Driving Tours

Because of the massive piles of rock that surround a visitor, it is impossible to drive Glacier without drawing comparisons to Grand Teton. At Teton, unless you hit the hiking trails, the mountains keep their distance. But, in Glacier, as you drive, the mountain peaks will envelop you.

Going-to-the-Sun Road--If you plan only a day or two in Glacier, the most important thing to do is to drive Going-to-the-Sun Road, the 50-mile (81km) road that bisects the park between West Glacier and St. Mary. Points of interest are clearly marked along this road, and correspond to the park brochure Points of Interest Along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, which is available at visitor centers. Bring plenty of film.

The road gains more than 1,400 feet in 32 miles (52km), and is very narrow in places. Visitors with a fear of heights should take a van tour or shuttle. Because of the road's narrowness, oversized vehicles and trailers must use U.S. 2.

As you begin the drive from the West Glacier entrance, you'll pass the largest of the 653 lakes in Glacier--Lake McDonald. Numerous turnouts along the way present opportunities to photograph the panoramic views of the lake with its mountainous backdrop. You can see Sacred Dancing Cascade and Johns Lake after an easy, half-mile hike from the roadside through a red cedar/hemlock forest. The trail head for this hike is 2 miles (3km) north of the Lake McDonald Lodge along Going-to-the-Sun Road.

The Trail of the Cedars is a short, handicapped-accessible boardwalk trail thickly carpeted in vibrant, verdant hues. This is also the beginning of the Avalanche Lake Trail, a 2 1/10-mile (3km) hike to the foot of Avalanche Lake, one of the most popular day-hikes in the park. The trail head is about 5 1/2 miles (9km) north of Lake McDonald Lodge, just past the Avalanche Creek Campground.

Almost exactly halfway along Going-to-the-Sun is the overlook for Heaven's Peak, the massive snow-covered mountain to the south that you've just driven around. This is also the jumping-off point for The Loop Trail, which can take you into Granite Park Chalet. Just 2 miles (3km) farther is the Bird Woman Falls Overlook. Bird Woman Falls drops in a wondrous bounty of water from a hanging valley above the road. Next along the road is the oft-photographed Weeping Wall, which is a wall of rock with water pouring forth.

At the 32-mile mark from West Glacier is Logan Pass, one of the park's busiest areas and the starting point for the hike to Hidden Lake, one of the park's most popular. There's a visitor center here atop the Continental Divide, which has a small display about the wildlife, flora, and geology of the area, and a larger area selling books and such.

As you head downhill, you'll reach the turnout for Jackson Glacier, the most easily recognizable glacier in the entire park; followed by Sunrift Gorge and Sun Point, which are accessible via two short trails rife with wildlife.

Winter Road Conditions--Going-to-the-Sun Road is open seasonally, usually from early June to mid-October, depending on weather conditions. Call the park at tel. 406/888-7800 to find out when tentative openings and closings are scheduled. During the winter, you may drive Going-to-the-Sun Road for 10 miles (16km) from West Glacier along Lake McDonald to the road closure; this is a popular destination for cross-country skiers.

Through The Lower Half Of The Park--Circumnavigating the lower half of the park is easily accomplished in 1 long day. After a leisurely breakfast in West Glacier, you'll be in East Glacier in plenty of time for lunch at the Glacier Park Lodge and at St. Mary or Many Glacier for dinner. To complete this counterclockwise loop from West Glacier, hop onto U.S. 2 and head along the park's southern boundary to Essex and East Glacier, then north to St. Mary.

The road between West Glacier and East Glacier--it's approximately 52 miles (84km)--is a well-paved, two-lane affair that winds circuitously around the western and southern edges of the park and follows the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. As you descend to the valley floor, you'll travel through beautiful, privately owned Montana ranch- and farmland. Shortly after entering the valley, look to the north and admire the park's massive peaks. The Goat Lick parking lot, on U.S. 2 just east of Essex, gets you off the beaten path and provides a view down into a canyon carved by the Flathead River; if you have time, take the short hike down to the stream.

Beyond East Glacier, as you head east on Mont. 49 and north toward Two Medicine, you'll notice that the earth appears to fall off. The contrast is inescapable--mountains tower in the west, but to the east the Hi-Line begins, sporting a horizon that extends so far and so flat as to seemingly lend credence and legitimacy to the Flat Earth Society. But round a bend on the Two Medicine Road and suddenly find yourself faced with three mountains (Appistocki Peak, Mount Henry, and Bison Mountain) bare of vegetation but as red as their Southwestern counterparts. Ten miles (16km) later, continuing the route northward on U.S. 89, you'll come across a 180° to 220° panorama of mountain peaks, valleys, ridges, and forested mountains that truly characterizes Glacier's personality. Conclude the bottom half of your long loop by wending downward from these high elevations to the village of St. Mary.

To Polebridge--There are two ways to see the park's western boundary and to access the Polebridge area in the north; one is slow and uncomfortable; the other slightly faster and less uncomfortable. The North Fork Road from Columbia Falls takes about an hour to negotiate. It's a sometimes paved, mostly gravel and pothole stretch that follows the North Fork of the Flathead River. Not much is there besides water and scenery, but the area around Polebridge is a popular place to take in Montana's natural beauty without modern-day distractions like telephones and TVs.

The Inside North Fork Road, just inside the park's West Glacier entrance, also runs to Polebridge. However, it's totally unpaved, takes an hour longer, and is much harder on driver, passenger, and equipment. We recommend you take the faster route and spend that extra hour relaxing on a riverbank.