Waterton/Glacier NP
Nov 13th, 2005, 06:24 AM
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Waterton/Glacier NP
Thinking of spending 3-4 weeks (September 2006?) starting in Calgary and going over border to take in Waterton/Glacier and back into Canada for Banff and, I guess, usual sights such as Lake Louise etc. Hoping to end with a cruise to Alaska and fly back to UK from Vancouver. Is this viable in September? We like fall weather - not too hot - and scenery. Any ideas on best route to/from USA especially would be appreciated.
Martinh
Martinh
Nov 13th, 2005, 01:08 PM
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Hello Martin,
I've never been to Alaska. I hope someone else who has been there will answer your question. However, from what I've heard from friends who've been to Alaska, several accommodations shut down at the end of August / beginning of September. If I correctly recall what my friends said, you may be better off starting your trip with an Alaskan cruise and then heading inland from Vancouver to the Alberta and Montana Rockies.
Perhaps you could pose the same question on the U.S. forum. You may get more answers about Alaska there than you'll get here on the Canada forum.
Bob Brown, who posts here, and who is familiar with Montana's Glacier National Park, has stated that accommodations there start shutting down around September as well. Again, I must qualify that by saying that is my recollection of what Bob has said, and it needs checking.
September is a great time to visit the Canadian Rockies. All of the accommodations in the area are still alive and well during that month.
To do the trip you're contemplating you'd need every bit of 4 weeks. Well that wuold be the case if you wanted to do justice to your route and avoid an "If it's Tuesday this must be Belgium" scenario.
There are many routes by which you can travel from Vancouver to the Rockies or vice versa. It would help if you reduced the number of variables for us before we got into more details. I think it would help if you first sorted out your timing and hence were able to tell us if you were or were not going to include Montana's Glacier National Park in your itinerary.
I deliberately refer to it as <b>Montana's</b> Glacier National Park because there also is a Glacier National Park in British Columbia. You would pass through BC's GNP if you drove from Vancouver to Lake Louise and Banff on the TransCanada Highway or Hwy #1. BC's GNP is located between the towns of Revelstoke and Golden. It's confusing that a state and a province that are contiguous with each other both have parks called GNP. When people don't specify the one to which they're referring, they almost always mean the one in Montana.
Hope that helps.
I've never been to Alaska. I hope someone else who has been there will answer your question. However, from what I've heard from friends who've been to Alaska, several accommodations shut down at the end of August / beginning of September. If I correctly recall what my friends said, you may be better off starting your trip with an Alaskan cruise and then heading inland from Vancouver to the Alberta and Montana Rockies.
Perhaps you could pose the same question on the U.S. forum. You may get more answers about Alaska there than you'll get here on the Canada forum.
Bob Brown, who posts here, and who is familiar with Montana's Glacier National Park, has stated that accommodations there start shutting down around September as well. Again, I must qualify that by saying that is my recollection of what Bob has said, and it needs checking.
September is a great time to visit the Canadian Rockies. All of the accommodations in the area are still alive and well during that month.
To do the trip you're contemplating you'd need every bit of 4 weeks. Well that wuold be the case if you wanted to do justice to your route and avoid an "If it's Tuesday this must be Belgium" scenario.
There are many routes by which you can travel from Vancouver to the Rockies or vice versa. It would help if you reduced the number of variables for us before we got into more details. I think it would help if you first sorted out your timing and hence were able to tell us if you were or were not going to include Montana's Glacier National Park in your itinerary.
I deliberately refer to it as <b>Montana's</b> Glacier National Park because there also is a Glacier National Park in British Columbia. You would pass through BC's GNP if you drove from Vancouver to Lake Louise and Banff on the TransCanada Highway or Hwy #1. BC's GNP is located between the towns of Revelstoke and Golden. It's confusing that a state and a province that are contiguous with each other both have parks called GNP. When people don't specify the one to which they're referring, they almost always mean the one in Montana.
Hope that helps.
Nov 13th, 2005, 06:30 PM
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Hi Martin. You are about to visit one of my two most favorite areas of the world that I know about. I have been to the Canadian Rockies many times and I have reached the point that if I don't go there, I feel like something is missing.
For the record, the accommodations on the US side of Waterton Glacer close now in mid September except for one. The Many Glacier Hotel and the Swift Current Motor Inn closed for the season on September 17, 2005
Lake McDonald Lodge stays open a little later until early October.
These closing dates are a little later in the season than they were 2 years ago.
From my personal experience, the accomodations in the village of Waterton are superior to those in the US.
I personally prefer to stay at Shintangle Springs B and B located just a few k from the entrance to Waterton.
The house was designed as a B and B. Therefore the rooms there are modern, large and comfortable. I stayed there this most recent trip for the second time before driving back to Calgary and enjoying some unrivaled hospitality.
