Where to start?! This has been a bucket list item for some time and not sure why I ever waited. If this is on your list GO NOW it does not disappoint!! Solo visit so easy to get up early and beat the crowds through Going to the Sun Road and Logan Pass parking drama. Perks: wildlife still out and about, easy parking to be had along the road and all lots, not a lot of crowds for optimum photo catching. Cooler on those hot days! Cons: no services open or available so have to have everything you need planned out until things open (normally 8 or 9 o'clock). I will have to venture back to grab a stamp for my NPS passport. I could spend a year here and still be excited to go and see more or hike another trail. It is a beautiful and pristine park to respectfully enjoy. I used the general store at Rising Sun mid morning to grab a few gift and snack items as well as refill water (bottle filler inside or purchase drinks of choice). Has just about anything you need there for purchase along with bathroom and showers. I can't speak for the park service visitor centers at Apgar nor Logan Pass as I didn't use as they were not open when I entered (save restroom at Logan). Logan Pass has free parking for 3 hours if you can get a spot. You do have to use the kiosk to out in plate data which provides time stamp and place on dash. Of note, there is a lot of places where you are driving by sheer cliffs with falling rock hazards with tight areas. Be mindful of the speed limits when reducing to 25 as they are normally around these tight areas or people congested areas. Also be courteous, there are plenty of pull off areas if you prefer to go slow, pull off and let others proceed smartly. Whether you are a hiker for the trails or a boater to grab one of the rentals to take out on the lake there is plenty to do here. Items book well in advance so book early and come enjoy one amazing National Park!! read more

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Glacier National Park is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. The scenery is unreal, especially along Going-to-the-Sun Road. For the best experience, definitely get there early and allow plenty of extra time for activities if you're staying outside the park, as traffic can become heavy, especially along Going-to-the-Sun Road. If you're new to the park, I also recommend booking one of the Red Bus Tours. It was a great way to experience the park without the stress of driving or parking, and the guide was very knowledgeable. The Apgar Visitor Center staff were also very helpful and gave great recommendations and information for navigating the park. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience and somewhere I would absolutely visit again. read more

Being from Hawaii I have seen some pretty amazing views and places...I gotta say Glacier National Park is definitely a bucket list place to see. Its HUGE! We visited Mid May and although we were not able to travel through the sun road, we were able to do some hikes and we saw deer and a grizzly from the car. Pretty amazing place highly recommended just speechless over its beauty. read more

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Spent the past week in Glacier and had an amazing time! Best national park we've been to, and we've visited many. We experienced the new parking restrictions at Logan Pass. We went there twice and had no issue getting a parking spot quickly upon arrival. Had just enough time to do Hidden Lake Overlook Trail in the snow. Amazing adventure! Drove across the park twice, made many stops along the pull outs and saw everything we wanted to. Did Secret Valley red bus tour- awesome. Also did St. Mary's Lake boat tour. Loved all the info and the hike to St. Mary's waterfall. Avalanche Lake Trail was challenging but fun. Gorgeous reward at the end. We absolutely loved this park! read more

"In string theory, all particles are vibrations on a tiny rubber band; physics is the harmonies on the string; chemistry is the melodies we play on vibrating strings; the universe is a symphony of strings, and the 'Mind of God' is cosmic music resonating in 11-dimensional hyperspace." Yeah... I repeated that for a while dragging myself up one of Glacier's long, soul-crushingly gorgeous hikes. The views? Unreal. The vibe? Humbling. The legs? Suffering. This park makes you feel small in the best possible way, like the universe is laughing with you, not at you. Sadly, no bear sightings (which honestly feels like Glacier's version of a refund). But I did snag a sweater at the visitor center, staff were so kind I half expected them to adopt me. And let's be real: you'll probably run into a crew of hot Canadians wandering over the border like it's no big deal. Glacier has everything, cosmic philosophy, scenery that'll fry your brain circuits, kind staff, and bonus eye candy from the north. 11/10, would string-theory again. read more

