idauria

Hi! My husband and I would like to visit GNP, but we want to avoid crowds yet go when the weather is still nice. We were thinking about early September, like right after Labor Day or the week after that. Will the weather still be warm at that time? Also, I don't really know much about this place other than what I have been reading on the internet, so I don't know the best places to stay or how long of a trip this should be. Do I need an entire week to see GNP or can it be done in less time? We usually dedicate a whole week for vacation time, but if only a few days are needed to see GNP, what are some other nearby places that would be a good visit? Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I have never travelled to a National Park before so I do not know what is required. This will be our first Stateside trip and I want everything to be perfect! All previous vacations have been beach oriented and we thought it was about time we explored our own beautiful country!! Thanks for any info you can provide me.

bob_brown

Glacier has such a short season that it gets crowded quickly and stays that way until the end of August.
How much time? That is function of how much hiking you want to do, how many boat rides you take, and whether or not you visit the Canadian side, which has better places to stay.
Your stay could vary from 1 day to a full week.

I have no suggestions for places to stay inside the park. All of them are in need of something.

My suggestion is to resereve at Lake McDonald Lodge and put up with it. I have tried staying outside the park and got nothing better to show for it unless I went all the way to Big Fork or Whitefish.

If you don't mind being a little off the main stream, North 40 Cabins sound nice to me. However, they are virtually in Whitefish, which is well away from the park. It is not like they were next door to Lake McDonald.

John

Kalispell, Big Fork and Whitefish are only approx. 30 miles from the west entrance to the park with of course very little traffic as compared to big city life(you are from NYC are you not)
With these three towns there is ample chose of accomaditions and food. Web sites which may be of interest
WWW.nps.gov/glac/home.htm
www.whitefishmt.com
www.travel.state.mt.us/
www.discoveringmontana.com
www.canadianrockies.com
www.kalispellmt.com
Predicting the weather at that time of year is difficult. I've seen rain, beautiful suuny days and raging snow storms. However if it does snow it usually melts in a few hours. It definetly will be cool in the park in September but the crowds will be down.
If you get bored with GNP you can always travel into Canada and visit Banff which is approx. a 4 hour drive. Be sure to bring a picture ID preferably a passport to get across the border.
For more info. on Banff
www.banff.com
Come on out and have a great trip.

idauria

Thanks for the info Bob and John.

So early September is iffy? Hmm, I really hate to travel to places when it's crowded and expensive. It's too bad there's such a short season up there. Yes, I am from NYC. That's why I love to go to places where more than 3 cars on the road at a time is considered a traffic jam!

I don't know if I want to stay so far from the park, but if that's where the better accomodations are, then I just might have to consider it. I haven't read too many favorable reviews of the places inside the park though.

Is there any real difference between East and West sides of the park? If I see one and not the other, will I be missing anything big? Can I see the whole place in a few days? Ideally, I'd like to see everything and make the most of my time there. That is why I am asking so many questions. I will check out those websites. Thanks again for the help!

Connie

The east and west sides are very different but it won't be hard for you to see both. You definitely want to drive the Going to the Sun road from one side to the other and back again.

IMO, the road going along the southern boundary isn't worth the time. I'd rather see GTS road again. It will look different from different directions.

After the drive, anything more is up to you. It's a great hiking park, there are beautiful boat rides and driving across the border to Waterton is very nice.

You can do it in a couple of days, or really get into it and spend more time.

A close area to venture out to is Flathead Lake--a beautiful area.

maj

We went there in 1998 in late September (I think it was around the 20th). We stayed 4 nights in Kalispell and drove to the park each day. I would have rather stayed in the park, but most of the places to stay were closed. It really wasn't that bad driving back and forth and Kalispell had all the restaurants, grocery stores etc. which was nice. The weather while we were there was beautiful. But you never know--you just take your chances and have contingency plans if things are closed. A friend went the next summer in the beginning of July and couldn't get on the trails by Logan's pass because there was so much snow. (and he still loved his trip). We hiked, drove to St. Mary's Lake and Many Glacier, and saw bears and mountain goats. You can take Going to the Sun Road from the west to the east (or vice versa)and back in one day easily and the scenery is breathtaking. We have watched some shows about Glacier on the Travel Channel and I think there are places to stay on the East side. You can go (we didn't, but would like to someday) to Waterton Park which is right across the border in Canada.

bob_brown

To respond to your more recent "questions", let me begin by saying, weather in Glacier makes up its own mind. It might be beautiful in September; it might snow.

Is there a difference between east and west? Define difference for me.
They don't look the same to me. But that depends on whether or not two lakes and two mountains look alike or different.

Can you see the whole place in a few days? Again, define whole place.

My reaction is heck no. Glacier is a hiker's park. But then you might not want to walk a trail to see any of it. In that case, drive the Sun Road, take a couple of boat rides, south of the border, drive to Waterton and take the boat trip there (operates past mid September) and you are done with it.

