A Guide to Vacationing in Glacier National Park
My husband, Aaron, and I celebrated his graduation with a trip to Glacier National Park. This was 5 long years of working on a doctoral program. We supported each other, but it was hard! It was such a huge accomplishment to be done with all this school and sacrifice for our family, so we wanted to mark it and celebrate. We had an amazing time in Glacier and it is probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to! This post is chock full of all the things we did so pin it for later and add Glacier National Park, Montana on your travel list!
Where We Stayed
First, let me preface this post by saying that I’m not a camping type of girl. I LOVE being outside in nature and doing all sorts of outdoorsy things, but at the end of the day, I need a hot shower and a soft bed to sleep in. We also flew so taking a bunch of camping gear on the plane didn’t really make sense.
Here is where we stayed. The best part about it was that it was just 5 minutes from the West Entrance of Glacier. Score.
This VRBO was just what we needed, an efficiency to lay our heads down after a long day of hiking. (Heidi is a great host!) We were able to cook a few meals with no problem. It’s just right for two people.
Park Passes
You will need to get a park pass for entrance into Glacier National Park. I was stressed about this, but it really is no big deal, but make sure you print your passes before you go. Internet is spotty so you don’t want to have to rely on QR codes on your phone.
The pass to get in is free. Also, if you want to travel on the Going-to-the-Sun-Road which is a must-see, you’ll need to buy the $2 travel pass. The website is not the clearest, but just know you can print both of these passes out and they will check them each day you arrive at the park.
Be sure to also take the Glacier Visitor Guide they hand you at the entrance as it has maps and lots of good information about hikes and Going-to-the-Sun-Road highlights.
Bear Spray
It is highly recommended to carry bear spray by the National Park rangers. It will make you feel a little safer. (You can’t take bear spray on an airplane either as carry-on (duh!) or in checked baggage.) If you are flying, make your life easier and rent bear spray at the Kalispell Airport. They have an outdoor store that rents bear spray for around $30 a can. This price is very comparable to other places that rent it. After your trip, you can drop it off in the store’s secure box when you take your return flight home.
Rental Car
You REALLY need a vehicle in Glacier. Since we flew, a rental car was a must. The park is huge and you’ll want to be able to hop from trailheads to other sites around the park.
Our trip was near perfect minus canceled return flights due to weather and a rental car kerfuffle.
We went to Glacier in June 2021 during a rental car shortage. Due to COVID-19, a bunch of rental car companies sold off their fleets of cars because they weren’t being used and they were trying to staunch the money loss. Then everyone and their mother wanted to go on a real vacation again...enter rental car shortage.
We went to all the main websites of the big car rental companies and EVERY SINGLE CAR was booked in that area for the week we had planned. Aaron found a subsidiary company of Hertz and was thankfully able to make a reservation. My recommendation is to call the local car companies. (There are several in the Kalispell Airport.) Speak directly to an agent and they will be able to help you make a reservation or at least point you in the right direction.
Hertz accepted our reservation, but when we arrived at the counter, they did not accept anything but a credit card. We only have a debit card. I don’t ever want to have a credit card again. It changed our spending habits in ways I can’t explain but science tries to. (You can read more about why we don’t have a credit card here in our debt-free post.)
We tried everything, running my debit as credit, asking if I could read my dad’s credit card to them with him on the phone, etc. NO was the answer. Can we just stop a minute and think how ridiculous this is? We actually HAVE the money in our account and they could receive it immediately. Our debit card is tied to VISA and has the same protections as a credit card. Also, don’t take our reservation and send us a confirmation without letting us know then how to pay. They just put up a little sheet of paper at the kiosk saying they don’t take debit. It’s just stupid, people.
I did mention it was a kerfuffle, right?
Rental car rant over.
Thankfully, Alamo was the ONE rental car business in the airport that accepted debit cards and they also had a car available (miracle of miracles) but it wouldn’t be available for another three hours.
We had to wait a bit and take ubers to restaurants during that 3-hour wait, but in the end, we got a Nissan Rogue, the perfect sport vehicle for traveling through Glacier. And the new reservation was $300 less than with Hertz.
