susadams

Is it reasonable to drive from Portland visiting these areas-Yoho/icefields pkwy/Banff/Waterton/Glacier NP if we have only 11 nights before flying from Kalispell back to Georgia(where we live). We already have our one-way rental car reserved as well as plane tickets of course. I am worried it may just be too much time in the car and we may just do GNP and Waterton. We have kids (11,9,5) and plan to do lots of day hikes. I also realize it is late to be reserving hotels. Any lodging recommendations are greatly appreciated. We like to keep it cheap if possible. Thankyou!

bob_brown

Hmm. You have 11 nights. I don't think Glacier/Waterton are worth 11 unless you do considerable back country hiking.

That is really the only way to see Glacier, but not many peopl want to invest the effort. For example, one of the most beautiful lakes in North America Ellen Wilson. I wonder how many visitors to Glacier have ever seen it?

Another great objective is the remnants of the Sperry Glacier. Getting up there takes some effort and, had I not stayed overnight at the Sperry Chalet, it would have been impossible.

I suggest that 4 to 5 nights in Glacier/Waterton would give you a good introduction. Then visit Banff and Yoho.

As much as I like Glacier, I think Yoho has a lot to offer as well. Banff National Park is huge and can take days and days to explore.

In fact, knowing what I do after several trips out there that date back to 1966, I would suggest that you consider shifting your vision to Banff, Kootenay, and Yoho Parks.

As for lodging, you may be into taking what you can find. Good motels around Glacier are scare. Motels in Waterton are good, but with the sagging US dollar they are expensive.

(Example: the last time I was in Waterton $1.00 US = $1.25 C. Now it is more like even parity.)

With 3 children, you may have trouble finding places. Hopefully one of the cheaper cabins at Many Glacier will be available. Call; don't rely on the web site exclusively.

Take a look at the offerings for lodging within the park. http://www.glacierparkinc.com/Lodging.htm

On the west side, Apgar is not too bad.
On the east, not so cheerful

The Many Glacier Hotel has rooms for quad occupancy, but that place is old and creaky. I think if it burned, thousands of lives would be lost - all of them six legged.

The Swift Current motel has 2 bedroom cottages without a bath. That is something I c/would not tolerate for long. It is like camping with a roof over your head.

Outside the park on the east side, St. Mary's Lodge has a variety of accommodations including cabins that have a separate bedroom.

Perhaps if you called there, something useful and acceptable could be arranged.
The rooms will be expensive because the season is so very short.

I wish I could help you more, but I have not had to think in terms of accommodations for 5 people, only 2, for over 25 years. Two years ago when we were at Waterton, we stayed at Shintangle Springs B and B a few K north of the entrance to Waterton Park. Our room was nice for two and had enough floor space for a roll-away. But for 5, you would need two rooms, which gets expensive.

Good Luck! I am sure others will have some suggestions.

sludick

"it burned, thousands of lives would be lost - all of them six legged."

Ooh, ha! I just finished laughing and dried my eyes! Thanks, Bob.

I'm glad we decided against St. Marys Lodge when we went. It's really a casino-ish setting, and I didn't care for the landscape anyway. There's some cabins at West Glacier that we stayed in - think it was White Wolf. They were nice, and not too expensive. Right outside Glacier.

susadams

Thankyou. Actually Swiftcurrent is the only lodging I have reserved so far and that is only for one night. As for other places, I will look for basic lodging such as 3* motels. The prices are discouraging. We usually manage fine with the five of us in a hotel room with two dbl beds since we are all fairly small.
Our original plan was to just go to Glacier NP until I starting reading about the Canadian Rockies and it sounded quite nice. I am leaning towards 5-6 nights in Banff/Yoho area and then 4-5 nights in Waterton/GNP. We fly out in the afternoon of our last day. Delta goes nonstop to Atlanta which is nice. Thanks for the input.

jag2

We stayed at the Great Bear Lodge last week - it is the new wing at St. Mary's. VERY nice, and wow so much nicer than Glacier Park Lodge or Many Glacier. You get a balcony with a screen door overlooking a stream. It's a short hike to a trail to the St. Mary lake. I would highly recommend it. Much nicer than anything I've seen in Montana.

But I also agree with the poster who suggested you focus on Banff instead. Montana isn't as tourist-friendly as Canada.

bob_brown

Let me suggest that for Yoho (and Banff and Kootenay) you consider looking for an apartment in the town of Field. It is one of the few areas between Canmore and Golden where private home ownership is allowed.

Many of the home owners in Field have put in apartments which they rent by the night, sometimes with a 3-night minimum.

http://www.field.ca/accommodations/

We have used Mt. Stephen Guest House and Spiral Tunnels.

I don't think either place would be good for 5. But note that some of the places have 2 bed rooms. You would need to call the owners to see if an extra bed could be included, but those are friendly folks out there. They usually do what they can to help.

I have stayed there quite a few times in the past when we were enjoying the Banff - Jasper area.

We took full advantage of the kitchen, and we stocked up on groceries in Canmore or in Golden before we got there. Banff has a Safeway, but Lake Louise village has little to offer for serious grocery buying.

From Field we have roamed around up and down the roads, but we found having a fixed placed to bed down for the night was great.

You might want to consider this option.
Of course what works for me might be a crazy, unworkable idea for someone else!

By having a fixed place, I can come in late, leave early, or snooze in if I wish. I am not the kind of guy who plans every inch of every trail and every minute of every day with a stopwatch in hand. For example, when we go to Lake O'Hara, I hike until I am tired and then quit.

I have read some other schedules described on this forum that read like they were written by a control freak who has to measure every second of the day against an objective. That to me is what I DO NOT want on a vacation trip!

My wife and I enjoyed having the apartment with a kitchen and the added space of a separate bedroom and sitting area.

One other place you might consider is the Mount Engadine Lodge. It is a "meals included" place, and great meals they were, too. Again, only having to plan for 2 handicaps me, BUT when we were there an extended family was having a celebration of their parents - (great) grand parents' 50th anniversary.

There was a passle of youngsters there of all ages. Because of that experience I thought the lodge was "children friendly." The nights were cold and the days were warm, and the huge hot tub was a very popular place!

The main drawback is that the lodge is on a gravel road south of Canmore.
But hiking opportunities are around there and the road was not THAT bad.

Of course I learned to drive in south Georgia and south Alabama when dirt roads were common. My gear shifting still shows I learned how on a truck!

bob_brown

OH. Thanks for mentioning White Wolf. I was racking my brain trying to think of the place. Yes, it is an option.

I never stayed there, but probably should have. When I was last in the area I had only 1 night and White Wolf was at the time wanting a 2 night minimum.

(I think I have the right place in mind.)

I was not aware that St. Mary's was a casino. I have never stayed there.

One thing I might add is that you will need a passport, or proof that you have ordered a passport, to get back into the USA. I hope you have considered that.

The children will need to be included on a family passport, or have their own - or proof of an application in progress.

Lovely what we have to put up with now when crossing the border was so easy to do. Now it is a chore particular coming into the USA.

susadams

Thankyou so much for the Field listing. I will start calling around to see if anything is available.