Glacier National Park Trip Planner
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GLACIER NATIONAL PARK TRIP PLANNER Copyright © 2019 Smoky Bear Ranch ABOUT THE PARK Glacier National Park is a magnificent place to visit. It is referred to by many names: Crown of the Continent, or the Land of Shining Mountains, or Ahkwaiswilko (a Kootenai word for glacier-carved mountains) to name a few. Glacier Park was established as a national park in 1910 when President Taft signed a bill making it the 10th national park. It is over a million acres of unspoiled wilderness. Did you know? Glacier Park got its name because of how the rugged peaks and ranges were formed by the giant glaciers from the last great ice age millions of years ago. These glaciers have retreated and disappeared. There is a misnomer that Glacier Park was named for the many glaciers still lingering in the park today but these glaciers were formed during the mini ice age of the early 1800s. There are hundreds of lakes in Glacier Park which are connected by hundreds of streams. These lakes range in size from small high alpine lakes like Iceberg Lake to large glacial lakes like Lake McDonald and Saint Mary Lake. All of the lakes have a beautiful glacial aquamarine color with crystal clear water - you can see 30 feet (9 m) or more down into the lake. The Continental Divide runs through Glacier Park. It is part of the Continental Divide Trail which goes from New Mexico to the Canadian Border. There is a mountain along the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park called Divide Peak. From Divide Peak the water drainages flow three different directions. The drainages on the west side of the Continental Divide and Divide Peak flow into the Pacific Ocean. On the east side of the Continental Divide but north of Divide Peak all the water drainages flow into the Hudson Bay. And on the east side of the Continental Divide but south of Divide Peak all the water drains into the Gulf of Mexico. Did you know? Lake McDonald is the largest glacial lake in Glacier Park. It is about 10 miles (16 km) long, over a mile (1.6 km) wide, and 472 feet (130 m) deep. It was formed by a combination of erosion and glacial activity millions of years ago. The Going-To-The-Sun-Road is the only road that passes over the Continental Divide and through Glacier Park - one of the most magnificent and scenic drives in the world. It is 50 miles (80 km) long and was completed in 1932. The alpine portion of the road is quite narrow and winding so there are vehicle size restrictions on this section of the Road. Vehicles over 21 feet (6½ m) long, including bumpers and trailers, or wider than 8 feet (2½ m), including mirrors, are prohibited. The alpine section is from Avalanche Campground to Rising Sun picnic area. Did you know? Plows encounter snow about 40 feet (12 m) deep at Logan Pass when clearing that section of the Going-To- The-Sun Road each June. An area just east of Logan Pass, referred to as The Big Drift, will have snow even deeper, 80 feet (24 m) deep or more. It is one of the most difficult roads in North America to snowplow. Glacier National Park is a hiker’s paradise. Day hike trails range from a mile or less, relatively level, handicap accessible trails like Trail of the Cedars or Running Eagle Falls to very strenuous trails like Mount Brown Lookout which has over 4,300’ (1,323 m) elevation gain in 5.8 miles (8.5 km). Hiking trails are interwoven throughout the back country of Glacier Park for backpacking trips of 2 or more days. You can leave the hectic life of civilization behind and seek peace and solitude with nature at its best. The weather in the mountainous region of Glacier National Park can change frequently and quickly. Even during the summer it is not unusually for nighttime temperatures to fall below 50°F (10°C). Cloudless skies during the day can quickly turn into a raging thunderstorm. Snow in the high country is a distinct possibility at any time, especially in June, late August, and September. Did you know? There are more than 730 miles (1,168 km) of hiking trails in Glacier National Park that will give you access to soaring peaks, lush forests, mountain meadows, and fish filled lakes. HOW TO GET HERE? By Airplane: The closest airport is Glacier Park International Airport (FCA). It’s not always the least expensive place to fly into but it’s only a 30 minute drive to the Glacier Park area. Flying into Missoula International Airport (MSO) might be a little less expensive but there