JonahG

Hello guys,

We are a couple with two children (11 and 14). We will be arriving at Bozeman airport from Virginia in August 18th and returning on August 29th. I will appreciate if you could help with the following points:

1. Should we split our time 50/50 or spend more time in one of the parks?
2. Which one we should do first?
3. We are into short hikes and boating, parasailing sort of activities. Any suggestions?
4. Anything you would like to suggest to put together a balanced trip plan...?
5. Where to stay around Glacier park to minimize driving times?
6. Tickets to GTTS road are not available online and will reopen on Aug 16th. What can I do to increase my chances of buying the ticket once they become available?


Many thanks.

JG

traveler318

I recently returned from Glacier and can tell you it is crowded, particularly on the west side. If you can get lodging in the park on the Going to the Sun corridor (or book a boat tour at St. Mary or Lake McDonald), that gets you on the road, but the lodges are all booked and you'd have to keep checking for cancellations (a guy at Lake McDonald said he checked hourly for two or three weeks before he nabbed one). If you stay outside the park, you are much better off on the St. Mary side, since the back ups to enter were next to none and the west entrance had scores of cars lined up for large parts of the day, even with the ticket situation. If you enter before 6 a.m. at St. Mary it is smooth sailing, but I can't say about the West side. We had a ticket, but when we got to the St. Mary entrance at about 6:15, there was no one to check it. We got to Logan Pass around 7 a.m. and the lot was about 2/3's full, I'd guess (and "closed" before 9). We had done the first half of the road up to the pass the day before prior to our St. Mary boat trip (then going back to St. Mary for the night), so we were able to drive straight to the pass, and then on to our Lake McDonald lodge. Parking was a problem only at Logan Pass and Avalanche, although a few of the smaller trailheads (like St. Mary falls) were full.

Anyway, we stayed in multiple locations and enjoyed the location of Many Glacier the most. The Grinnell Lake hike was easy and outstanding (from the boat trip). But don't miss driving the road.

Didn't go to Yellowstone this year, but have, and I'd say 50/50 on time is about right.

Best of luck.

kureiff

Have you looked at what is available for lodging?

janisj

^^^ this

I agree - at this late date your options/itinerary will likely be dictated by where you can find accommodations.

JonahG

Thank you all. You are right. Lodging is too tight. I was able to find an Airbnb in Columbia Falls.

Q: I don't have the ticket for GTSR...will that be a problem if I purchase a red bus tour or will they let me in because I have that reservation?
Q2. Is the GTSR drivable/safe at night? Any suggestions for stargazing?

Patty

If you have a reservation for a tour that starts inside the park somewhere along the GTSR then you can drive in on the day of the tour.

I wouldn't drive the GTSR at night.

Do you have a rental car booked?

sf7307

We were just there (Yellowstone and Grand Teton mid through late June and Glacier in early July). We enjoyed them all, but have our preferences - Grand Teton is our favorite, then Yellowstone, then Glacier. As for the GTTS road, we didn’t have tickets either. We tried a couple of times for the last-minute tix (two days in advance) and never scored any. So, twice we entered the road in Wedt Glacier before 6 am, which was fine - actually good because we got the very last parking space at the Logan Pass Visitor Center). The first time, we parked at Avalanche at 5:09 am - no problem parking but the ranger told us it was full at 7:30. On the other days, we went around from West Glacier to Two Medicine Lake so we wouldn’t have to go on the road at all. It’s a long way to go (an hour drive from West Glacier) but it worked. I’ve been told, but I can’t vouch for it, that if you come in the Camas entrance (easier to do since you’ll be in Columbia Falls), you’ll be ahead of the checkpoint and can get on the road without a ticket.

I would NOT drive the road in the dark.