Weather/Clothes to Wear
We had great weather the week we went in late June. It only rained one day off and on. Prepare for large temperature swings - 70s and 80s during the peak of the day and 30-40s at night. We wore shorts most days and I wore a fleece on top. Layers are perfect since it can be cold when you start out in the morning, but very warm in the afternoon.
We brought extra layers, like rain jackets, and put them in the trunk of the car just in case we needed them. I changed in the car a few times depending on the weather. Hiking boots are a must and I also brought my Chacos to change into when we were down by lakes.
Lots of layers!
Hikes We Did
Rocky Point Trail
A short, easy trail around Lake McDonald
Bear spray hooks on your pack!
Lake McDonald
Lake McDonald Nature Trail
Because of the recent forest fires, this trail has open views of gorgeous Lake McDonald. But it also has a lot of brush. Bring bug spray! If you are looking for a hike without too much elevation to start out your day, this is it.
Sperry Chalet Trail
This trail is fairly steep and listed as a challenging hike. We did a part of this one and turned on to Mt. Brown Lookout. Sperry trail ends 6.3 miles with 3,500 ft. elevation at a chalet. Hikers can spend the night at and have a sack meal. (Must have a reservation.)
Mt. Brown Lookout
Oh my! You need to prepare for this one. We did this hike on a whim after Sperry Trail and didn’t know what we were up against - 5.1 miles long and the highest elevation climb of all the trails at 4,380 feet. The climb up is UPHILL (30 degree angle) the whole way. There are no flat areas and it is very steep. I had to take several breaks and it became a bit of a joke. We just kept laughing at how hard it was.
Super steep trail!
These are our tired faces!
One hiker said her friends climbed this trail the day before. At the top aggressive mountain goat ran them down the top of the mountain. We later saw a sign warning aggressive mountain goats. The advice was to yell and throw rocks at them. LOL!
We stopped about a mile from the top because it was late in the day and we didn’t have enough water. (If we had actually prepared, I think we would have made it.) We did see one giant 150 lb. goat about 5 ft from the trail who didn’t give a what. Thankfully he wasn’t aggressive.
We were not laughing when we had to hike another 5 miles downhill. Our legs were so sore! But the views were absolutely gorgeous and you are literally on top of a mountain looking out to smaller mountains and a placid lake. Beautiful!
Trail of the Cedars
This was Aaron’s favorite trail. It is a very walkable (even handicapped accessible) 1.1-mile loop. You walk through an ancient cedar forest and the smell of the trees is incredible.
Go early as this is a popular spot with limited parking. You might have to drive around a few times to get a parking spot.
Avalanche Lake
Trailhead for Avalanche Lake is connected to the Trail of the Cedars. It is a great 2.3-mile hike. Most of the way, a glacier river rushes right next to you. The trail ends up the mountain at Avalanche Lake, a still and crystal- clear body of water surrounded by mountains and three waterfalls pouring into it. When we were there, a black bear was foraging across the lake. I’m not making this up. It was breathtaking.
John’s Lake Loop
An easy hike where you get to see McDonald Falls. This waterfall is also visible from some pullout spots along the Going-to-the-Sun-Road. The trail crosses a bridge for a beautiful view. Beware as this hike shares the trail with horseback tours - we didn’t run into any horses, just lots of poop.
Hidden Lake Overlook
My favorite hike! This trailhead is behind the Logan’s Pass Visitor Center. When we hiked it at the end of June it was the first day the trail was open. The majority of the hike was still snow. Super fun experience. Instead of going around a large outcropping of rocks and sliding further down a hill, we decided to climb the rocks and slide down them in the snow using our jacket. Super fun - but probably not allowed as a ranger hiked up just as we were leaving to tell people to stop sledding. Oops!
Two Medicine Entrance
Since the Going-to-the-Sun Road was still closed we decided to drive to the Two Medicine Entrance of the park. This was about a 1-hour and 15 minute trip around the outside of the park. The drive was a gorgeous mountain highway. Travelling this road, we were able to see some of the incredible mountain views of Glacier. It’s kind of like going to New York City, but the best some of the best views of the city are outside of the city when you can see all the buildings from afar.