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I never thought I'd go to Montana, but my mother in law had Glacier National Park on her list of national parks she had never gone to and so I found myself in Montana. What a stunning national park with views from all angles. We stayed at an airbnb on the south side of the park so went to Apgar Visitor Center for most of our questions. The visitor centers will tell you what is open and available in regards to trails and pathways. They have great guidance on the level of difficulty for these trails. Check out TikTok and YouTube to get yourself familiar with the park and then build your day(s) with trail activities and logistics (parking, food options, etc). Bear spray is generally $50, and it is recommended to have if you are going on these trails. You're in Mother Nature now and bears live in Mother Nature!!! Avalanche Lake was a 4.4 mile hike (2.2 miles each way) which was a major highlight for us. The views are spectacular and it has its steep moments along the mountain but then you see little kids passing you in the trail and you realize yes you can do it. Lake McDonald is another popular spot to check around. There are different water activities which will depend on the time of year you go that will be open. The wildlife all over the park is incredible. We saw a baby + mom moose. We saw deer, chipmunks, prairie dogs. The various plants and tree varieties are endless. Jackson glacier is spectacular but also sad when you think about global warming and how much all the glaciers are melting due to humans and global warming. All in all cool experience! read more

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Glacier National Park is absolutely stunning. I saw some of the most beautiful nature and wilderness that I have ever seen here . The landscapes are gorgeous and you will see trees, mountains and lots of waterfalls. This is probably one of the most beautiful national parks I have ever been to. We came very early in the morning because I am aware that this park gets incredibly crowded, as many national parks do . We came so early in fact that the Apgar the visitor center was not yet open so we continued through the park and unfortunately when we arrived at them, both the Logan Pass and St. Mary's Visitor Centers parking areas were completely full and most people including me were driving around and around in circles trying to find a spot. Ultimately, I had to drop my husband off so that he could go inside while I continued circling, so I was not able to do the things that I needed to do. Obviously this park is incredibly popular but I feel like some accommodation should be made so that people who need to stop have access to the facilities they require. Especially when these Parks charge. So much so pervehicle. Even though we arrived before sunrise, there were also lots of trailheads that were packed completely full and we were unable to stop at those as well. Besides the facilities, all of my other disappointments were with the other people here and not to do with the park itself. As I stated, it's incredibly crowded and parking is difficult. There are spots you can pull out to take in views, and we were thoughtful to not linger too long or take up too much space, especially on the more sought after spots. We pulled over at one point to see a waterfall on the side of the road and stayed a few minutes and took some photographs. As we tried to leave we were unable because someone was blocking us in and blocking the road. When that person finally moved, another truck pulled in their spot to the point where I had to honk my horn. They did eventually move up and tried to park in front of us so I was able to get back out onto the road and as we pulled away we saw that they were setting up chairs and a cooler to further block the pull out and apparently have some sort of family picnic. I know we are all keen to see these places and enjoy them before our government sells them off to the highest bidder, so please try your best to be aware of other people around you so that EVERYONE can have a good experience. read more

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This park is AMAZING! Give yourself plenty of time and stop at the turnouts to see some Amazing waterfalls and scenery. Get your timed entry pass early, and try to go as early as possible. read more

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What an ethereal and stunning place this park is. It's been on my list for the last few years since hearing about it and I finally went June 28-29 in 2025. We took the scenic route to get to the park by flying into Yellowstone Bozeman airport (4 hrs away) and staying the night halfway between Bozeman, MT and the national park. If you do this, the easiest way into the park is actually via the east side entering through the Saint Mary entrance, which is much less busy than the Apgar-West Glacier entrance. You also need a timed entry permit to go into the West Apgar entrance from 7a-5p, but you do not need a res to go in through Saint Mary. We came around 8AM on a Saturday and the line had maybe 6-7 cars? Was only a 10ish minute wait. After that we proceeded along Going to the Sun Road which had just opened about 1.5 weeks prior! We stopped along the road to do Sun Point nature trail (very easy/short, like 1.5 miles round trip) and St. Mary's falls (like 2ish miles round trip). We came to Logan Pass visitor center which was very crowded but didn't stay long, then finished the drive out of the park. Even just driving along the road is a breathtaking experience, the place is STUNNING. Do note the road is narrow though, only 1 lane each way and despite a barrier along the external lane, it can be scary for those with aversion to heights. Additionally, after we left Logan pass it started to rain and at some points was raining pretty hard/visibility was reduced so we had to go really slow, and this cut our hiking short that day because of mud. Nevertheless - when I came back the next day it was crystal clear skies and all gorgeous views; the road was also mostly dry. I did hidden lake trail to the overlook (was closed beyond that point anyhow), and that was STUNNING - saw a bunch of mountain goats and smaller rodents (chipmunks, squirrels, etc). Then I went to the loop trail and hiked out to granite park chalet since the highline was still closed for the season (do be aware: online it told me the highline usually opens when GTTS road opens - that does not seem to be correct. The rangers told me snow had not been been started to be cleared on the high line 1.5 weeks after GTTS road opened when I came, and per the all trails app it is still closed another week later). Anyhow, the loop trail up to glacier junction where it intersections with the highline was very much open and GORGEOUS. Do be aware for both these hikes and other famous ones (eg avalanche lake) parking fills FAST. I came early for hidden lake (arrived at 7am) so got a spot right away, and I got lucky at the loop since someone was pulling out but otherwise there were no spots. I stopped by avalanche on my way home to scope it out, and there wasn't a single spot in all the lots including overflow - plan accordingly, come early if you can! Overall, glacier is hands down one of my favorite (if not my new fav) national parks. The drama of the sweeping mountain peeks with the green meadows and valleys, plus the wildflowers, incredible animal life, and big expansive of blue sky over it all is the pinnacle of nature's bounty. I can't wait to go back and would rec a visit to this park by anyone who loves greenery and the outdoors. read more