would be a 2½ to 3 hour drive to the Glacier Park area. You may be able to save a little more by flying into Spokane International Airport (GEG) but your drive would be about 5 hours to the Glacier Park area. Click here for Glacier Park International Airport flight status information By Train: There are four train stations you can arrive at for your visit to Glacier National Park. You can arrive at East Glacier Park (GPK), Essex (ESM), West Glacier (WGL), or Whitefish (WFH). Whitefish is the only station you can check luggage. The East Glacier Park station is on the east side of Glacier Park with a 15 minute drive to the Two Medicine entrance or just over an hour drive to the Saint Mary entrance on a narrow winding road. The Essex station is along the southern edge of Glacier National Park about 30 minutes to either East Glacier Park or West Glacier. The West Glacier station is at the West • Visit GPK Website Glacier entrance. The Whitefish station is on the • Visit ESM Website west side of Glacier Park and is about a 45 • Visit WGL Website minute drive to West Glacier. • Visit WFH Website By Car: To get an idea of how long it will take you to drive to the Glacier Park area, below are some distances from common areas: LOCATION DISTANCE Missoula, MT 150 miles (240 km) Minneapolis, MN 1,165 miles (1,864 km) Spokane, WA 269 miles (430 km) Phoenix, AZ 1,307 miles (2,091 km) Calgary, AB (Canada) 279 miles (446 km) Los Angeles, CA 1,336 miles (2,138 km) Yellowstone, NP 389 miles (622 km) Dallas, TX 1,768 miles (2,829 km) Seattle, WA 547 miles (875 km) New York, NY 2,367 miles (3,787 km) Denver, CO 977 miles (1,563km) Miami, FL 2,906 miles (4,649 km) Get Directions From Anywhere Car Rental: There is no public transportation in the Glacier Park area so you will need to rent a car. Avis, Budget, Hertz, and National/Alamo all have in-terminal car rental counters at Glacier Park International Airport. Dollar, Enterprise, and Thrifty will deliver a rental car to the airport for you. You can reserve a rental car with Avis or Budget and pick it up at Glacier Park Trading Company when you arrive at the East Glacier Park Amtrak station. Glacier Park Trading Company is a short walk, 150 feet (46 m), from the Amtrak station. If • Visit Avis Website arriving at the West Glacier Amtrak station, Hertz • Visit Budget Website will deliver your reserved rental car to the Amtrak • Visit Hertz Website station. Budget, Hertz, and Dollar will deliver a • Visit National/Alamo Website reserved rental car to the Whitefish Amtrak station. WHAT TO BRING? Clothing: It is important to pack the right clothing when traveling to a mountainous region. Glacier National Park can have very diverse weather conditions and weather conditions can change very quickly. In the summer months, it is not unusual for it to cool down to 45°F (7°C) at night and the days can warm up to 90°F (32°C). To accommodate these great changes in temperatures throughout the day, you will want to dress in layers. Cool Weather Clothing: For the cooler mornings and evenings you will want long pants, sweatpants, or our favorite the hiker’s pants where you can zip off the lower portion of the legs and turn them into shorts. Hiker’s pants can be purchases at most sporting goods stores. You will want a long sleeve fleece/sweatshirt/flannel shirt large enough to fit over a short-sleeve shirt. Because it is windy most of the time on Glacier Park’s Logan Pass and the east side of Glacier Park, a wind breaker is very helpful to keep warm. A pair of gloves is advisable to keep your hands warm when you start your hike. Once you’re into your hike, your hands will probably warm up and you’ll no longer need the gloves. A hat/cap helps in two ways – it will keep your body heat in during cooler temperatures but also keeps the sun off your head when it’s sunny thus keeping you cooler when it’s warm. If you’re from warmer climates, you may even want to bring a winter jacket. Being unprepared and getting cold can ruin a much anticipated trip to Glacier Park’s mountains. Warm Weather Clothing: For the warm temperatures during the day, you’ll want comfortable warm weather clothing. Shorts, capris, or light weight pants work well with sleeveless or short-sleeved shirts. Wearing something comfortable is the most important when it comes to clothing. Being practical when selecting clothing is more important than being stylish. Wet Weather Clothing: As we say in Montana, if you don’t like the weather just wait 10 minutes and it’ll change.