd be in the park anyways. The thing with that though, is that we had planned this all back in late February, after we knew we didn't have vehicle reservations, and we didn't know how easy it would be to get into the park. So we figured, at the very least, we'd get in on my birthday. Turns out, our entrances after 3PM were more than enough and we didn't need to visit in the morning. But, we had the boat tour and had heard good things, so it was time to check it out.
The boat is fairly small, what you'd expect from a little commuter ferry, but they packed that thing in. There were barely enough seats for everyone, and some of the seats were positioned awkwardly, like in the middle of the boat, facing all the other seats. Our guide tried her best, but she admitted this was her first season narrating tours at Glacier, and we could tell she wasn't comfortable. She also made a few mistakes in her commentary. Getting to actually go out on the lake was nice, but we had already had so many better views of Lake McDonald from the shore, including earlier that day, before we embarked. Over all, we felt like this experience wasn't worth the price of admission into the park at an earlier time. We heard from one of the gift shop owners that the Two Medicine boat tour in East Glacier is fantastic. Perhaps that's the one to book if you're set on a lake tour.
Horseback Trail Ride
Contrary to our boat tour, we didn't book a trail ride in order to get into the park, even though this was another activity that allowed exemption from the vehicle reservation requirement. We had been going back and forth on whether or not to hit the saddles again, after last year's Smokies ride turned out to be one of our worst activities all year. We do usually like trail rides and have done a handful in different locations where we've traveled, and at the end of the day, we couldn't see ourselves passing up a chance to ride at Glacier. There's such a wonderful country western vibe in Montana, and we wanted to be a part of it.
We chose a 2-hour Apgar Corral trail, sticking with the convenience of Apgar-area excursions. Now, we'll make clear right off the bat, that Swan Outfitters, the company that runs these rides, is fantastic. All the employees we met were friendly and knowledgeable, and the horses seem to be well taken care of. The company is organized and clear about their rules, and they even cap their tours at 7 people to ensure that the guide can monitor all of the riders. Compare that to our Smokies ride, where there were about 13 of us and the guide couldn't care less about those of us in the back. Here at Apgar Corral, we ended up only having three of us on the tour - Anthony, myself, and a fellow RVer from Ohio. We loved the small group vibe, but that's where our love ends. The trail had a few nice views but was mostly forest. We saw a deer and some bear claw marks, but no bears. The guide was informative about the history of different areas we rode through, as well as the surrounding plants and trees. But I couldn't enjoy any of that, because I got stuck with a troublemaker horse. Even before we saddled up, all the staff was like, "Hey Nicole, good luck." That's never a good sign. My horse was slow and stubborn. It was like Tanner had morphed into a horse and I was trying to ride him. Constantly trying to stop and eat grass, purposely pulling the reins to get me to let go, and going so slow that I couldn't even hear the guide. I was just in my own little world, way in the back. I appreciate that we didn't have another Smokies experience where we were blamed for the horse's behavior, but if the staff knows this horse is a pain in the butt, why make him a guest horse? I spent a lot of money to enjoy the trail ride, not to constantly reprimand my horse.
The other negative was that, when Anthony and I compared notes afterwards, we both agreed that it was the most painful ride we've ever experienced. It's never pleasant, of course, given that we certainly don't ride enough to be used to straddling, but we both felt that our stirrups weren't in proper positions, despite the staff readjusting them more than once. Not even halfway into the ride, I was feeling tons of pain in my calves and knees, and it was really hard to keep my stance. Anthony said one of his stirrups wasn't straight enough to outstretch his leg and dip his heel, which is what you want to do to maintain balance in the saddle.
Perhaps this was our sign to take a break from the horseback rides for a while. Last year, we could blame the horrendous customer service, but this year, we just have to chalk it up to trail rides not being for us.
(The company doesn't allow you to take photos out on trail for safety reasons, so this is all we got).
Sunset on Lake McDonald
We heard that seeing the sunset over Lake McDonald is a must for people visiting Glacier National Park, and so we made a point to drive in on my birthday to sit and relax while we marvel at the scenery. We planned to head to Lake McDonald Lodge, near where we took our boat tour earlier that day. The sun would be setting across the lake from that vantage point, which should give us nice views. Only, as we were driving up Going to the Sun Road, we noticed that the sun was getting lower behind the mountains, and there was hardly any coloring or glow. The sun just disappeared, and that was it. We decided that it wasn't worth our time to catch the end of the sunset from the lodge, and that's when we instead continued onto Avalanche Creek and did our Trail of the Cedars hike. Now, we didn't have any clouds that evening, so maybe the coloring would be better if there had been. But when we hiked Rocky Point, we never saw the beginnings of a good sunset either, and there were plenty of clouds. Environmentally, it's a good thing. The air is really pure, and so the sunsets aren't as vibrant. Sometimes there will be some pink or yellow, and I'm sure the reflections in the lake are nice, but we travel full-time. We've seen some sunsets that are unforgettable. For us, this just wasn't going on our list of worthwhile activities.