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There a ton of good hikes and views in National Forests throughout the west, I really wasn't sure Glacier would live up to the hype (and crowds) and be that much better. But sure enough, it's an incredible place. Grinnell Glacier, Hidden Lake, and Avalanche Lake were memorable hikes. Lots of wildlife. Nice views...though maybe my expectations of Going To The Sun Road were too high from Rocky Mountain's Trail Ridge Road Biggest area for improvement given the crowds is the shuttle system. With limited parking at so many places, a shuttle sounds great! But on the west side, it fills quickly, and on the east, comes infrequently: the worst wait we had was 40 minutes (from Logan Pass down the east side), but we heard multiple stories from others about waiting over 2 hours. read more

This has been one of my favorite national parks so far. It's so lush and there's waterfall after waterfall. You literally feel like you're in a fairytale. So much great hiking. A handful of lakes are there to relax by as well. I saw multiple weddings happening while there. So beautiful! read more

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The Glacier National Park was founded in 1910, sees 3.3 million visitors annually and is 1,013,322 acres large. Glacier is called "Crown of the Continent" featuring the most impressive mountain scenery in North America. Since 1932 it's known as the world's first international peace park, Glacier National Park in Montana and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta offer a contiguous high-country wonderland of rock, ice, water & wood. Glacier is a beloved park in northwestern Montana. It takes its name from the many glaciers & glacial forces that shaped its rugged topography over 2 million years. The park is still home to more than a dozen glaciers, the massive U-shaped valleys and hulking granite peaks carved by long-ago ice flows are impressive. We took a 1936 wood ford jammer vehicle through the park for 2 hours. read more

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This is gonna be another one of those reviews where I say, "what can I say that hasn't already has been said". I will start off and remind everyone that these days with the demand you must buy a pass to drive the going to the sun road. Even if you have a park pass you must buy a driving pass in advance (reserve). Epic beauty everywhere. The hiking and backpacking opportunities are endless (unfortunately none with pets). The going to the sun road is something you'll never forget!! There is a lot of back country camping and hiking available. There are also a few different entrances. The main (south) entrance, east entrance (st. Mary), and two west (Camas Creek and Polebridge). My favorite is to come in through Polebridge because it is so remote. Since Glacier NP is one of the busiest parks in the country, the earlier you get there the better. Make sure to check this park off your bucket list, it is absolutely epic!! read more

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This National park is a must if you are a nature enthusiast. Its vast vistas are stunning and the history of this park is preserved and cherished. The landscape is so fascinating and you truly see beauty everywhere you turn. We saw many glaciers and sadly many have rescinded due to global warming. The park is run efficiently and with love. I am still in awe over the natural beauty this place was. The sun road was a better drive than anticipated and Logan's pass was so cool. Spending almost three days there didn't cover the entire park but we saw quite a bit. read more

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My wife and I had seen a couple of National Parks and have always enjoyed them. Glacier should be on EVERYONE'S bucket list!! It entails a lot of driving. The estimates of the hikes can be deceptive. We are not hikers, so we chose shorter, easier ones. The pictures speak for themselves. If O had it to do again, I would come when snow would be on the mountains. read more

What a beautiful national park! We came during the July 4th week in 2024. We were not able to get reservations online when it opened a few months prior but were able to get some the night before. If you happen to miss both chances, get to the gate before 6am and you should be able to get in. The park is pristine and lush and the trails are beautiful. We tackled the Avalanche Trail (only going to the first lake, the round trip with spending about 30 minutes admiring the view was about 2 hours). This was one of the easier hikes but the view is still amazing. I can't wait to come back and tackle one of the more strenuous hikes as I think those views would be even more breath taking. The trails do get busy starting around 7am. We drove through the entire park, up to Logan Pass (even in the summer there was a large amount of snow and lots of fog and wind) and through the other end. Every turn of the drive offered beautiful views. GNP may be one of my favorite parks and I am eager to come back and explore more. read more

