Northern Montana is a beautiful area full of mountains, valleys, creeks, rivers, and miles of trails to explore around Glacier National Park.
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Why North Montana?
On our quest to go to all of the National Parks in the United States, we had to get all the way to northwestern Montana for a trip to Glacier National Park. This has also been a bucket-list location for my mother-in-law, so we went as a group of eight people: my in-laws, my brother-in-law and his girlfriend, and the four of us.
A few years prior to this trip, we had visited south Montana with a trip to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. That got my mother-in-law to Montana like she really wanted, but Glacier National Park was the ultimate goal for her in Montana. On that trip, we stayed in Gardiner, Montana, but also looked at homes in West Yellowstone.
Glacier National Park entrance sign from the West Entrance
Trip Planning
When we started planning the trip, we had to figure out when was the best time to head up there. None of us really like cold weather much, so we figured it needed to be a trip in the summer. This works better anyways because of the boys’ school schedule. Upon further research, we learned that Going-to-the-Sun Road, the main thoroughfare for Glacier National Park, is closed the majority of the year, especially up near Logan Pass.
As we were planning, I decided I wanted to take a day trip to Canada while we were there! We were so close to the border, the closest any of us have ever been, so why not? Of course, this meant we needed to get updated passports for Justin and me as well as a new passport for Tyler and Ryan. But it was worth it so we can now say we have been to Canada. It was the first time the boys had been out of the country.
When searching for the best places to stay, we decided we wanted to do a VRBO home rental, so settled on Kalispell because of the homes available there that met our requirements. We knew it would take about 30 minutes to get to the parks, but there weren’t many options in the small towns just outside the park such as West Glacier.
Hidden Lake, Montana
Getting There
The first day was a travel day for all of us. My in-laws did a road trip from the Houston area all the way to north Montana. While I would love to do that to see more of the country, it wasn’t practical for us, so we flew up there and rented a car.
We landed in Kalispell at about 3:45 pm and went straight out of the terminal to pick up our rental car and drive to the rental home. Justin’s brother and his girlfriend landed about 20 minutes before us, coming from Florida, so they waited for us.
Best Time to Go
The best time to visit Glacier is also during peak season from July 4th through Labor Day. Most visitors come in the summer due to kids being out of school but also accessibility. Most of the park is closed in the winter months because of excessive snowfall.
Day One
The first day was a travel day for all of us. My in-laws did a road trip from the Houston area all the way to north Montana. While I would love to do that to see more of the country, it wasn’t practical for us, so we flew up there and rented a car.
We landed in Kalispell at about 3:45 pm and went straight out of the terminal to pick up our rental car and drive to the rental home. Justin’s brother and his girlfriend landed about 20 minutes before us, coming from Florida, so they waited for us.
Airport: Glacier Park International Airport (FCA)
The closest airport to Glacier National Park is in Kalispell, Montana, so this is where we flew into for this trip. My parents made the mistake of flying into Bozeman when they went and then realized it was almost a 6-hour drive up to the park. This airport is closest to the West Entrance which leads to Going-to-the-Sun Road near Apgar Village. On this trip, we planned to only do the Going-to-the-Sun corridor, so it worked well for us. Even if you want to visit the North Forks or Many Glacier areas, this is still the closest airport, you’ll just have to have a vehicle reservation to travel through the park to the other eastern side and those entrances.
We had a layover in the Minneapolis St. Paul, Minnesota, airport on the way there. Even though we usually fly on United Airlines, we found better prices and times through Delta for this leg of our trip. Unfortunately, even from a huge airport like Houston, there were no direct flights for us.
Car Rental: Fox
Even though my in-laws drove to Montana, we still needed another vehicle. They have a 7-seater SUV, but we had 8 people going on the trip. Unfortunately, this meant that we needed to get two vehicle reservations into Glacier National Park every day. We were able to get a compact car since it would be only the four of us in the vehicle most of the time. This did mean that Justin’s parents had to come to pick up his brother and girlfriend from the airport, but since the house was only a 5-minute drive away it wasn’t a big deal.