Apgar Bike Trail
As is the case with many national parks, most trails at Glacier aren't dog-friendly, and for good reason. But, dogs are allowed in developed areas, on roads/their overlooks, and on the Apgar Bike Trail, and paved nature trail that runs from the Apgar Campground, past the Visitor Center and Village, and into the forest. We wanted to take Tanner into Glacier and felt like this was the best choice, but we found it pretty lackluster. We walked about 1.5 miles total, but it wasn't much more than just a flat walk in the woods. And so we instead turned around and decided to take a drive with Tanner up Camas Road and out the other side of the park, into the Flathead National Forest. We ended up enjoying our impromptu drive more than the walk itself.
St. Mary Falls Trail
After our East Glacier ebike ride, we took a quick, 2-mile hike to see St. Mary Falls. This trail continues past the falls to a second waterfall, Virginia Falls, but we only had time to do the first 2 miles because we needed to get back to the pets. The overall trail is rated moderate, but it's family-friendly and fairly flat and easy in the first section. Perfect for our limited time. Unfortunately, we saw the falls at a time of day where the sun was shining right behind them. Not good for photos and pretty blinding for the eyes. It's too bad, because the falls are gorgeous and the blue colors must look amazing in the right light. But, we were happy to be getting steps and taking a break from pedaling. That was until the hike back, when I took a nasty spill - our first official fall and injury since we started traveling full-time. We were passing other hikers and I stepped to the right side of the trail to give them room to go by, and the ground just gave way underneath me. I ended up falling onto jagged, rocky gravel, cutting my hand and shin, and both were swollen and painful for several days. I wound up with a huge scar on my leg. Thankfully, nothing was broken or sprained, but to fall on an easy section of trail was disappointing, and we didn't feel like the hike was worth the injury. That said, if we were able to do the entire trail at a different time of day, not tired from our ebike ride, we imagine it would be enjoyable.
What we hope to do next time:
Visiting Glacier in spring was a trade-off: We got to do our bucket list ebike ride as Going to the Sun Road was opening, but we didn't get to experience the fully open park. It was the right choice for our first visit, but when we return, we'll consider staying during peak season.
Highline and Grinnell Glacier Trails
The hikes that lead from the middle of Going to the Sun Road are some of the best, most talked about trails in any national park. I've had my sights set on the Highline Trail and Grinnell Glacier Trail, and I've also heard glowing recommendations for Piegan Pass. All these trails are difficult and long, but even just doing a few miles can get you big bang for your buck. The Highline Trail leaves from Logan Pass, a section of Going to the Sun Road that was still closed. Grinnell Glacier trailhead is further north on the east side of Glacier and was partially open. We could have done a few miles on this trail, but that would have been the only thing we had time for during our day at East Glacier. Perhaps if we were camping on the east side, it would have been a different story, but we had one day at East Glacier and chose our ebike ride instead.
Logan Pass
When the entire length of Going to the Sun Road is open, Logan Pass is a must-stop for visitors. Not only does it have the trailheads for some incredible hikes, it's the highest point on the road and also located on the Continental Divide. We hoped the hiker/biker closure would lift while we were there, but it didn't happen.
Explore more of East Glacier
Even though East Glacier isn't as built-up as West, the town looked adorable as we drove through. We'd definitely consider camping on the east side next time, so that we can explore the town and see more of the east side of the park.
Avalanche Lake Trail
This moderate trail begins from the Trail of the Cedars area and is one of many trails in Glacier that leads to a lake made from glacial meltwater. We had our sights set on doing this as our last hike in the park, but the last few days of our stay, thunderstorms moved through. Between the weather and my injury, we knew it wasn't meant to be. So we cut our losses and put this trail on our future "to-hike" list.
We left Glacier happy with what we experienced, and it was no surprise that this park earned a spot on our favorite national parks list. It was National Park number 16 for us and a proud pin added to our pin board. We take it as a good sign that three weeks here wasn't long enough. It might be a while, but we very much look forward to the next time we visit this part of the country.