Glacier Or Southern Utah ?
Jan 9th, 2008, 04:27 PM
#3
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I really believe you can't go wrong - both are awesome.
Glacier is my favorite NP. Going to the Sun Road is one of the most beautiful drives we've ever done. Overall, I think Glacier is mostly a hiking park - the best hikes are about 3-5 miles long. And those hikes lead to some of the prettiest vistas we've ever seen. Rafting the West Fork of the Flathead River was a fun and scenic ride.
When are you going? If you say July, I would probably recommend Glacier. Southern Utah's red rock country is amazing and there's a lot to see - arches, long vistas, ancient petroglyphs, short and long hikes, mountain biking, rafting trips. BUT, July is HOT. To me, it was unbearably hot. It got up to 105 degrees and that's not at all comfortable or safe hiking weather. We visited southern Utah last April and the weather was glorious.
Glacier is my favorite NP. Going to the Sun Road is one of the most beautiful drives we've ever done. Overall, I think Glacier is mostly a hiking park - the best hikes are about 3-5 miles long. And those hikes lead to some of the prettiest vistas we've ever seen. Rafting the West Fork of the Flathead River was a fun and scenic ride.
When are you going? If you say July, I would probably recommend Glacier. Southern Utah's red rock country is amazing and there's a lot to see - arches, long vistas, ancient petroglyphs, short and long hikes, mountain biking, rafting trips. BUT, July is HOT. To me, it was unbearably hot. It got up to 105 degrees and that's not at all comfortable or safe hiking weather. We visited southern Utah last April and the weather was glorious.
Jan 10th, 2008, 07:52 AM
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I agree with Karens, depends when you are going. If in mid-summer, go to Glacier. If spring or fall, southern UT.
I would day hike in Glacier, but probably only with a park ranger or guide, in a group. I would never backpack or hike with only 2 people.
I know a girl who was mauled by a grizzly. She lived, but spent 3 months in the hospital with multiple surgeries. You should have seen the scars.
I'm an outdoors person and do backpack. I know all the proper safety techniques. I still wouldn't backpack in Glacier or Yellowstone!
I would day hike in Glacier, but probably only with a park ranger or guide, in a group. I would never backpack or hike with only 2 people.
I know a girl who was mauled by a grizzly. She lived, but spent 3 months in the hospital with multiple surgeries. You should have seen the scars.
I'm an outdoors person and do backpack. I know all the proper safety techniques. I still wouldn't backpack in Glacier or Yellowstone!
Jan 11th, 2008, 05:31 PM
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I have extensive hiking experience in southern Utah and Yellowstone--love both of them. In all the years I was in Yellowstone backpacking etc I Never saw a Grizzly. My dad has seen them while fishing various rivers--in places that are known for grizzlies (not too bright).
But Glacier--DH and I went there around July 4 5 years ago. The Going to the Sun Road had just opened--it was cold. Many of the trails were ice/snow covered so that left bears and people using the same trails--lots of people were reporting encounters. We took a short look at a lake, spent one night FREEZING in a lodge and left the next day for Waterton!!! We saw at least 3 grizzlies near the highway in Glacier.
I would go to Glacier from the middle of July to the middle of August. Moab for hiking is best March to the end of May. June is pushing it. Fall (end of Sept to November is also nice) but drier than spring.
I think the bottom line is that you can see mountain scenery anywhere. But the red rock desert is found in only one spot of the world. That's why people come from all over the world to see it. If you do go to Southern Utha (mostly Moab) you will want to check an events calendar. You will want to absolutely avoid Easter weekend for example because that is a Jeep safari weekend. Mid week is very quiet and quite nice. Have fun planning!
But Glacier--DH and I went there around July 4 5 years ago. The Going to the Sun Road had just opened--it was cold. Many of the trails were ice/snow covered so that left bears and people using the same trails--lots of people were reporting encounters. We took a short look at a lake, spent one night FREEZING in a lodge and left the next day for Waterton!!! We saw at least 3 grizzlies near the highway in Glacier.
I would go to Glacier from the middle of July to the middle of August. Moab for hiking is best March to the end of May. June is pushing it. Fall (end of Sept to November is also nice) but drier than spring.
I think the bottom line is that you can see mountain scenery anywhere. But the red rock desert is found in only one spot of the world. That's why people come from all over the world to see it. If you do go to Southern Utha (mostly Moab) you will want to check an events calendar. You will want to absolutely avoid Easter weekend for example because that is a Jeep safari weekend. Mid week is very quiet and quite nice. Have fun planning!