Lodging: VRBO Rental Home
Since there were eight of us on the trip, we opted to do a rental home through VRBO. We prefer this when traveling because it gives us more space, everyone gets the privacy of a real bedroom, and we can save a lot of money by cooking in the kitchen instead of eating out for every meal.
The house we stayed at was only minutes from the Kalispell airport and was a perfect place for our group. It looks like that home is no longer listed on VRBO, though there are plenty of other options in the area. Look for lodging in Kalispell, Whitefish, or West Glacier if you want to be close to the West Entrance of Glacier National Park and near Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Tyler was so comfortable in the rental home and tired from traveling that he fell asleep reading.
Day One Map
Day Two
Our first full day in Montana was spent in Glacier National Park. We got an early start to try to get to the park before the lines got too long and planned to take the Going-to-the-Sun Road shuttle and stay on the west side of the park. After spending a few hours in the park, we ended up leaving around 3 pm as we were all still worn out from our travels the day before.
Apgar Visitor Center & Shuttle Station
Our first stop in the park was the Apgar Visitor Center. When we looked at the park map, we planned to park our vehicles in the large parking lot here and take the Going-to-the-Sun Road shuttle.
At the visitor center, we talked to the park rangers about the trails we wanted to do, the status, any bear sightings, and what else we should consider. Tyler and Ryan also picked up their Junior Ranger books and I was able to get the stamp in my passport book.
Behind the visitor center is the shuttle station that runs along Going-to-the-Sun Road during peak season. Taking the shuttle takes a little bit longer than driving your private vehicle, but it’s the best way to cut down on traffic through the park along the main street and in the parking lots.
The free park shuttle is only available during the peak season, which is during the summer months. The first shuttle stops at Avalanche Creek Transfer Station which is the furthest the shuttle goes on Going-to-the-Sun Road until you have to switch to another bus that will take you all the way to The Loop. Then from there, you would have to switch to another shuttle bus to get to the other end of Going-to-the-Sun Road. In addition to the shuttle, you can also pay for the guided tour via the Historic Red Bus Tours, the Blackfeet Perspective group, or Glacier Institute Tours.
Waiting for the shuttle
Working on their Junior Ranger books
Trail of the Cedars
The first trail of the day that we did was Trail of the Cedars. We got off the shuttle at the Avalanche Creek Transfer Stop. When you exit at Avalanche Campground, the trailhead is just across the street. Trail of the Cedars is a short loop trail on a raised boardwalk, one of only two trails in the park that is wheelchair accessible. This walk takes you through an old cedar and hemlock forest and across Avalanche Creek with a look into the Avalanche Gorge.
Trail of the Cedars
Trail of the Cedars
Trail of the Cedars
Trail of the Cedars
Trail of the Cedars
Trail of the Cedars
Trail of the Cedars
Avalanche Creek Trail
About halfway through the loop for Trail of the Cedars, there’s a junction that leads to the trail to Avalanche Lake. This dirt path meanders beside Avalanche Creek until you reach Avalanche Lake. We didn’t quite get to the lake since we underestimated the length of the trail and how hungry we all were. Our group walked about half of the trail before turning around to complete the Trail of the Cedars Loop and then look for some food.
Avalanche Lake Trail
Avalanche Lake Trail
Avalanche Lake Trail
Jammer Joe's Grill and Pizzeria
After finishing Trail of the Cedars, we got back on the shuttle heading east towards Apgar but exited at the Lake McDonald Lodge stop. From here we walked around until we saw Jammer Joe’s. When the boys read pizza, they were sold!
Jammer Joe’s is a counter-serve restaurant that also has a salad buffet. It was a great place to stop for lunch because we were all able to get something we wanted, and the food was delicious.
Just outside the restaurant, as we walked over to the Lake McDonald Lodge area, there was a field full of small marmots who kept popping in and out of their burrows. We had fun watching those critters for a few minutes as they ran around the area.