The Two Medicine Entrance was older and more weathered. The touristy entrance was right from the 1960s. The landscape, if it could be, was even more rugged and wild. It’s a much smaller part of the park but the two hikes we did there were absolutely beautiful and worth the pretty mountain drive.
Running Eagle Falls
0.3-mile hike straight to a waterfall. This waterfall is unique as it rushes from the rock and also has more waterfall above it. Hard to explain but you can look at the picture. Named after the Blackfoot woman who showed bravery and good medicine in battle.
Paradise Point
0.6-mile hike. Trailhead is behind the Two Medicine boat rental office. This one feels more secluded than hikes in West Glacier. Fewer people and more quiet when you hit the point overlooking the beautiful lake and green mountains.
Going-to-the-Sun-Road
As I mentioned earlier, you will want to purchase a Going-to-the-Sun Road pass and travel this amazing road. The Glacier National Park Visitors Guide they give you at the entrance lists the highlights of this road. Be sure to look out for all of them. There are several places to stop on the road, but be prepared for tight turns, bikers and very limited parking.
When we were there, the Going-to-the-Sun-Road opened up on the last day. We were so thankful that it did! It takes special ice and snow removal crews 2-3 months to remove the snow off this road. They start plowing in April and like I said the first day it was open was June 25. Sometimes the drifts are 60 ft tall and they only remove 500 ft. per day. They take the guardrails off the road before winter so avalanches of snow don’t chuck them down the mountain. So preparing this road for travel is a huge endeavor.
Highlights include:
• Weeping Wall - lots of trickling water along the pass.
• Logan’s Pass: Lovely visitor center and trailhead for Hidden Lake hike. If you go in early summer, you’ll be hiking in the snow!
• Jackson Glacier Overlook - stop here for the best view of a glacier from the road.
• We also saw few Grizzly bears from the road traveling towards St. Mary’s. We took pictures safely out of our car.
Scenic Boat Tour
This is a perfect slow activity after a long day of hiking. Take a boat tour around Lake McDonald and hear some of the amazing history of the park. You’ll need to get tickets either online or at the boat rental behind the Lake McDonald Lodge. They have a wait list if all tickets are sold out. We did this and made it on!
Lake McDonald Lodge
The lodge a beautiful Swiss Chalet hotel in Glacier. Built in 1913, it is made of stone and wood and the archeticture is amazing. Head inside to see the huge fireplace as well as the Native American inspired chandelier.
What We Ate
This is the main franchise of grocery stores in the area. We bought bread, fruit and other sundries for lunches. Also get an ice cream cone while you are there!
I kept seeing people walking around the grocery store eating ice cream cones. I immediately thought: Where were they getting these ice cream cones from?! I want one! And then we found the source. At the front of most 1 stores near the deli is where they sell soft-serve ice cream for $1. You can also get a root beer float for $2. It just makes it feel more like a vacation if you get to eat soft-serve while you grocery shop.
Restaurants
Kalispell, MT
In a small house in Kalispell, we ate here after needing to kill some time waiting for our rental car. Known for cocktails, they have a full menu as well. Order the garlic bread appetizer. We had the huckleberry burger and chicken shawarma.
Whitefish, MT
We also ate at a few restaurants in Whitefish, MT (about 30 minutes from the park).
A great little Italian restaurant. Get a reservation if you can! Order the Tootsie Rolls - paper-thin dough stuffed with cheese and pesto. Delicious!
Great (and busy!) family-owned pizzeria. Delicious Neapolitan-style pizza with plenty of outside seating.
Where to Shop
In the Park
I found that the best shopping in the park was at the Apgar Village. There were fun little artist shops as well as a large gift shop that had a coffee shop inside. They had great selection of items.
Outside of the Park
Explore the mountain town of Whitefish and its rustic mountain architecture. There are lots of fun shops and restaurants on 2nd- 4th streets. We bought Aaron a shirt at a local t-shirt store in Whitefish that had just opened. They had lots of fun shirts that you couldn’t find anywhere else. If they don’t have your size in the store, they will ship it to you for free.
I hope this helps you when you plan your own trip to Glacier! Have an amazing time!