cctodd2530

I'm planning a trip during mid-March to visit either GNP or Yellowstone. Does anyone have input on which I should choose? If Yellowstone, any recommendations on whether to visit it in Montana or Wyoming?

emalloy

It will still be winter in those parks. Check with the nps site to see what is open in the parks.

John

Glacier Park is open 24 hours a day 365 days a year. HOWEVER, Going to the Sun Road,the road that crosses the park, will definetly NOT be open in March. Normal opening of the road is late June early July depending on weather. Lots of cross country skiing and snowshoeing this time of year right through early May. Come on out and enjoy the snow

PaulRabe

For all but the most prepared visitors, March is WAY too early for Glacier -- almost the entire Going to the Sun Road will be closed, as will almost all the trails. Unless you have a LOT of experience being outdoors in winter Alpine conditions, then you'll spend the entire time trying to stay warm while POSSIBLY viewing the mountains from a distance. If a snow storm comes through -- and they can come in August -- you'll basically be doing nothing.
http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/winter.htm

March is a little better in Yellowstone; but almost all trails will be closed, only about half the roads will be open, very few facilities will be available before May, and the potential for a crippling storm will always be present.
http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/ocd_locale.htm
http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisi...-in-winter.htm

Of the 58 national parks I've visited over the decades, Yellowstone ranks in my top five, and Glacier in my top ten. But I can't recommend March as a time to visit either.
Have you considered some of the desert national parks during this time? March is an ideal time for all of them.

sludick

Welcome to Fodors, cctodd2530. As others have said, mid-March is not a great time to visit either Glacier or Yellowstone. I'm not as familiar with Glacier, so I'll speak to Yellowstone

The park is almost entirely in Wyoming. At that time of year, only the North and Northeast entrances are open, I believe. The North entrance will get you into the park from Montana, but you won't really be able to go far down into the park - just across to the Northeast entrance. In the winter, the rest of the park is closed to cars and travel is by snow coach and snowmobile. However, that over snow method of travel starts closing down March 1 and is completely closed by mid-March. Roads begin to open mid April and should all be open by early-mid June. Most facilities are closed until sometime in May.

Alternatives - we have visited Joshua Tree and Saguaro National Parks in March, and found that an excellent time to be there.

Patty

The two lodges inside Yellowstone that are open for winter close in early March and along with that most of the park activities. You could stay in Gardiner MT and drive in through the north entrance. The road to Cooke City is plowed year round. I loved Yellowstone in winter but I think it would be better to go earlier when the park facilities are still open.

wave725

Glacier National Park is a hiker's paradise, so if that is your goal, you might want to think about planning your trip sometime between August through early September when there's little chance of snow on the trails. The Going to the Sun Road is one of the most scenic drives in the country, so you definitely want to be able to experience it!

http://www.hikinginglacier.com/glaci...e-sun-road.htm

I would definitely think about Zion, Arches or Bryce Canyon if you have to travel in March. Those are all beautiful parks with some amazing hiking. We hiked up to Observation Point two summers ago in Zion and it was a spectacular hike.

http://discoverthewest.blogspot.com/...ion-point.html

Some other suggestions would be the Grand Canyon or Santa Fe (especially if you are a foodie or love history.