Jammer Joe’s
Cute ground squirrels
Lake McDonald
When we finished lunch, we took a short walk over to check out the historic Lake McDonald Lodge. There’s also a restaurant in the lodge, but we didn’t have reservations and didn’t want the long wait. Inside the lodge, you’ll also find a small gift shop, a quaint hotel lobby, and the lodge with a few rooms upstairs.
Behind the lodge is the largest freshwater lake in Glacier National Park. There’s a sidewalk that leads down to the boat dock and the edge of the lake. We spent about an hour at the lakeside on the famous colored rocks of Lake McDonald. The boys were skipping rocks, we walked on rocks across the small creek that spills into the lake, and just took in the amazing scenery.
The last stop in the park for the day was at the small camp store and souvenir shop across the street from the shuttle stop.
When we were done at the lake, we all decided to start heading back to our rental home for dinner and to relax. After traveling the day before, we were all still worn out. By the time we took the shuttle back to Apgar, got in our vehicles, and drove back to the rental home, it was almost 5PM.
Lake McDonald
Lake McDonld is known for its colorful rocks
Lake McDonald Creek
Stephanie and Justin at Lake McDonald
Ryan playing by the lake
Flowers near the lake
Day Two Map
Day Three
On our third day in Montana, we had a white water rafting tour scheduled in the afternoon, so we planned to spend just a little bit of time in Glacier National Park. The first day, we didn’t stop at the entrance sign, so I made sure we stopped today on the way into the park. It’s busy this time of year, but we were able to take our photo after waiting only a few minutes.
Apgar Village
We spent about an hour in the Apgar Village area since it is only a short drive from the rafting company. The parking lot at the visitor center had plenty of space, so we left the vehicles there and went on foot via the Apgar Bike Path.
From the bike path, we walked along McDonald Creek and just a little bit of the Apgar Flats Horse Trail just to get closer to the creek. There was a bridge for the roadway that we could walk under, which the boys thought was neat.
Then we walked back through the village on the way to our vehicle, stopping at the camp store, a gift shop in an old schoolhouse building, and the Apgar Nature Center. In the parking lot, we grabbed a quick lunch from the car and then started to make our way to our rafting trip.
Historic Apgar School in Apgar Village
Paved pathway in Apgar Village
White Water Rafting
Our water rafting tour started just outside the West Entrance to the park in West Glacier Village at the Glacier Raft Company headquarters. We chose to do a half-day rafting trip along the Middle Fork of the Flathead River which runs all the way down to the Flathead Lake. After getting our life jackets fitted, we loaded a bus that dropped everyone off at the raft launch. Since our group was 8 people, we got a raft to ourselves with our raft guide.
The tour started out pretty easy with a float down the river. About one-third of the way through the trip, we started to hit the rapids. Near the end, our guide asked if anyone wanted to jump in the river and Tyler and Ryan both did!
We weren’t sure what Tyler and Ryan would think of it at first, but they absolutely loved the rafting trip. When we did our first float trip on the Yellowstone River a few years ago, they said they wanted more rapids. They definitely got those rapids this time.
White Water Rafting
Small rapids on the Middle Fork River
White Water Rafting
Day Three Map
Day Four
We spent the entire day from breakfast through dinner time in Glacier National Park since it was our last day. We got an early start and planned to drive the entirety of Going-to-the-Sun Road since I’ve heard it’s one of the most scenic drives in the country. This was the first time on the trip that we crossed the Continental Divide.
Logan Creek Falls
This was a quick stop to see the waterfall along the drive.
Triple Arches
If you see photos of Going-to-the-Sun Road, you are likely going to see the Triple Arches. These are visible as you drive from west to east on Going-to-the-Sun Road and there’s one good pull-off to be able to get a good view.
Triple Arches on Going-to-the-Sun Road
Boat Ride on St. Mary Lake
The highlight of our day was our scenic boat tour on St. Mary Lake. When we originally booked the trip, we booked it for Lake McDonald. Upon further research, we saw many reviews saying to do St. Mary Lake, so we switched our reservation. We drove directly to the Rising Sun Boat Dock to get checked in.
