1odus1

Have never been to Glacier. Does it make sense to fly in on the east and out on the west or the opposite? How far is it from the east side of the park to the west side? How far to Waterton? On the west side is Lake McDonald Lodge the place to stay? Many Glacier Hotel on the east? Or should we go with vrbo accomodations?(August) Traveling with 4 adults and possibly 1 12 yr old.

spirobulldog

Where are flying in and out of? There aren't that many options really. Kalispell is the only thing really close. You will want to hurry on your lodging as they fill up fast.

panecott

You should tag this "Montana", not South Carolina.

As spiro said, there are not that many options to fly in and out of. I think Whitefish might be another option, if I recall correctly.

If you don't get your lodging choices, keep trying. When I went some years ago, I booked only a few weeks before and got lake view rooms in Apgar Village, Lake McDonald Lodge and Many Glacier.

I took a leisurely day trip from Many Glacier up to Waterton, spent several hours hiking and exploring, and got back before dark. It's an easy drive.

Glacier is not really that big, so you can easily arrive and depart from the same airport.
I did, and on the last day drove from Many Glacier through the park back to Kallispell Airport in a few hours.

John

There is no commercial air service to Whitefish. Driving Going to the Sun Road either way, though it's only approx. 50 miles, will take you roughly 2 to 2 1/2 hours if you didn't stop. Heavy traffic and some road consruction and the narrow road all contribute to the time BUT an absolutely outstanding drive with unsurpassed scenery.
Can't comment on the hotels, as I live in the area and don't stay overnight in the park. If you fly into Kalispell there are lots of motels to choose from, lots of restaurants and shopping. West entrance to the park is approx. 30 miles away, a 30 minute to 45 minute leisurely drive.

Myer

I was there last August and going back again early this August.

By far the east side is the more scenic with Many Glacier leading the charge.

Using that as a base the difference in driving time between Calgary and Kallispel or Great Falls to MG is less than an hour. And Calgary is a major airport with many flights.

I did that last time and planning on it for this August again.

Three of the most scenic hikes in the park are Grinnel Glacier and Iceberg Lake both in Many Glacier and Highline starting at Logan's Point.

With that in mind I would try for lodging possibly at Rising Sun on GTTS Road and either Many Glacier Hotel or Swiftcurrent in Many Glacier.

Many Glacier is also a prime wildlife location with Fishercap Lake being only a few minutes from the end of the Swiftcurrent parking lot.

The trailhead for two of the most scenic waterfalls in the park, St Mary's and Virginia are only a few minutes from Rising Sun.

wave725

I would plan to spend the majority of your time on the east side, with a a few days on the West - possibly your last few days making it easier to get to Kalispell when you fly out.

As stated above, Many Glacier is the area of the park that's the most scenic and has some of the best hiking trails. Keep trying through GlacierParkInc for either the Mary Glacier Hotel or Swifcurrent Motor Inn - as they do get cancellations. If not, there are a few places in Babb to rent cabins, Pinnacle Cottages and Glacier Trailhead Cabins which are nice.

All wonderful hiking suggestions from Myer above. I would also add that if you decide to hike Grinnell Glacier - be sure to buy your boat ticktets a few days in advance. It's one of the most popular hikes in the park and is always full.

If you are hiking from Logan Pass Visitor's Center, be sure to get there early - by 10AM as the parking lot fill up quickly. Another great hike from there is to Hidden Lake Overlook - a short hike that trails along a raised boardwalk part of the way. You're almost always guaranteed to see mountain goats at the overlook.

http://www.hikinginglacier.com/hidden-lake-overlook.htm

Another area of the park that has some spectacular hikes is the Two Medicine area. It's near the town of East Glacier Park and there are about a half dozen mom and pop type motels there. We've stayed at Jacobson's Cottages several times - clean and well maintained. Two hikes I would recommend are Dawson Pass and Scenic Point.

http://www.hikinginglacier.com/dawson-pass.htm

http://www.hikinginglacier.com/scenic-point.htm

Most of the hikes mentioned in everyone's posts are in the ranger-led series. So if you have any reservations about hiking in bear country, the free ranger led hikes are always a good option. While the schedule won't be out yet, here's the link to find thier schedule:

http://home.nps.gov/glac/planyourvis...activities.htm