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Glacier is a beautiful national park. We went there in early October when the leaves were changing colors. This park had waterfalls, hiking trails, glaciers and lakes. We saw some animals. But, no bears. We only spent half a day here driving up Going to the Sun Road. Restroom were interesting. It seems like the entire park has gone 2023 except for the Apgar visitor center. Several of the restrooms outside of Apgar no longer have male and female restrooms. They only had unisex stall causing long lines at the public restrooms that I passed by. The Apgar restroom didn't have individual unisex stalls. No waiting, unless you are driving from one of the other restrooms deep in the park back to Apgar. Glacier was a great place to visit. If I ditched my wife, I could've easily spent a week here exploring the park. As nice as my experience was, I still like a couple of other national parks more than this one. read more

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It's hard to put into words the amount of beauty that is contained within this park. My wife and I were lucky to be able to come here late last July and it was truly one of the best places we've ever visited. We stayed at a fantastic B&B in Columbia Falls and it was an easy drive from there to the park (only about 20 minutes). We spent 2 days in the park as we were on a road trip and we didn't have vehicle reservations for the first morning, so we decided to drive along the southern edge of the park and then up the eastern edge to enter at the St. Mary's area. This was very fun and the whole drive was very scenic, so I definitely recommend that if you miss out on reservations. The advantage was that we were driving back to our hotel when we got to the Going to the Sun Road, so it was a nice way to make sure we still had time to find a place for dinner after the park. St. Mary is a beautiful area and it's so very picturesque. We did a short hike to Virginia Falls and that was very fun, though it's mostly exposed, so make sure you have good sun protection on a hot summer day. We loved being able to see all the gorgeous sites along the Going to the Sun road and it's truly a drive that you have to experience once in your life. We also had the good fortune to find a parking spot near the Avalanche Lake Trail (very, very popular, so make sure you're here early) and this was one of our favorite hikes that we've ever done; the spectacular view of Avalanche Lake is truly worth the 5-6 mile roundtrip hike. We realized later that we could have spent our entire vacation exploring Glacier National Park and it's 100% a place that we will visit again in the future. It's just the best! read more

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Such a beautiful and well maintained park! It's quite large and can take a couple hours to get from one side to another depending on the number of people visiting. The span is so vast that on one side you'll have sunny weather and on the opposite side will be snowy and rainy. You have to get there early for the popular, longer hikes like the Highline Trail, you have to get to as early as possible to snag a spot. Outside of the parking lots, there no side road parking since the roads are narrow enough so you may have to park at a different trailhead and walk over. Plenty of hikes from easy one to gorgeous overlooks or lakes to more strenuous ones 10+ miles. Lots of wildlife around as well! Our initial trail of Highline stopped at a halt because a bear was on the mountain edge and rocks were falling down. We also got deer and mountain goats! A deer actually stopped right on the trail in front of us. We read a lot of blogs and reviews leading up to it, with the importance of bear spray and packing for various climates of weather, sunscreen, extra food and water, etc. so be prepared! You could spend at least 2-3 days here minimum and still not see everything. We loved it and can't wait to be back! read more

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My friend and I spent three days exploring the park and we had a great time!! We went mid-September and we had amazing weather. It was chilly in the morning but then warm in the afternoon. It was sunny every day. It was just beginning to turn to fall colors which was so pretty. The ONLY thing that was hard is there isn't anywhere to fill up your water on trails. So make sure you pack enough for the long hikes. We did 16 miles one day and I ran out of water. We did see a grizzly bear on one of the hikes. Which was a little scary. Later that day we saw a brown bear on the road and some mountain goats. So that was an eventful day! read more

Glacier National Park - Parks Near Me - West Glacier, Montana

Government shutdown! I am giving this review based on two female employees I will now call thug1 and thug2. I arrived on a Wednesday night october 1, 2025. coming back from a 2 week stay in Canada I hadn't paid too much attention to the US government BS. I see posters stating closed. Other people walking around wondering their hours. Nothing stating hours of operation. Yelp states it's open. So I got my camp site outside the park and arrived the next day at 10am October 2. CLOSED! Huh! Other people walking around asking the same question. Then I saw Thug1 and Thug2 walking with items that clearly indicated they worked there. I politely called out "excuse me, do you work here?" The thugs did not even stop and rudely commented "not right now" . I stood there thinking well maybe they haven't clocked in. I said well I hope you have a better day that you are having right now. They stopped and started yelling rude comments at me and I said well just want to know when it opens and I turned my back. They kept yelling at me. I think if other people weren't around they may have approach me in a threatening way. Thugs and bullies. People were stopped in their tracks aghast at the thugs. One man interjected a comment to them and they spoke with him. He came over and asked me if I was okay and told me that they told him the place was shutdown. My thoughts then why are they at work? Just annoying government employees. All they had to do was stop and take a minute to explain and I would have felt bad for them! But I can't feel bad for these thugs. Then it was verified they were on the clock because they were taking things out of a government truck. I hope if a manager reads this they get written up. (god forbid its not the thugs) the pictures are of thug 1 read more