The boat ride took us across the lake, around the famous Goose Creek Island, and to the dock on the other end of the lake for a quick hike to Baring Falls. After about 15 minutes at the fall, we took the boat ride back to the main dock.
From the boat ride, we got to enjoy the perfectly calm water reflecting the mountain peaks around the lake. Our boat captain showed us the peaks of the triple continental divide and talked about the history of the area. When the boys answered a question correctly, he let them captain the boat for a few minutes each.
Boat docked at Rising Sun
Wild Goose Island on Saint Mary Lake near Rising Sun
Baring Falls
We went to Baring Falls via the boat ride, so we had only a 2-minute walk to the waterfall. This fall can also be accessed from the Sunset Gorge parking area on Going-to-the-Sun Road.
This waterfall was pretty, but we had even more fun climbing along the outcropping on the left side of the fall to get closer to the mist.
Baring Falls
Ryan, Tyler, and Stephanie next to the waterfall
Tyler & Ryan at Baring Falls
Saint Mary Visitor Center
The Saint Mary Visitor Center is the furthest east you can go on Going-to-the-Sun Road. We stopped for a few minutes to get a Passport Book stamp at the visitor center. One of the Park Rangers had a solar telescope set up so the boys were able to look through that for a glimpse of the sun.
St. Mary Visitor Center Ranger Program
Jackson Glacier Overlook
On our way back towards the West Entrance, we stopped at the Jackson Glacier Overlook. This is the only place that you can see a glacier in the park without a hike. After taking a few photos of the glacier, we walked on the trailhead of the Jackson Glacier Trail so the boys could go to the tunnel and stand under Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Jackson Glacier
Stephanie, Tyler, Ryan, and Justin at Jackson Glacier Overlook
Jackson Glacier
Logan Pass Visitor Center
Logan Pass was the busiest place that we stopped the entire trip. It took about 10 minutes of circling the parking lot until we were able to find a parking spot. Once we did, we went into the visitor center to get our Passport Book stamp and use the restrooms. Then we walked to the back of the building for the trail to Hidden Lake.
Hidden Lake Overlook Trail
This trail was the only one my brother-in-law and his girlfriend said they had to see while in the park. I hadn’t heard of it before, but we all took the 3-mile round-trip hike out to the overlook. On the way, we saw more wildlife than anywhere else in the park. We walked past some bighorn sheep, mountain goats, yellow-bellied marmots, and ground squirrels.
There were a few places, even in early July, that had snow on the ground here. Logans Pass is the highest elevation in the park on the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor. There were also many small cascades where the snow melt was flowing downhill through the rocks and small streams.
Make sure you plan enough time at the overlook. Once we got there, we didn’t want to leave. The view was absolutely amazing and ended up being one of my favorite things we did in Glacier National Park.
Hidden Lake Overlook Trail
Hidden Lake Overlook Trail
Hidden Lake Overlook Trail
Hidden Lake Overlook Trail
Hidden Lake Overlook Trail
Hidden Lake Overlook Trail
Hidden Lake Overlook
Bird Woman Falls
You can look at Bird Woman Falls from an overlook pull-oof on Going-to-the-Sun Road. It’s one of the tallest waterfalls in the park.
Ryan & Tyler at Bird Woman Falls Overlook
Bird Woman Falls
Bird Woman Falls Overlook
West Tunnel
When we drove through the West Tunnel, I loved the view through the large square opening in the tunnel overlooking the valley. I asked Justin to pull over and Tyler and I walked back into the tunnel to take some photos. It was at this time that the rest of our group decided they had had enough of the park and were ready to home. Luckily, since we were in separate vehicles, we were able to stay longer since there were a few more stops I wanted to make along the way. This was our last day in the park (the next day we drove to Canada), and I wanted to spend as much time as we could.