Shintangle has a web site that will explain it very well.
In Waterton village itself, the Kilmorey is a good place to stay, with a nice restaurant that is very popular.
In terms of driving from Calgary to Waterton, I suggest this route.
Leave the airport on the Barlow Trail.
At 32nd Ave turn west to the Deerfoot Trail.
At the Deerfoot Trail, turn south.
Follow this freeway south until you come to Anderson Road well south of downtown Calgary, which is west of you.
At Anderson, turn west to the McLeod Trail
At the McLeod Trail turn south toward Fort McLeod. The road soon becomes Alberta Route 2.
Stay on Alberta 2 all the way to Cardston where you can take Alberta 5 to Waterton.
The point at which you turn west from Deerfoot Trail is subject to local information about construction.
Southland Drive may be a better point depending on what the construction situation is by the time you get there.
Judy will know for sure!! But there is no need to ask until a few days before you depart because last summer the construction was on going.
As you head south, Claresholm has a small railroad museum that is also a rest area. Nice little stop.
In Cardston there is a fantastic carriage museum. I have toured it twice and enjoyed it both times.
Also in this same area is the Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump park. It is a very well done display of how the natives hunted buffalo, or bison if you prefer.
A favorite activity of mine in Waterton is to take the boat cruise on Waterton Lake. I did it again last summer, and suggest that it is better in full daylight rather than the sundown cruise.
The cruise operates 3 times a day Sept 1 to Sept 25 and then 2 times daily until October 9. (or therebouts depending on weather, etc.)
My suggestion is to stay overnight in Pincher Creek, the Shintangle B and B, or one of several places in Waterton itself. From there you can drive across the border to Glacier. You will need your passports to cross the border.
You can commute to Glacier and drive the Sun Road, which is the chief attraction. If you want more, Lake McDonald Lodge is ok. Because of the short season, and the location, rates at all Glacier Park lodging is expensive.
My favorite activity in Glacier is to drive the Going to the Sun Road. The administration of Glacier is considering what to do about traffic on the Sun Road, so sometimes in August before you leave, look up the Glacier National park site and inform yourself on road conditions, parking restrictions, and vehicle access.
You can drive easily from Waterton to Banff.
I like the route that follows the road north to Pincher Creek. Just north of Pincher Creek, turn west on Route 3.
At the junction with route 22 turn north.
Follow 22 north to the junction with route 541. Turn west on this route and blend with route 44 north. This is a scenic route and the highest motor road in the province. It passes by Peter Lougheed Park which is worth a visit.
From there continue north to the junction with the Trans Canada Highway.
Turn west there to Canmore and the Banff town site.
If you want to visit Calgary, I can recommend Heritage Park which is a reconstruction of historical buildings of the Province of Alberta. Most interesting.
If you want to stay overnight, there are several motels and hotels along the Barlow Trail which is convenient to the airport. I myself like the Greenwood Inn, particularly the room with a king bed in it. The hotel has a pool and a decent restaurant and free parking. It is also located close to shopping and a couple of banks. It is just off of the Barlow Trail at 32nd Ave.
If I sound like a fan of Calgary, it is because I am!!
I will be glad to communicate more information about Banff, Lake Louise, Yoho, Kootenay, Jasper, and in particular the Icefields Parkway.
For the record, the accommodations on the US side of Waterton Glacer close now in mid September except for one. The Many Glacier Hotel and the Swift Current Motor Inn closed for the season on September 17, 2005
Lake McDonald Lodge stays open a little later until early October.
These closing dates are a little later in the season than they were 2 years ago.
From my personal experience, the accomodations in the village of Waterton are superior to those in the US.
I personally prefer to stay at Shintangle Springs B and B located just a few k from the entrance to Waterton.
The house was designed as a B and B. Therefore the rooms there are modern, large and comfortable. I stayed there this most recent trip for the second time before driving back to Calgary and enjoying some unrivaled hospitality.
Shintangle has a web site that will explain it very well.
In Waterton village itself, the Kilmorey is a good place to stay, with a nice restaurant that is very popular.
In terms of driving from Calgary to Waterton, I suggest this route.
Leave the airport on the Barlow Trail.
At 32nd Ave turn west to the Deerfoot Trail.
At the Deerfoot Trail, turn south.
Follow this freeway south until you come to Anderson Road well south of downtown Calgary, which is west of you.
At Anderson, turn west to the McLeod Trail
At the McLeod Trail turn south toward Fort McLeod. The road soon becomes Alberta Route 2.
Stay on Alberta 2 all the way to Cardston where you can take Alberta 5 to Waterton.
The point at which you turn west from Deerfoot Trail is subject to local information about construction.
