TwinMom+1
Member
Just returned from Glacier Nat'l Park a few days ago and still have my head in the mountains with the glories of that place.
In case anyone is planning a trip there, I'm passing along a few facts that could help.
1). Guidebooks and locals agree that after Labor Day is the best time to visit - however the National Park Service (NPS) greatly curtails its trailhead shuttle service after Labor Day and reportedly stops it in the eastern half of the park (more later on that). This makes car spotting a challenge. Although it's illegal for taxi services to pick up riders unless they are official NPS concessionaires, which in this era of Uber and Lyft seems ridiculous, we found Mountain Chief Taxi, 406-450-3630, and I'd highly recommend them. They weren't cheap ($170 for 5 riders to go from Swiftcurrent Inn/trailhead to Logan Pass) but prompt, efficient and part of the Blackfoot Indian tribe along the eastern border - so the ride came along with history lesson on owner David and Rhonda Mountain Chief's ancestors.
2) We did the classic Continental Divide Trail section from Logan Pass on the Highline Trail, with an overnight at the backcountry Granite Park Chalet, then a run up Swiftcurrent Mountain to its overlook staffed by local legend Buck, who lives/staffs the firetower there from June-Sept, then down Swiftcurrent Trail through the glacial cirque and out along 3 lakes. A definite bucket list item for any hiker. Despite global warming and wildfires which unfortunately were a dimension during our stay, the views are priceless with amazing levels of ice left on quite a few glaciers. Granite Park Chalet is a gem, a 104-year old 2-story log cabin in the wilderness with bunk bed rooms, pit toilet facilities, water source that's treated by NPS albeit a 0.25 mi rough walk to get it, and a shared group kitchen that has a propane stove for heating water/making your own meals. Like AMC huts, the crew there gives little presentations at night, and what was more interesting to this easterner was hearing the local Montana guests question whether maybe there was climate change afoot lately since every year brought another bad wildfire. Really now. Do you think so. - Also like AMC huts it's pricey but so worth it, at least for us.
3) Also highly recommend Scenic Point, which was a 6.2 mi/2300' trek out of the Two Medicine area. We did it on the worst air quality day of our trip with wildfire smoke so thick at times you could barely see the ridge next to you - but still highly worth it.
4) Enjoyed Waterton, Alberta, which was about 75 minutes north of Many Glacier on the Canadian side of what is officially titled Glacier-Waterton International Park with an easy border crossing. Unfortunately wildfires closed the entire Canadian side of the park an hour after we entered, so no Crypt Lake hike for us as longed for. At least we didn't have to get evacuated as residents did four days later, and while reportedly 30% of the Canadian side was destroyed by fires, the town of Waterton was spared including the historic Prince of Wales Hotel.
5) Enjoyed the drive up to Polebridge on the western side with a BBQ joint not far outside the Apgar Village area, and the Polebridge Mercantile Western version of the country store about an hour away which had an amazing variety of baked goods, sandwiches and what nots, as well as an affordable though no-running-water cottages for rent Unfortunately all but one trail in the area was closed due to the fires, so they'll have to be a next time for us there.
6) Brownie's Deli and Hostel in East Glacier is ground zero for CDT thru-hikers and the source of anything you'd like to know about hiking in the area - where I found the Mountain Chief Taxi info. Also great ice cream.
7) As mentioned in earlier posts most Glacier trails are practically groomed compared to the Whites, like walking a gentler Crawford Path with switchbacks whenever there's elevation gain. You definitely go through them faster than around here. The "Hiker734" map of the park which is the best, https://www.hike734.com/ but we are definitely spoiled with AMC map sand the White Mountain Guide here. Elevation gain and mileage listings were puzzlingly inconsistent across various Glacier books and NPS maps.
8) Since no hike is complete without a decent meal, here's our favorite restaurants: Glacier Grille in Coram (next to West Glacier) for good cheap pizza and salads; Summit Mountain Steakhouse near Marias Pass, pricey but wonderful steak and pork; Belton Grill, pricey but great bison meatloaf and options for the family vegetarian; Whistle Stop in East Glacier, busiest restaurant in town, OK BBQ sandwiches (seems like everyone else was getting ribs or BBQ chicken) but fabulous huckleberry pie. Read good things on a local forum about Serrano's in East Glacier but didn't get there.
9) the NPS visitor center at St. Mary's had a nice topo map of the area, and a few exhibits on Native tribes' sentiment on the park. Didn't spend much time at the Logan Pass visitor center and while the Apgar center was tiny, it had a charging station located outside the building thus open 7x24.