Glacier National Park - The entrance. - Parks Near Me - West Glacier, Montana

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Believe all the hype! There is a reason this is a bucket list destination. Hubby picked this trip and we couldn't have had a better time. I was able to get two Going to the Sun road passes for the week we were there. They were hard to get...But if you don't have one you can still drive the EPIC road if you get there before 6am or after 3pm. Takes all day to drive the road and back with all the stops you want. Do not rush! Enjoy every stop. And the road makes you drive slow. I thought we'd lose a side mirror at one part! There was a lot of posted bear activity when we were there the end of June right when the road opened. We never saw one, or talked to anyone who had, although everyone had bear spray and made noise on the trails. We did see big horn sheep, marmots and chipmunks up close. At Avalanche Lake guard your picnic food as the chipmunks aren't shy... Our favorite hike was one we hadn't really planned. 10 miles around Two Medicine Lake wasn't a ton of up & down but the views were spectacular!!! Snow capped mountains, wild flowers, stream crossings. B-e-a-utiful... We will go back. This place is huge and a week is just the tip. read more

They call it the Crown of the Continent and you can see why Glacier National Park was established in 1910 as a National Park. It's a 1583 square mile area with mountains, meadows, forests, waterfalls, glaciers. It's cut in half by the breathtaking Going-to-the-Sun Road, a 50-mile (mostly) paved road that crosses the Continental Divide at Logan's Pass (6,646 high). There are 700 miles of hiking trails that range from easy to expert. I am no hiker, with a bad ankle, but I loved the gorgeous scenery. I loved the fresh pine scented air, the sounds of the birds, the wind through the trees, the beautiful blue lakes, the glimpse of a bear -- we saw a bear! You can hike, ride a bike, camp, boat. Or do as we did and take a Red Bus tour. You can get picked up at Lake McDonald Lodge (make a reservation) and let someone else drive up to Logan's Pass. It can be a harrowing drive, with the ascent in elevation, hairpin turns, open vistas, and unpredictable weather. My pictures can't possibly do it justice. Get here and experience the beauty, fellow diverse people. I did not see you here during my visit and though the 26 active glaciers won't disappear by 2030 as they once projected, who knows? I hope to return someday with a rehabbed ankle and hike to a glacier and visit the East entrance. read more

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This was my first time in my life driving through a national park, especially living on a rock in the pacific. But this was a once in a lifetime experience in my opinion. Glacier National Park is so incredible beautiful. Being able to see scenic views high in the mountains to down by the river was so incredible. I also loved the numerous places to pull over to take pics; although many were full when we drove by. But being able to touch the cold river water was just the highlight of this trip. I would love to be able to live in this park and would definitely want to visit again. read more

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This is the without a doubt the worst national park we've been to. The views are incredible, but everything else is HORRIBLE. We visited Sept 7-13th. We drove the 50+ mile going to the sun road multiple times, and I'm not joking when I say not 1 parking spot was available. You must purchase vehicle passes ahead of time, but that is pointless because you must get to the park at 5am (you don't need passes before 7am and after 3pm) if you want to do any hikes. The parking situation throughout the park is absolutely RIDICULOUS. We also purchased $500 horseback riding passes in Many Glacier. The passes do not guaranty parking inside many glacier and parking there is also impossible. You will circle the lot 25 times, compete with 20 other cars just to get a spot. If you don't, sorry for your luck! No refunds. Want to visit Logan's Pass where the best hikes and wildlife are? Get there at 4:30am and camp in your car until sunrise. You will never park there if you show up after 5am. We never got to see it, even getting there at 6:30am. The parking was closed due to too many people. The parking lot is tiny. When driving along the Going to the Sun Rd, the park invested in parking for the restrooms more than anything else. We spent a few days frustrated because we couldn't enjoy anything there is to do here. We actually avoided the park most days and found things to do outside the park. If you are visiting here, your best bet is to be in the park by 4:30am, take a nap in the car until sunrise and then do a hike of your choice. After that, head out because you will not find another parking spot. Overall we feel like this was not worth the trip and will likely not return. read more