To re-enter the USA from Canada, you need proof of citizenship. Usually a driver's license is NOT proof of citizenship because anyone can get a state driver's license. If no passport, some people use a birth certificate plus an photo ID issued by a state or federal agency. I honestly don't know what people do who leave the USA and try to re-enter without any of those documents.

I suppose they eventually get back in or we would hear more about it.

And last some distance comments. The distance from West Glacier to Bigfork is 48 miles depending on where to where you are measuring. To Whitefish, the distance is 30. Big Fork is well south of US 2.

I think you will find the drive from St. Mary to Banff to be more on the order of 440 k OR 273 miles.
I usually need a minimum of 5 hours to drive it; 6 is more realistic because some of the route is very scenic.

As for the weather, a few years ago, I walked out to Granite Park Chalet from Logan Pass on Labor Day eve in perfect weather. That night under a full moon, the temperature dropped to 40 or so. Toward dawn, the wind whipped up and the next day I hiked back in the fog and the rain.

The next year, the Sun Road was closed for a few hours during the Labor Day period because of snow.

Perhaps this adds up to a trip to Atlantic City or Rehoboth Beach.

John

Drove West Glacier to Big Fork Last Thursday.
34 miles at most!

idauria

Ok, so I guess anytime you go there is a risk of inclement weather. You just have to be prepared to deal with it.

We would definitely be hiking around to see the park. My husband loves nature and mountains in particular. He can't get enough of them! We might move to the mountains one day just not Montana, way too cold for us. We are thinking western north carolina or northern georgia.

Anyway, we will definitely be driving GTS Road. It sounds spectacular! It's just a matter of where to stay I guess. 34 miles isn't as close as I want to be if we are going exploring everyday. It's too much driving I think, no? I am not sure about going to Waterton, but we both have passports if we decide to do it.

I guess we'll have to think long and hard if we really want to make this trip this year. It does sound amazing but I am afraid of taking chances(I am a pessimist and always fear the worst). I really appreciate all your ideas and input.

maj

Since you like warmer weather, have you thought about going to the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Moab area for your first venture into the western National Parks? Also, the Yellowstone/Teton area is fantastic. I love the Tennessee/North Carolina mountains--but the Rocky Mountains are totally different. If it wasn't for family--I would move out there in a minute. Someone once told me the best time to go to the crowded National parks is right after they lower the rates--the crowds are less, but most facilities are still open. I have found that good advice--if you don't need to go in the "season", why put up with all the crowds. In Yellowstone too because of the high elevation you may run into unexpected snow. We were in short sleeve shirts at Tower Falls one day and 2 days later that road was closed because of snow. The other roads were open and the park was beautiful--we saw what it looked like in the fall and winter.

I really don't want to influence you because I don't mind cold weather, but when we go to Glacier again, we are planning to go at the beginning of September and stay in the park (either Lake McDonald or Many Glacier) and spend a week there.

idauria

Thanks for the input! To be honest I am also looking into Zion and Bryce. I just thought GNP sounds much prettier, more green. Utah just sounds like canyons and desert mountains. While these things are certainly beautiful, I want to see more diversity. Maybe I am wrong about my descriptions, I don't know. We also thought about Yellowstone, but thought that GNP sounded less crowded and less travelled. We like to see things that the majority of people don't. Does that sound weird?

Well, it certainly is a lot to think about! I don't know how I am going to make up my mind!

bebeblanc

Idauria and Maj,
My husband and I are debating a similar thing: where to stay. We are going in July and have reservations (that can be cancelled) in Kalispell. We've read and heard such terrible things about accommodations in the park that we booked in Kalispell, but once we started planning what we wanted to do we wondered if it may be too much driving back and forth to the park. We have friends in Missoula (we are spending our last night there) so we wanted to spend some time with them and in the Flathead Lake. Maj, how long did the drive take - I imagine it will more crowded in July. Also do you think it would be better to spend a couple of nights in Kalispell, a couple in the park and then the last in Missoula?

I am trying to weigh the pros and cons of spending too much time in the car versus lots of packing and unpacking and spending too many nights in a dumb. Anyone else wants to weigh in? Thanks!

SueM

Hi, We have been to Glacier twice and it is my favorite National Park. We went in early July and in August. Both times were not that crowded. We were able to do anything we wanted to do and I really do not remember crowds.
I would suggest staying in the park. The accomodations are not 4 or 5 star but the location can not be beat and they are definitely clean. We stayed at Lake McDonald lodge on the one side and Many Glacier Hotel on the other side. If you want to stay at the same placeinstead of moving I would suggest Many Glacier. It is a very grand old hotel. One of the Union Pacific Railroad hotels and I thought quite charming. The views are extraordinary and the wildlife we saw was amazing both times. We stayed at Swiftcurrent lodge the first time we went and that was not great but again the location was. But Many Glacier is right nearby so stay there instead.
Do not miss the "Jammer" bus ride to do the Going to the Sun Road. That way the driver can enjoy the view. And try to do at least a short hike because the scenery is unbelievable. We did 2 short hikes from Swiftcurrent and they were both great.

