Glacier National Park, Montana

Park, State, Country

Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

In a Nutshell

Glacier National Park gets its name from the many glaciers that you are able to view from the road or trails within the park. This park is designed for hiking and backcountry camping so if you like the outdoors and camping away from parked cars, check it out!

Entrance Fee: $25 per car for as long as you’d like to stay.

What to Do/See

Glaciers. Of course, there are many glaciers that you can view from the road or hiking trails.

Hiking. The park is mostly hiking and backcountry camping. There are only a few roads in the park with about a hundred hiking trails to get the best views and camping spots. Most of the tails are quite long [over 2 miles], especially if you’re not used to backpacking.

Camping. If you’re looking for a campsite where you can park the car right next to the tent, go to a different park. At Glacier National Park, you’ll have to backpack into any campsite. Each trail is quite lengthy if you’re not used to backpacking and each campsite is $5 per tent. You need pick up a permit at either the east or west entrance [Saint Mary Visitor Center or Apgar Visitor Center, respectively] that you can obtain after watching a quick video about bear safety.

Wildlife. Mountain goats, deer, bears, and squirrels make up most of the animals that live in the park. The Mountain goats go about their business [eating grass and flowers], the deer running through the woods, the bears you need to be careful for because they are everywhere [learn about bear safety], and the squirrels are, surprisingly, not afraid of people at all. The squirrels walked right up to people and practically begged for food and when the people weren’t looking, the squirrels went right into the bags and took the food!

Scenery. It doesn’t stop. The park is filled with endless views, picturesque roads, tranquil rivers, and nice picnic areas.

Food: Picnic areas and restaurant.

There are picnic areas all over the park if you bring your own food but there are also places within the park to buy food. Lake McDonald has a restaurant and store if you need to eat or pick up snacks within the park.

Getting Around

Car. Gas up outside of the park – there is no where to get gas within the park. There are pull-off areas about every mile or so in order to safely pull over for a minute or two and take great pictures.

Shuttle. There are shuttle “buses” that you can take all around the park. These “buses” look like big old fashion cars [very interesting] and what’s nice about them is that you don’t have to stick with the group you start with like a tour group [I hate tour groups]. You can hop on a shuttle, get off at the first stop, spend an hour or two there and then hop another shuttle to wherever you’d like to go next. Also, the shuttle service is free! CLICK HERE for more information about schedules and routes.