Glacier National Park is among the hottest parks within the National Park Service, but these guests who aren’t fortunate sufficient to attain both a resort reservation contained in the park and/or car reservations to drive Going-to-the-Sun Road may discover themselves annoyed with restricted entry to the park. But don’t despair, even when your time throughout the park is restricted, there are many enjoyable and adventurous issues to do close to Glacier National Park. After all, magnificence and nature don’t cease on the park borders!
When I visited Montana final fall, I solely spent at some point exploring the park, however then loved per week doing different actions close to Glacier National Park. Visiting GNP might be an train in endurance coping with full parking tons, bumper-to-bumper visitors, ready in strains, and crowded climbing trails — by no means what individuals are searching for in an “outdoorsy” trip.
Don’t fret! Go to Glacier, tick the field, stamp the passport, purchase the t-shirt, see the highlights and scenic drives…then transfer on to all of the issues to do exterior of Glacier National Park.
If you need assistance planning a visit to Glacier National Park, my good friend Bryanna has put collectively a terrific Glacier National Park Guide with 39 pages of stop-by-stop directions, climbing choices by issue degree, eating suggestions, and insider ideas. It even consists of an alternate RV itinerary for RVers!
Where to Stay Near Glacier nationwide Park
Note: My journey to northwest Montana was sponsored by Glacier Country Tourism, however all opinions are my very own. This submit incorporates affiliate hyperlinks. If you click on a hyperlink and make a purchase order, I’ll obtain a small fee.
Before we get to all of the issues to do round Glacier National Park, let’s first work out the place to remain close to Glacier National Park, particularly since getting reservations inside the park requires some severe advance planning and many driving to get from one part of the park to the opposite.
If you’re going to be visiting most of the points of interest close to Glacier National Park, you may be higher off staying west of the park, in West Glacier or the encompassing areas. Many of the locations to go to close to Glacier National Park included beneath are higher accessed from the areas west of the park.
There are many glamping choices close by, however for an extended keep I’d advocate sticking to one of many bigger cities, which additionally gives extra facilities and companies. Whitefish Mountain Resort is actually in style, together with vrbo trip leases, however something in and round this ski resort city goes to be a bit dear.
Staying in Kalispell to the southwest of Glacier will present extra price range choices as there are a selection of chain motels simply exterior of the downtown. Plus, whereas there are nice eating places and breweries on the town, the world by the freeway and motels additionally has superstores, chain eating places, and quick meals/quick informal choices. When I visited, I stayed on the Homewood Suites by Hilton in Kalispell, which was fairly handy and good.
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Things to do Near Glacier National Park
After visiting Glacier National Park, some folks like to move north throughout the border into neighboring Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada or head as much as the Canadian Rockies to see Banff and Jasper. However, there are many issues to do close to Glacier National Park proper in Montana – no passport required!
Here are a couple of of the issues to do exterior of Glacier National Park that will provide you with that out of doors trip and journey you might be in search of.
Llama trekking
Drive an hour south of West Glacier for one of the crucial distinctive out of doors experiences you’ll ever have — trekking with llamas. After all, who desires to go for a daily hike when you’ll be able to go on a hike with llamas? Swan Mountain Outfitters will introduce you to your llama for the journey and knowledgeable information will take you into the Flathead National Forest to take pleasure in a picnic lunch by a waterfall.
You don’t want to fret a few factor on this family-friendly trek because the information packs the lunch and the llamas carry it for you. Or, you’ll be able to go for a shorter, adults-only afternoon trek with wine. The llamas are so awkwardly cute that it’s not possible to not smile. Highly advocate this exercise for anybody that wants a superb psychological well being break.
Kayaking or paddleboarding
There are many rivers and lakes to take pleasure in in Northwest Montana exterior of the well-known ones in Glacier National Park (e.g. Lake McDonald, St. Mary Lake, Avalanche Lake or Hidden Lake.) You can take pleasure in kayaking or paddle boarding on Whitefish Lake, fly fishing on Flathead River, and boating on the immense Flathead Lake.
One of the extra distinctive and stress-free methods to get out on the water is to paddle the Clearwater River Canoe Trail. Located on the shore of Seeley Lake and surrounded by Lolo National Forest, Tamaracks Resort gives gear rental and a shuttle service to take pleasure in a lazy, three-hour scenic float down the Clearwater River Trail. Along the way in which, you may even see wildlife alongside the river together with turtles, fish, birds, and perhaps even a moose.
Sunset Cruise on Flathead Lake
Flathead Lake is the most important freshwater lake in Montana, and in all the Western U.S. by floor space, for those who exclude Alaska. It is over 27 miles lengthy and 15 miles huge on the widest level. It averages 164 ft in depth, however it may stand up to 370 ft deep. It can be one of many clearest lakes within the United States. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, together with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, who handle the lake work laborious to make sure it stays clear and clear by inspecting all watercraft for invasive species.
With a large number of coves carved into an irregular shoreline and a number of islands within the lake, it’s best to discover Flathead Lake by boat. Flathead Lake Charters gives half or full-day fishing charters, the place you’ll be able to fish for lake trout, pike, yellow perch, whitefish, rainbow trout, bass, kokanee salmon, and a few bull trout. If you don’t wish to go fishing, Discover Flathead Lake gives personal scenic boat excursions of most of the lovely coves alongside the lake, with a cease on Wildhorse Island for a hike.
