I'm planning a vacation to Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies with my extended family this summer and am trying to figure out distances and what's possible. I do have maps, but I'm not sure how long it will actually take to get from place to place. Also, I'm trying to make sure there are things to do for everyone (ages 13-73). Here's what we've planned. I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions.

Day 1: Arrive Kalispell, MT (from East coast) at 12:30 p.m. Drive to Glacier National Park. Stay at Lake MacDonald Lodge. What can we do in the Lake MacDonald area that wouldn't be too tiring? Any short (2 miles or so) hikes? Or should we just find a seat and look at the view? Because of the travel we're probably going to be ready to collapse by 8 p.m.

Day 2: Drive "Going to the Sun" high to Waterton Park. Staying at the Kilmorey Lodge. How long will this drive take? I know we want to stop at Logan Pass. Is there a restaurant or lounge to relax in if others want to take a short hike? How long should we plan on being at Logan Pass? I realize there are some longer hiking trails, but that's not possible this trip. So what's reasonable? Also, I've read the boat trip in Waterton is nice. I'm thinking that might be a good thing for the whole family to do once we get there. Does anyone know the latest time to do that? Can we make reservations for it before we get there?

Day 3-4: Drive from Waterton to Banff. Stay at Douglas Fir Resort. Can anyone tell me how long I should plan for the drive from Waterton and what's the best route? It looks like we can go up through Calgary, but someone suggested there's a more scenic route. I'm not sure what that is though or how long it will take. We have no specific plans in Banff so if you have suggestions we'd appreciate them.

Day 5: Drive Columbia Icefields Parkway to Jasper. Stay at Pyramid Lake Resort. I know this is a beautiful drive with lots to see. Any specific suggestions about where to stop? Also, how long should we plan for the trip. We'll be taking the same route back...does it make sense to stop some places going up and others coming back?

Day 6-7: Drive from Jasper to Lake Louise and stay at the Post Hotel. (This is our splurge hotel.) Again, anything in particular that we need to make sure we do while there?

Day 8: Drive from Lake Louise to Kalispell and stay at the Kalispell Grand Hotel. How long will this take? From looking at the map, I think about 5 hours, but I'm not sure.

Day 9: Fly home.

My biggest concern is planning things for everyone, though not necessarily always together. My parents who are both 73 can't do anything that's too taxing, though my father does enjoy walking. My one son and I are both moderate hikers. (We'd enjoy a 5 mile hike.) The others are probably light hikers (1-2 miles).

Thanks again for any suggestions.

Wow! Only one week and so much driving? I would have a family conference and decide between Glacier National Park and Canadian Rockies. Both places are so beautiful that you will regreat having so little time in each place. Why not to go this year to one of them and next year or next time to the other one.

Lake Louise is close to Banff (about 30-45 minutes away). Why didn't stay at Banff for an extra day and cover Lake Louise on the second day?

Banff is fairly touristy but it will be a good place for you and your family to relax and enjoy some good restaurants/shopping there. There are a couple lakes around Banff you can go (although no comparison to Lake Louise). You can also take the Banff Gondola(sp?) and go to have a hot spring and message. If time allows, plan to have dinner at Chateau Lake Louise. If you can get a window seat, the view is spectacular.

Thanks for the responses. This trip was primarily planned for the Canadian Rockies, but we decided that since we need to fly into Kalispell it would be a shame not to spend some time at Glacier. What I'm really trying to figure out is driving distances between our various destinations so we can figure out how much time we'll have to explore or relax a bit. Given that we only have one day at Lake MacDonald and one day at Waterton (and need to travel between the two), what's the best way to spend our time in those two places? Also, how long is the trip from Waterton to Banff? It looks like it's about 200 miles, but I don't know how long to allow. Thanks again for the suggestions.

Liz you will do a bit of driving but i have done the same route and am doing the same route this summer.
i do not recall specifically but if i remember we left the kalispell grand around 7-8 am and reached lake louise by around noon. not sure from waterton.
the driving is spectacular so this makes the long hours in the car more bearable (haven't done it with kids though).
I personally would concentrate on the lake louise/banff region as opposed to jasper. jasper is wonderful but so many lakes, trails, canoes, gondola rides etc. in the banff area.
i would make a day trip up to columbia icefields and stop at peyto lake on the way (right on the road). the drive is incredible. jasper is less touristy than banff which is a plus to many but i enjoy all the lakes (emerald, louise, moraine, peyto, etc) in the southern part.

Liz, if you are fairly computer literate, pick up the Rand McNally TripMaker CD. You set the origin and destination of your trip, where you'd like to stop (attractions), and how long you'd like to spend at each stop. Select the "scenic route" preference. TripMaker will calculate time and distance for your entire trip. You can then print your "Trip Guide" which will show detailed directions, including the start and stop times, and a route map.