maj

It probably depends on how long you will be at GNP and what you will do while there. I can't remember exactly the driving time (probably Mike could help you there--sounds like he might live up there)--I'm guessing about 30-45 minutes (this too probably depends on what hotel you stay in). We went into this trip blindly, not knowing anyone who had been there before. We flew into Kalispell--I think we stayed at a Best Western which wasn't too far from the road to Flathead Lake (we went to Yellowstone after Glacier). We were there 4 nights. The day we arrived it was raining and hard to see much--we went to the visitor center and Going to the Sun road as far as Logan's Pass. The next day we hiked and did some sightseeing--went about as far as the day before. The next day we did an all day hike around Logan's Pass. The last day we spent on the Going to the Sun road past Logan's Pass, St. Mary's Lake and Many Glacier. (and then back to Kalispell) It wasn't horrible (because the scenery is beautiful), but you are covering the same area back and forth to Kalispell each day.(as well as going back and forth on the GTS road). There are definitely advantages of staying in a city--restaurants, grocery stores, etc. If you stay in the park, I think you are limited on places to eat. We looked at Lake MacDonald and I think there was a restaurant and small grocery type place there. We had no problem with traffic at the time of year we went, but there were plenty of people there then too. Are the park hotels really that bad?

idauria

I have the same concerns about spending too much time driving back and forth every day. I haven't heard too many good things about park accomodations but if I decide to go then I will probably just deal with it. Can anyone say which is the nicest of the park places? Also, can someone recommend a comprehensive guidebook to the National Parks? Right now I am looking into several parks and I want a book that has the best information about all of them. Thanks!

Sabrina

On our first visit to the park, we arrived on a day in October. I believe was near the end and just before the park closed for the season. A light snow had fallen the day before and red and gold trees were sprinkled with snow and glowed in the sun. It was the most beautiful sight. There were hardly any people in the park and we took the road to sun as far as it was open. This past year we went the middle of September and the park was and we were able to complete the road to the sun trip. Both times we stayed outside the park and we did not find it to be that inconvenient. It is a beautiful place and well worth a trip.

bebeblanc

Thanks for the info. The reviews on this site are very negative of in-park accommodations and we have friends that stayed in the park and were not impressed. Another concern for us is cost. Our accommodations in Kalispell are around $80 a night, the place looks rather nice and it includes breakfast. The rates in the park are higher - but I know you pay for convenience.

We are interested in driving the GTS (would that take all day in July?) and spending another day hiking. We would also like to white water raft (if we can fit it in) Then spend a day in the Flathead area with our friends in Missoula (they've lived there for a short while so they don't know much about the Glacier area) It seems it may be hard to fit it all in driving back and forth.

I don't want to wait too long before deciding because I know lodges in the park book up quick.

maj

I can't imagine that you would have any trouble driving the length of the GTS road even in the summer. In one day we drove from Kalispell, stopped numerous places for pictures, especially on the eastern end, drove to Many Glacier (you actually have to leave the park at the east entrance and drive a short way to get to Many Glacier--in my opinion well worth the drive). Walked around the lake there, took pictures of the lodge, a mother bear and her cubs, etc.. Retraced our route--stopping at St. Mary's Lake for pictures both ways--took a short hike in that area. Did the Hidden Lake hike at Logan's Pass and drove back to Kalispell. Granted--you will have more traffic in the summer (Many Glacier lodge had just closed for the winter), but I would think you will have longer days (sun light wise). Where will you be starting from? Are you flying or driving? If you are flying into Kalispell, maybe you could drive the GTS road (I like stopping at Visitor Centers to get info--there's one at the West and one at the East entrances to the park) to Many Glacier and spend the night there. (only paying for one night at a high rate)and do what you want on the eastern part of the park. Then go back the next day to Kalispell--doing whatever hikes, etc. you want the next day. If you wanted to go back to the park again--it wouldn't be so bad driving to the activities on the west side of the park.(and you've already seen the whole GTS road both ways). Where are you planning on rafting?

bebeblanc

Thanks for the info. We are flying in out of Missoula (it was nearly $100 per ticket cheaper from New Orleans) We get in around 1pm. I suppose we could make it into the park that evening and stay one night there and the rest in Kalispell - that would cut down on at least one day of long drives. I saw some rafting places on the west side of the park. Now which lodge to pick - or which lodge will pick us in so which one isn't all booked up. Again thanks for the advice.

DuckFaceMcJones

One of the things I like to do when planning a trip is to check the local sunrise/sunset times at the date and location I am considering. This helps me to get a realistic timetable in mind.

Here's how I check:

1. Go to http://www.weather.com
2. Enter the city you are interested in. The closest I could find to GNP was Kalispell.
3. Scroll down to the 10-Day Forecast and click on Averages & Records
4. Scroll down to the month you are interested in and click on it.
5. The whole month will be listed there. Gives sunrise & sunset times and average temperature info.

For example:

Sept. 6 (Labor Day) Sunrise - 7:02 AM Sunset 8:07 PM

Hope this helps.

Have a great trip.