We are initially from back east and love our NJ pizza. We haven't had this quality of pizza since we left NJ 14 years ago. We ordered a cheese pizza, and wow, it was super delicious. The crust had taste, the sauce wasn't acidy and the cheese was quality. I find it funny that west coast ppl have to load up their pizzas, yep, because they have no other flavour!! This was excellent pizza! I think you need to open a pizza joint in the Phoenix area!! Thank you for a taste of home.... And all that simple deliciousness of a cheese pizza!!! read more

Glacier National Park - Name of the pizza joint - Parks Near Me - West Glacier, Montana

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Awesome National Park that deserves all the hype and love. Stay in Apgar or Fish Creek if you want easy access to amenities, or Two Medicine, St Mary, or Many Glacier if you want less peoples and more mountains. The east and northern sides of the park have less families and more mountain. Make reservations at least a few months in advance, but check back close to your reservation date as sites do open up regularly due to cancelations. Buy your drive in vehicle pass for Going to the Sun if you're coming in from West Glacier or Apgar. No matter where you stay, you're very likely to see wildlife of some kind. read more

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A beautiful park that is less crowded than the other closest national parks. There are multiple entrances- some need a time reservation (3). Clean bathrooms and helpful employees. Strenuous and easy hiking parks. Really liked the stroll through the big trees! read more

Winter 2022...I was in the area for "work" so thought I'd visit Glacier National Park while I was here for free... Well...turns out that 97% Park is CLOSED during winter, jokes on me! But that is probably a good thing as it was freezing and most of park was covered in lots of snow, which means lots of people would probably get lost and die in the snow or crashing their cars if the park was fully open. I still enjoyed the scenic drives, walking around Lake McDonald, taking pictures and not dying from freezing or driving the car off a cliff, so I was still winning. I'll have to come back someday during warm sunny weather! read more

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Came here for a week for hiking, loved all the hikes! Vehicle reservations were a bit annoying, they get released months in advance and also the day before at 8AM. Going to the Sun Road is 3 consecutive days while Many Glacier and Two Medicine are 1 day, $2 for each reservation. Site is slow during that time but not too bad to get. Did a TON of hikes there, had a good time. Really loved the Grinnell Glacier hike, would recommend Iceberg Lake and Highline also. Scenery was alright (I'm probably jaded because I've seen to many places), park was run well. Glacier Hotel has a really old piano in it with a sign on it welcoming "talented players" and asking parents to keep their kids from banging on the piano unless they know how to play. Thought that was funny. Ran into one day of rain out of 6 days in the park, although two afternoons were rainy as well. Then the last two days were quite smoky. All in all a good spot to visit, not super crowded on the longer trails. read more

Every trip to GNP is an amazing experience. This is a must visit place for anyone in the US. Amazing views and wildlife. This most recent trip we did some kayaking in Lake McDonald as well as some of the hikes at Many Glacier. Going to sun road is always a must though!!! We even saw a moose family near the red rocks hike. read more

Glacier National Park - Parks Near Me - West Glacier, Montana

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Day trip at Glacier NP [Montana] We arrived at the park around 10:30a and took the Going-to-the-Sun Road route from Lake McDonald in the west. We booked our Entry Reservation Ticket online 2 months in advance and we were lucky to get in as these gets sold out fast. If you enter the park between 6:00a and 5:00p you will need to present this ticket. It gets scanned at the entrance to the park whether you are entering from West Glacier, St Mary or Camas Road. You also have to pay the $35 entrance fee, which is separate from the Entry Ticket. The park is H-U-G-E okay... Going-to-the-Sun Road runs through the heart of Glacier National Park. Along our drive we stopped at landmarks and turnouts while admiring the massive U-shaped valleys, the gigantic granite peaks carved by ice flows from long, long ago and soaking in the awe-inspiring sights. Our visit was in mid July and there was still melting ice in high elevation. This resulted in many scenic waterfalls along the way including a roadside Weeping Wall. Some parts of the Going-to-the-Sun Road can accumulate up to 80-feet of snow!! The road doesn't fully open each year until June (or later) then portions are closed again in October because of early snow so our visit was great timing. Glacier is bear country -- both black and grizzly variety... we were trying to spot some wildlife but, unfortunately (or fortunately, depends on how you look at it). Anyway, we did not see any. The weather was in the comfortable low 80's, perfect for hiking, not us, though, we're not hikers... we do scenic walks. LoL! Anyway, nobody leaves the park without driving at least a section of Going-to-the-Sun Road. It's a 50-mile route that rides up and over the Continental Divide. Beautiful drive! St Mary Lake reminds me of Lake Tahoe... it has its own little island in the middle of the lake. This one is called Wild Goose Island. Fannette Island in Lake Tahoe. Oh, one more thing, not sure if the border between U.S. and Canada is open already but you can cross the border to check out Waterton Lakes National Park on the Canada side. Um, bring your U.S. Passport, please. Your National Parks passport will not work LoL! TRIVIA: Glacier NP is the 10th National Park in the United States. Happy Safe Travels! Review #2319 read more