Jan 11th, 2008, 06:00 PM
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The altitude may bother you more in Glacier than Utah. As other indicate, it depends entirely on when you are going as for comfort level from heat in Utah or Cold in Glacier. You mention several places in Utah. There is a ton available in all of those areas. There is some nice lodges in Glacier while the places you have mentioned in Utah don't have lodging directly in the park. There is plenty just outside the parks. There is a lot more to do in Moab than just hike, in case you want to break things up a little. Try CANYONEERING if you go to Utah. It is awesome. While there are other things to do in Glacier, hiking is the main attraction. Everytime we have attempted to hike in bear territory it freaks myself, wife, and daughter out so bad, that we are scared the enitre time and don't enjoy it. We were in Moab this past Memorial the end of May. It wasn't crowded at all to me. It was already pretty warm there in the midday. 90's in the afternoon. But we are from Oklahoma where it is that warm plus very humid. So the drier air was nice to us. If I were doing overnight hiking, I think I would be more inclined to lean towards Utah. No bears, no freezing temps.
Jan 11th, 2008, 07:29 PM
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For those who make the presence of grizzlies a factor in deciding whether or not to go to Glacier, consider this quote from
www.etsu.edu/writing/enews/bears.htm
"Grizzlies killed an
average of two people per year in North America during the 1990's."
That's twenty for a DECADE for the U.S. and Canada COMBINED.
Meanwhile, just in Utah and just in 2005, 282 people died in automobile accidents.
http://tinyurl.com/29ubkr
You're more likely to die from driving between Capital Reef and Moab than from a grizzly in Glacier. Heck, you're probably more likely to die from a lefty driving a Yugo!
To refuse to hike in Glacier due to grizzlies, while driving in Utah despite the much greater "threat" of an auto fatality, is just irrational. Remember, even if your death doesn't make the lead story on CNN, you're still dead.
www.etsu.edu/writing/enews/bears.htm
"Grizzlies killed an
average of two people per year in North America during the 1990's."
That's twenty for a DECADE for the U.S. and Canada COMBINED.
Meanwhile, just in Utah and just in 2005, 282 people died in automobile accidents.
http://tinyurl.com/29ubkr
You're more likely to die from driving between Capital Reef and Moab than from a grizzly in Glacier. Heck, you're probably more likely to die from a lefty driving a Yugo!
To refuse to hike in Glacier due to grizzlies, while driving in Utah despite the much greater "threat" of an auto fatality, is just irrational. Remember, even if your death doesn't make the lead story on CNN, you're still dead.
Jan 12th, 2008, 05:04 AM
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my two most favorite places to hike, and oh so different.
It really does depend on time of year and if you want to see wildlife.
If you are thinking southern utah (actually staying in montecello and hiking in canyonlands is one of my favorite places) after june, it gets hot. i was there in october and it got up to 85 in some of the canyons, so you need to carry a lot of water...
slick rock country is fascinating and beautiful.
Glacier , has wonderful hiking, you can see a lot of wildlife, and you can hike in the summer there. i have hiked there many many times and the only time i have seen a grizzly was in a spotting scope at logan pass.
however i will say in a stay at sperry chalet, one of the guests hiked out towards gunsight pass and ran into one (fortunately i had headed to the glacier that day!).
once october hits in glacier, most services are closed down (labor day really) and snow is possible.
altitude has never been a problem for me at glacier as the hiking is below 8000 feet. and i live on the east coast at sea level. these moutains are spectacular, just not high.
there is a lot more level hiking in Utah, and you have long hikes that get you to interesting places and takes you to the edge of canyons and buttes where the earth falls away,
at glacier you go up and stand on top of that part of the world it's a great choice to have!
It really does depend on time of year and if you want to see wildlife.
If you are thinking southern utah (actually staying in montecello and hiking in canyonlands is one of my favorite places) after june, it gets hot. i was there in october and it got up to 85 in some of the canyons, so you need to carry a lot of water...
slick rock country is fascinating and beautiful.
Glacier , has wonderful hiking, you can see a lot of wildlife, and you can hike in the summer there. i have hiked there many many times and the only time i have seen a grizzly was in a spotting scope at logan pass.
however i will say in a stay at sperry chalet, one of the guests hiked out towards gunsight pass and ran into one (fortunately i had headed to the glacier that day!).
once october hits in glacier, most services are closed down (labor day really) and snow is possible.
altitude has never been a problem for me at glacier as the hiking is below 8000 feet. and i live on the east coast at sea level. these moutains are spectacular, just not high.
there is a lot more level hiking in Utah, and you have long hikes that get you to interesting places and takes you to the edge of canyons and buttes where the earth falls away,
at glacier you go up and stand on top of that part of the world it's a great choice to have!
Jan 12th, 2008, 07:07 AM
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Both incredibly beautiful places. Although I must confess that southern Utah is one of my favorite places in the world. You are getting some great advice here - weather is really the key issue. The hiking is great in both places but certainly very different.
