I've planned an approximate 8 day trip to GNP for August 2017. All is fairly well planned, with one exception of which I sure would value some opinions: Is it "worth" the time to go over to Waterton? Meaning more specifically... Are the views/experiences much different than what we'll experience in GNP itself? We're in our 60s. Plan to take some short hikes; gawk at & photograph the views; take in some rafting and a couple of boat rides. I've booked 3 nights in Big Fork; 2 at Izaac Walton; and 2 at Many Glacier Lodge so far. Thank you!

So many great hikes out of Many Glacier, don't know if I'd spend the time in Waterton. It;s about an hour drive from Many Glacier.

IMHO the only "different" thing there would be the Prince Wales hotel, a stately old grand hotel where " afternoon tea" can be taken and a boat ride to Goat Haunt from B.C. to the U.S.A.

Remember to bring your passport and be aware the border crossing at Chief Mountain is only open 7am till 10pm.

I stopped there on a trip with my daughter. We spent 3-4 hours photographing some falls, hiking the relatively short and really tough Bears Hump hike and stopped in at the hotel.

I have to say that the main reason we went there was because we were going from GNP to Calgary to fly home to South Florida so we were passing right by.

Sorry, that boat ride is from Alberta to U.S.A.

Thanks John & Myer...

We saw our only grizzly returning on the boat from Goat Haunt. S/he was not happy and was flinging stumps everywhere (probably looking for insects). Spectacular because we were close but safe.

We included waterton when we went to GNP and loved it!

The problem is where you lodge..
Bigfork is 1h/1h30 from West Glacier.( Vavalnache lake, trails of the cedar, snyder and Fish lakes for moderately or easy hikes). If you xwant to explore the north wind it's 1 h more to drive.
Bigfork a very pretty town and we begin often our trip to Glacier here, but we had generally 3 weeks in Montana...
Jewel basin is nice to explore but it is not Glacier : some mountain goats, some easy hikes, some deers, but never seen a bear. Numerous very nice lakes...Exceptional flora.
Izak walton is on highway 2 and there is at least 1h/1h30 to East Glacier and then 1/2 h more to Two medecine.
There are some easy hikes on Highway 2 but Two Medecine is a must...
There are some nice hikes( Twin Falls, Rockfalls, the Shores..).
Many Glacier is exceptional : easy and moderately difficult hikes( Iceberg lake, Grinnel lake, Redrock falls, are easy, Grinel Glacier, Cracker lakes moderate..).
I will try to get a night moree here.
I will swip Izak Walton or Bigfork with a lodge in East Glacier( Glacier Park Lodge or Traveler nest). And drive Going to the Sun road betweem west part and east part..
Erik