However, a night sundown cruise to look at the colourful glow on the Mission Mountains as you discover the shoreline and cliffside views of Rocky Point and the Flathead River is a visit spotlight when visiting Glacier Country. Bring your personal drinks and snacks and sit again and absorb the pure magnificence.
While you might be exploring Flathead Lake, make sure you spend a while within the darling little city of Big Fork. This charming, artsy city feels prefer it might be in a Hallmark film, with cute boutiques, galleries, and cafes.
Hike Through the Cedars
Couldn’t get a parking spot on the trailhead for the Trail of the Cedars in Glacier National Park? That’s okay. You can stroll by means of an enormous cedar grove at Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area in Libby, Montana. It is a protracted drive to get there however one of many enjoyable issues to do exterior of Glacier National Park is to take a scenic drive by means of lovely Montana anyway (plus you’ll be able to go to some waterfalls alongside the way in which).
Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area is a grove of western crimson cedars with an interpretive strolling path a few mile lengthy. Some of the bushes are as much as 400 years outdated and attain eight ft in diameter. The scenic space is off of Highway 56, up a four-mile lengthy entry street that winds up and round to the car parking zone.
The path takes about one hour to discover for those who cease and skim the intepretative indicators that explains the world’s ecology and historical past.
Chase Waterfalls
There are many waterfalls in Glacier National Park, comparable to Virginia Falls and Saint Mary Falls, however you too can discover lovely waterfalls throughout Northwest Montana. Columbia Mountain Trail, which isn’t removed from the park, has three waterfalls alongside the path.
Also, about two-and-a-half hours from the park, in your strategy to Ross Creek Cedar Trail, you can see Kootenai Falls, one of many largest free-flowing waterfalls within the Northwest. The falls space is a sacred web site to the Kootenai folks and it was as soon as a spot the place tribal members communed with religious forces. Today, you’ll be able to observe strolling trails right down to the river’s edge and alongside the falls.
This is a stunning spot for a picnic or you’ll be able to cease within the city of Libby for lunch at Cabinet Mountain Brewery first. There is extra to do than simply benefit from the waterfalls although. A pleasant, pretty simple hike, with lovely views will carry you to the Kootenai Suspension Bridge. This bouncy however sturdy bridge gives a distinct perspective of the quickly flowing river and brings you to different lovely overlooks alongside the other financial institution.
Zipline and Adventure Course
If you might be searching for journey a little bit nearer to Glacier National Park, the Glacier Highline is the right spot to carry the household. This journey park gives over 50 completely different highline and ropes course actions. There are ziplines, a treetop journey course, mountain climbing wall, Tarzan swing, and even an inflatable impediment course and waterslide.
Whitefish Mountain Resort additionally gives ziplining, an alpine slide, a treetop journey course, and even tubing in the summertime! For these not fairly so thrill-seeking, the resort gives scenic chair raise rides and climbing trails to take pleasure in, all just one hour from Glacier National Park.
Whitewater Rafting
If you might be searching for thrills, attempt white water rafting alongside Class II – III rapids on the Flathead River. There are a number of raft corporations that function commercially guided raft journeys on the Middle Fork and North Fork of the Flathead River. These areas are throughout the Flathead Wild and Scenic River designation and are collectively managed by Glacier National Park and the Flathead National Forest.
Glacier Guides and Montana Raft Company, Glacier Raft Company, and Great Northern Resort all function out of West Glacier. Glacier Guides supply half-day, full-day, and even in a single day journeys, in addition to calmer, family-friendly scenic float rides. Just remember the fact that reservations are required and later within the season, the water could also be too low or sluggish for rafting.
See Wildlife
Many folks go to Glacier National Park hoping to see wildlife (simply hopefully no shut encounters with grizzly bears), which is why it is best to all the time be ready with bear spray and recreate responsibly. However, for those who depart Glacier National Park with out recognizing any wild creatures, don’t fear. The Park isn’t a zoo and the wild animals wander all through the state. You may encounter a bear trying out the picnic space of a city park (true story — occurred to us in Big Fork however fortunately it was only a black bear.)
I might be stunned for those who spent any size of time close to Glacier National Park and didn’t encounter no less than some deer or elk alongside your drives, which is why you all the time want to remain alert, particularly when driving at night time.
However, if you’d like a close to assure of spying wildlife, drive two hours south of Glacier National Park to go to the Bison Range. The Bison Range, which has been restored to federal belief possession for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), is dwelling to 350 grownup bison. The Bison Range is a pay-to-enter, fee-use space that includes a customer middle and a 24-mile scenic loop.
Visitors ought to plan on taking a couple of hours to drive the one-way loop, however when you’ve got much less time, you’ll be able to drive a decrease part of the loop earlier than turning again when it switches to one-way solely. In addition to bison, there are additionally elk, white-tail and mule deer, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep and black bear, together with over 200 species of birds within the reserve.
Go Mountain Biking
There are many biking trails close to Glacier National Park, together with the ten.5 mile paved Gateway-to-Glacier Trail that runs from Hungry Horse to West Glacier and the Whitefish path for starting and intermediate mountain bikers. Glacier Guide gives bike leases for these wishing to bike Going-to-the-Sun Road, together with e-bikes, and even gives guided biking journeys.
For one thing tougher, Whitefish Mountain Resort gives downhill mountain biking with two lifts and over 25 miles of downhill trails from newbie to professional.
With so many issues to do close to Glacier National Park, you’ll not get bored. Just pack your bug spray, solar display screen, climbing boots, comfortable garments, water bottle and purchase some bear spray and prepare for journey.
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