Southland Drive may be a better point depending on what the construction situation is by the time you get there.
Judy will know for sure!! But there is no need to ask until a few days before you depart because last summer the construction was on going.
As you head south, Claresholm has a small railroad museum that is also a rest area. Nice little stop.
In Cardston there is a fantastic carriage museum. I have toured it twice and enjoyed it both times.
Also in this same area is the Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump park. It is a very well done display of how the natives hunted buffalo, or bison if you prefer.
A favorite activity of mine in Waterton is to take the boat cruise on Waterton Lake. I did it again last summer, and suggest that it is better in full daylight rather than the sundown cruise.
The cruise operates 3 times a day Sept 1 to Sept 25 and then 2 times daily until October 9. (or therebouts depending on weather, etc.)
My suggestion is to stay overnight in Pincher Creek, the Shintangle B and B, or one of several places in Waterton itself. From there you can drive across the border to Glacier. You will need your passports to cross the border.
You can commute to Glacier and drive the Sun Road, which is the chief attraction. If you want more, Lake McDonald Lodge is ok. Because of the short season, and the location, rates at all Glacier Park lodging is expensive.
My favorite activity in Glacier is to drive the Going to the Sun Road. The administration of Glacier is considering what to do about traffic on the Sun Road, so sometimes in August before you leave, look up the Glacier National park site and inform yourself on road conditions, parking restrictions, and vehicle access.
You can drive easily from Waterton to Banff.
I like the route that follows the road north to Pincher Creek. Just north of Pincher Creek, turn west on Route 3.
At the junction with route 22 turn north.
Follow 22 north to the junction with route 541. Turn west on this route and blend with route 44 north. This is a scenic route and the highest motor road in the province. It passes by Peter Lougheed Park which is worth a visit.
From there continue north to the junction with the Trans Canada Highway.
Turn west there to Canmore and the Banff town site.
If you want to visit Calgary, I can recommend Heritage Park which is a reconstruction of historical buildings of the Province of Alberta. Most interesting.
If you want to stay overnight, there are several motels and hotels along the Barlow Trail which is convenient to the airport. I myself like the Greenwood Inn, particularly the room with a king bed in it. The hotel has a pool and a decent restaurant and free parking. It is also located close to shopping and a couple of banks. It is just off of the Barlow Trail at 32nd Ave.
If I sound like a fan of Calgary, it is because I am!!
I will be glad to communicate more information about Banff, Lake Louise, Yoho, Kootenay, Jasper, and in particular the Icefields Parkway.
Nov 13th, 2005, 06:37 PM
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OOPS sorry about the subject - verb mismatch. Fingers got ahead of my brain or something.
Also, the Devonian Gardens in downtown Calgary are worth a look. Believe it or not there is a botanical garden on the 4th floor of the downtown complex. There is a large area connected by pedestrian bridges above the traffic. You can walk through extensive shopping areas without ever needing to go outside. I am sure that in the dead of winter the ability to go about the downtown area fully enclosed is most welcome.
Also, the Devonian Gardens in downtown Calgary are worth a look. Believe it or not there is a botanical garden on the 4th floor of the downtown complex. There is a large area connected by pedestrian bridges above the traffic. You can walk through extensive shopping areas without ever needing to go outside. I am sure that in the dead of winter the ability to go about the downtown area fully enclosed is most welcome.
Nov 14th, 2005, 11:57 AM
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Listen to Bob!
Not to miss...
Buffalo jump
Devonian Gardens
Also, FWIW, I would pay to stay at Many Glacier (if you can get a waterfront room) but there is no way I would willingly stay at Lake McDonald Lodge again. Go there to see the architecture, but sleep somewhere else.
MHO
Not to miss...
Buffalo jump
Devonian Gardens
Also, FWIW, I would pay to stay at Many Glacier (if you can get a waterfront room) but there is no way I would willingly stay at Lake McDonald Lodge again. Go there to see the architecture, but sleep somewhere else.
MHO
Nov 16th, 2005, 08:23 PM
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To the top, this one deserves more answers.
The Yoho area is small but it has some wonderful sights.
I don't know how much into hiking you are, but there are a few really spectacular trails.
And the Icefields Parkway is a spectacular drive along a good highway.
Plenty of places to stop and look.
It is my favorite of all the mountain highways, many k of world class scenery between the start of the parkway just north of Lake Louse all the way to Jasper.
The Yoho area is small but it has some wonderful sights.
I don't know how much into hiking you are, but there are a few really spectacular trails.
And the Icefields Parkway is a spectacular drive along a good highway.
Plenty of places to stop and look.
It is my favorite of all the mountain highways, many k of world class scenery between the start of the parkway just north of Lake Louse all the way to Jasper.
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