In case anyone is planning a trip there, I'm passing along a few facts that could help.
1). Guidebooks and locals agree that after Labor Day is the best time to visit - however the National Park Service (NPS) greatly curtails its trailhead shuttle service after Labor Day and reportedly stops it in the eastern half of the park (more later on that). This makes car spotting a challenge. Although it's illegal for taxi services to pick up riders unless they are official NPS concessionaires, which in this era of Uber and Lyft seems ridiculous, we found Mountain Chief Taxi, 406-450-3630, and I'd highly recommend them. They weren't cheap ($170 for 5 riders to go from Swiftcurrent Inn/trailhead to Logan Pass) but prompt, efficient and part of the Blackfoot Indian tribe along the eastern border - so the ride came along with history lesson on owner David and Rhonda Mountain Chief's ancestors.
2) We did the classic Continental Divide Trail section from Logan Pass on the Highline Trail, with an overnight at the backcountry Granite Park Chalet, then a run up Swiftcurrent Mountain to its overlook staffed by local legend Buck, who lives/staffs the firetower there from June-Sept, then down Swiftcurrent Trail through the glacial cirque and out along 3 lakes. A definite bucket list item for any hiker. Despite global warming and wildfires which unfortunately were a dimension during our stay, the views are priceless with amazing levels of ice left on quite a few glaciers. Granite Park Chalet is a gem, a 104-year old 2-story log cabin in the wilderness with bunk bed rooms, pit toilet facilities, water source that's treated by NPS albeit a 0.25 mi rough walk to get it, and a shared group kitchen that has a propane stove for heating water/making your own meals. Like AMC huts, the crew there gives little presentations at night, and what was more interesting to this easterner was hearing the local Montana guests question whether maybe there was climate change afoot lately since every year brought another bad wildfire. Really now. Do you think so. - Also like AMC huts it's pricey but so worth it, at least for us.
3) Also highly recommend Scenic Point, which was a 6.2 mi/2300' trek out of the Two Medicine area. We did it on the worst air quality day of our trip with wildfire smoke so thick at times you could barely see the ridge next to you - but still highly worth it.
4) Enjoyed Waterton, Alberta, which was about 75 minutes north of Many Glacier on the Canadian side of what is officially titled Glacier-Waterton International Park with an easy border crossing. Unfortunately wildfires closed the entire Canadian side of the park an hour after we entered, so no Crypt Lake hike for us as longed for. At least we didn't have to get evacuated as residents did four days later, and while reportedly 30% of the Canadian side was destroyed by fires, the town of Waterton was spared including the historic Prince of Wales Hotel.
5) Enjoyed the drive up to Polebridge on the western side with a BBQ joint not far outside the Apgar Village area, and the Polebridge Mercantile Western version of the country store about an hour away which had an amazing variety of baked goods, sandwiches and what nots, as well as an affordable though no-running-water cottages for rent Unfortunately all but one trail in the area was closed due to the fires, so they'll have to be a next time for us there.
6) Brownie's Deli and Hostel in East Glacier is ground zero for CDT thru-hikers and the source of anything you'd like to know about hiking in the area - where I found the Mountain Chief Taxi info. Also great ice cream.
7) As mentioned in earlier posts most Glacier trails are practically groomed compared to the Whites, like walking a gentler Crawford Path with switchbacks whenever there's elevation gain. You definitely go through them faster than around here. The "Hiker734" map of the park which is the best, https://www.hike734.com/ but we are definitely spoiled with AMC map sand the White Mountain Guide here. Elevation gain and mileage listings were puzzlingly inconsistent across various Glacier books and NPS maps.
8) Since no hike is complete without a decent meal, here's our favorite restaurants: Glacier Grille in Coram (next to West Glacier) for good cheap pizza and salads; Summit Mountain Steakhouse near Marias Pass, pricey but wonderful steak and pork; Belton Grill, pricey but great bison meatloaf and options for the family vegetarian; Whistle Stop in East Glacier, busiest restaurant in town, OK BBQ sandwiches (seems like everyone else was getting ribs or BBQ chicken) but fabulous huckleberry pie. Read good things on a local forum about Serrano's in East Glacier but didn't get there.
9) the NPS visitor center at St. Mary's had a nice topo map of the area, and a few exhibits on Native tribes' sentiment on the park. Didn't spend much time at the Logan Pass visitor center and while the Apgar center was tiny, it had a charging station located outside the building thus open 7x24.