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I don't think the character limit on Yelp will let me type all of the amazing things and stories I have from my week in Montana. Short review: Untouched. Wild. Serene. Wonderful. I had 50 miles of hiking planned for my week but ended up pushing myself to 60 miles by the end of the week. I lost 15 pounds... and by the last day of my trip had a bit of a scary dehydration issue. Glacier is a hiker's paradise. 60 miles down... with another visit already in the plans to tackle more. The park brags about its 700 miles worth of trails. It should be noted that this is the wilderness. It can be beautiful, brutal, dangerous, and unforgiving at times. My days started early. Waking up 4-5 AM, making the trailhead by 6-7, and heading out. It's hard to describe what this place did for my mind space. The panoramic views are endless... mountains, lakes, forests, wildlife... everywhere. I managed to see most animals there except for elk. One bear I watched from a distance. The other... I had to scare off as it was 20 yards away in the backcountry. I could go on and on about the wildlife. The moose that got mad that I came along and cried as it walked down the hill away from me was likely the funniest thing of the trip. The wildlife is everywhere. Bring binoculars. My week: Monday - Highline/Garden Wall Trail - Listed at around 16 miles, I logged 17.64 on this day. This is a good intro trail to get used to the elevation. The Garden Wall portion shouldn't be underestimated. Straight up for the Glacier Overlook(7500 ft)... the same glacier that I would visit that following Tuesday. And straight down to head out. You'll want to be at the trailhead by 5:30-6:30 for parking. Tuesday - Grinnell Glacier Trail - Listed at 11.2 but I took some side trips and logged closer to 13 miles. I wanted to walk down to Grinnell Lake but it was closed due to bear activity. Do keep an eye on trail status reports during your trip. You need to be flexible and go with the flow depending on closures, trail issues, or if the wind is blowing smoke to part of the park on that day. Even seeing the Glacier from the overlook on Monday... this trail was worth the trek. (Navigate from around 4800 ft - 6500 ft). You'll want to be at the trailhead by 6:00-7:30 for parking. Wednesday - Iceberg Lake - Listed at 9.7 but I took some side trips on this trail too and ended up closer to 11 miles. For Wednesday, I had a few choices and I'm glad I took this trail. It gave me the highest probability of running into moose and I ran into 3! I would easily say Iceberg Lake rivals Grinnell Glacier as one of the best shorter trails in Many Glacier. (4900 ft - 6100 ft). I was at the trailhead at 7, but by the time I made it back(noon), parking was packed. Thursday - Pitamakan/Dawson Pass Loop - Listed between 17.2-18.8 miles but I logged 20.1 miles that day. This trail destroyed me. Even if you think you're ready... take extra water. Take extra food. Take extra electrolytes. Be aware. Portions are thick. Be prepared. I'll save my dehydration story for in-person... just ask me about it. The debate on this trail is clockwise or counter... go counter for sure. (5100 ft - 8000 ft). Longer trail. Fewer people on the trail. I set out at 7 on this day with 5 other cars parked at the trailhead. In my 6 days there, I covered Logan Pass, Many Glacier, and Two Med. I didn't even make it to the Northwestern part of the park. There's also another trail(22 miles) I want to knock out the next time. I met so much wildlife and incredible people. I'm not much of a people fan but people out in the middle of nowhere are different. This is a trip that should be planned well in advance. Also, make sure to pick up yourself something huckleberry-related. Pancakes. Waffles. Ice cream. Jam. Suckers. Candy. Smoothie. Off a bush on the trail. They were much better than expected. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, and other things in West Glacier but I didn't have time for any of that touristy stuff this time around. Glacier is easily one of the best places in America. Easily! read more

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A stunning National Park! The mountains are majestic, the water crystal clear, trails galore and the views leave me speechless. Put it on your bucket list if you've never been! read more