About 20 yrs ago, I spent 4 months in Glacier as a ranger/naturalist leading hikes, etc. I roamed most all of the trails throughout the park and never once saw a grizzly. I received a few weeks of bear mgt training and really wanted to see one (thru binoculars or a scope) but only found scat and tracks. After only 1 day in Yellowstone, we had a grizzly siting with opportunities for photos and everything. So I wouldn't necessarily base your decision on that except you must be constantly aware of them and take precautions to avoid running into them while hiking. It really took some getting used to. As the last poster said, it is a really great choice to have!
About 20 yrs ago, I spent 4 months in Glacier as a ranger/naturalist leading hikes, etc. I roamed most all of the trails throughout the park and never once saw a grizzly. I received a few weeks of bear mgt training and really wanted to see one (thru binoculars or a scope) but only found scat and tracks. After only 1 day in Yellowstone, we had a grizzly siting with opportunities for photos and everything. So I wouldn't necessarily base your decision on that except you must be constantly aware of them and take precautions to avoid running into them while hiking. It really took some getting used to. As the last poster said, it is a really great choice to have!
Jan 14th, 2008, 12:36 PM
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Just in case any left-handed people truly are offended by my statement, let me explain.
If you really don't care about my statement, save yourself a couple minutes and skip this.
I wanted to make clear that the odds against getting killed by grizzlies in Glacier NP are much smaller than the odds of getting killed by a driver in Utah. Simply pointing out the difference between 2 per year for all of North America is smaller than 282 per year for just Utah, didn't seem strong enough. I thus added two INDEPENDENT variables to make my point: whether the other driver was left-handed (assuming lefties are just as likely to be in a fatal accident as righties AND that they are 5% of the population, that makes the odds twenty times smaller) and the type of car the other driver would be driving. I don't know what percentage of cars on the road in the U.S. are Yugos, but I'll presume that they are just likely as other cars to (1) be involved in fatal accidents and (2) have left-handed drivers.
Obviously, the percentage of Yugos on the road in the U.S. is quite small, and the number of left-handed drivers of Yugos is even smaller -- probably 5% of the total number. That makes it EXTREMELY unlikely that, if you are involved in a fatal accident, the other driver will be a lefty driving a Yugo. Which was exactly my point -- small as that probability might be, it's likely smaller than the probability of getting killed by a grizzly at Glacier NP. If I should have said, "a lefty driving a Ford" in order to be mathematically correct, well, so be it.
If you really don't care about my statement, save yourself a couple minutes and skip this.
I wanted to make clear that the odds against getting killed by grizzlies in Glacier NP are much smaller than the odds of getting killed by a driver in Utah. Simply pointing out the difference between 2 per year for all of North America is smaller than 282 per year for just Utah, didn't seem strong enough. I thus added two INDEPENDENT variables to make my point: whether the other driver was left-handed (assuming lefties are just as likely to be in a fatal accident as righties AND that they are 5% of the population, that makes the odds twenty times smaller) and the type of car the other driver would be driving. I don't know what percentage of cars on the road in the U.S. are Yugos, but I'll presume that they are just likely as other cars to (1) be involved in fatal accidents and (2) have left-handed drivers.
Obviously, the percentage of Yugos on the road in the U.S. is quite small, and the number of left-handed drivers of Yugos is even smaller -- probably 5% of the total number. That makes it EXTREMELY unlikely that, if you are involved in a fatal accident, the other driver will be a lefty driving a Yugo. Which was exactly my point -- small as that probability might be, it's likely smaller than the probability of getting killed by a grizzly at Glacier NP. If I should have said, "a lefty driving a Ford" in order to be mathematically correct, well, so be it.
Jan 15th, 2008, 08:08 AM
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Yep, I'm a leftie, learned to drive on the southern CA freeways in a stick shift Mustang - am I GOOD or what?!
And, yes, Utahns are terrible drivers. They make stupid moves you just wouldn't believe. You have to anticipate almost anything!
And, yes, Utahns are terrible drivers. They make stupid moves you just wouldn't believe. You have to anticipate almost anything!
Jan 26th, 2008, 10:51 AM
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We're going to Glacier Park this summer and hope not to encounter a bear! We loved the Canadian side so hope the U.S. side is just as nice. Does anyone have any suggestions for how best to spend five days there?
As far as Utah------we LOVED Bryce Canyon but would never go in the summer as the heat is unbearable.
As far as Utah------we LOVED Bryce Canyon but would never go in the summer as the heat is unbearable.
Jan 27th, 2008, 04:22 AM
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In Glacier my favorite hikes are the one to Avalanche Lake, Grinnell Glacier and the one paralleling the shoreline of St. Mary's Lake.
We had fun rafting the West Fork of the Flathead River (on the west side of the park).
We had fun rafting the West Fork of the Flathead River (on the west side of the park).