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So far I have only been to East Glacier and the 2 medicine area. I have a ticket to go to west glacier and the going to the sun road this week. It was about 58 miles from the west glacier entrance to the east glacier / 2 medicine entrance. Took less than an hour, and the roads are not that windy or bad, it is 70 most of the way. As you drive you see water on the side of the road for most of the way. There are so many majestic mountains and green trees swaying in the wind. Very scenic drive and it goes by quickly. 1 of the first stops is running eagle falls, small parking lot about 20 cars, and it has a small primitive bathroom. Did not hike or go see the falls. Next was a sign that said scenic view point and trail, so got out and took some pics but did not do the trail. Dirt lot held maybe 30 cars or so. Then close by to that is the lake with a picnic area and a boat dock area. Stopped to eat lunch, walk around a little and take pics of the lake and mountains. Very majestic. I will post some pictures and you can judge for yourself. This was definitely a nice little appetizer treat and start for Glacier National Park. I am looking forward to West Glacier this week. read more

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We are national park enthusiasts. We visit national parks every year for vacation. This park takes A LOT of planning. We started planning for this trip a year ago. I cannot say enough good about all that GNP has to offer. Is it difficult driving so much on Going-to-the-Sun Road? Yes, but it's worth it! I am so grateful for the ticketed entry. We were told that, in a typical year, ten times as many people visit the park. I cannot imagine that. Parking was always a nightmare, so we always got to our hikes early in the morning (that's the key, folks). As long as you're patient and prepare well, you'll love this park. Do your research. While the smoke from the fires further west did obscure the views a bit, we were still gifted with breathtaking views of the mountains. Every hike we took and everything we saw was beautiful. The drive over the park on GTTS road is one of the most beautiful drives I've ever done in my life. Just be prepared for it to take 2+ hours each way. We drove it many times in the 8 days we were in the park. My advice is this: if you want to visit the park next summer, start planning now. You can book camping 180 days before your visit. If they still require a ticketed entry next year, they open up 60 days before the first day of your visit and are good for 7 days. Do. Your. Research. Too many people just show up without truly preparing. Many people were turned away. We saw so many hikers who were oblivious to what they needed (including bear spray--we saw a ton). Know what you're doing well before you enter the park. If you're prepared, you'll absolutely love the park. read more

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I wish I could give Glacier National Park 1000 stars!!!! Hands down this is one of the top sights that our country has to offer. I was blown away by the beauty of the entire park. All of the rangers and staff within the park were super friendly and helpful when I needed directions or simple questions answered. The park is perfectly clean and maintained. I love how they have some sort of control over the capacity of the park to prevent the overcrowded feeling. I had the opportunity to hike to Avalance Lake. It was about 2.5 miles in and same back. It was a tad bit challenging but very worth the view! I can imagine you can see via helicopter but the reward for the hike is amazing. I stayed in Apgar which was extremely convenient and alongside Lake McDonald. It stays light pretty late and the views at anytime are breathtaking. I had the opportunity to kayak Lake McDonald and it felt like a dream. I was so fascinated by the colored rocks and clarity of the cold water! I will 100% be back to visit again. I encourage everyone to visit at least once in their life. You will not be disappointed. read more

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Ranks as One of the BEST National Parks I've been to! Some helpful hints... -Try and book a hotel in the park so that you can bypass getting a Road to the Sun Permit -Be sure to start your day early...parking is not fun! Some of the highlights in order of what I would prioritize seeing... -Grinnell Glacier Hike -Bowman Lake at Sunrise -Lake Macdonald at Sunrise -Iceberg Lake -Avalanche Lake -Apikuni Falls -St Mary Falls and Virginia Falls Would have gone to Hidden Lake but it was closed due to bears. read more

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Hello I am from Boise, Idaho USA. Got share what I am thrilled see Montana. It is best trip with 50 people in family. They all came all week in lakeside Montana. Really we went up and very BEAUTIFUL. I mostly love country site seeing. We did made it up top. I never been Montana whole my life time. I finally get to Montana. The weather is so gorgeous. read more

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What isn't there to love about Glacier National Park? I had my third visit this past August and I'm still thinking about those mountain goats and our peaceful hike through the meadow as the alpine flowers were in full bloom. What I didn't remember from previous visits is how nail biting the drive is "up to the top". Ay caramba! Luckily, there are pull offs along the way if you need to regroup. What to expect at Glacier? Lush evergreen covered mountains with snow capped tops and waterfalls throughout the park in the warmer months as the snow melts. The park is filled with hiking trails, bear spotting, charming mountain goats and crystal clear lakes made for picnicking. We enjoyed a morning picnic along the lake followed by weaving our through the park for a mountaintop hike. Note: finding a parking spot at the highest visitors center (I don't recall the name) can be incredibly challenging in peek season. read more

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