McDonald Falls Overlook
As we drove through Going-to-the-Sun Road, we had the Guide Along audio tour guide playing. I used my park map and marked down anything we wanted to possibly stop at based on what the narrator described. The first of those places was the McDonald Creek Overlook. This is a small parking area that leads to a quick walk to the side of the creek. From there, you can get to a wooden overlook that hangs out over McDonald Creek to look up and down the river.
Sacred Dancing Cascade
The last place we stopped for the day was the small pull-off parking lot for the Sacred Dancing Cascades area. After walking a very short distance, we got close to McDonald Creek just before it flows out to Lake McDonald. This was a great spot to end our couple of days in Glacier National Park. The cascades were so soothing to listen to, and the bridge was fun to walk over. This continues on to the McDonald Creek Trail, but we stayed near the bridge, walking both on it and under it to be able to feel the cold glacial water of the creek.
Day Four Map
Day Five
Since we were going to be so close to the Canadian border, we couldn’t forgo a quick day trip into Canada!
Canada Entrance Station at Roosville
Our trip to Canada was the four of us with Justin’s parents. His brother and girlfriend didn’t have their passports, so they borrowed our rental car for the day and went to some of the shops and restaurants around Kalispell while we rode in my in-law’s vehicle
The drive up to the Canadian border was about 1 hour and 30 minutes. As we pulled up to the area, we had our passports out and ready. The Canadian Border Patrol asked us just a few questions and gave us a little information as first-timers to Canada. Getting into Canada was a breeze and didn’t take long at all.
As soon as we passed the station, there was a very small sign welcoming visitors to British Columbia, Canada. I was expecting a bigger sign, but we stopped there real quick to get a photo with the sign in case that was it. Well, it’s a good thing we did because that was the only sign with British Columbia or Canada on it. The Roosville Station is a very small border station, so I think that’s why there wasn’t a very big sign. It’s not a very well-traveled entrance.
Border Crossing
The first time in Canada for all four of us!
Our whole group for the day crossing into Canada
Fernie, Canada
While planning our trip, I looked at Google Maps to figure out where we could go in Canada since we wanted a town to stop at instead of the Waterton Lakes National Park that is connected to Glacier National Park. As I scanned, the first thing I found along BC-93, the highway we would be on, was Fernie, British Columbia. So, we decided to go there.
Fernie was about an hour’s drive from the border crossing and right off the highway so it was an easy drive. The historic downtown was a cute area that we had fun exploring for a little while.
City Center in Fernie
Fernie welcome sign
The Fernie Hotel and Pub: The Fernie Taphouse
Our first stop in Fernie was at the Fernie Taphouse for lunch. The weather was beautiful, so we chose to lounge in their outdoor seating. From there, we could see some of the majestic mountains that tower over the small town. Some of the mountains we could see were Mt. Fernie and the peaks of the Three Sisters. Behind the restaurant is a train track then a greenbelt area with a nature trail, so there wasn’t a lot of vehicle traffic.
Justin usually likes to try a local beer when we go somewhere new, so he ordered a Canadian beer with his parents, and the boys both decided to get some hot chocolate. For lunch, Justin ordered shawarma which is marinated beef on a warm pita topped with lettuce, diced tomato, diced cucumber, red onion, house dill sauce, and a drizzle of sweet & spicy tahini. I went for the two baked pretzels because I wasn’t very hungry but I love a warm soft pretzel, and theirs was served with a delicious honey mustard dipping sauce.
For lunch, we wanted to try some authentic Canadian food since we were there. One of the foods we had heard a lot about, but never tried before, was poutine. Poutine is a dish of French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. I didn’t even know what it was, but Justin and I ended up loving it! The boys both tried a bit but decided they didn’t care for it. We were talking to a few other ladies at the restaurant and they said this place had some of the best poutine in the area.
The Fernie Hotel & Pub
Lunch with a view
Justin’s parents, Justin, and Stephanie at lunch
Schwarma
Poutine
Pretzel
Justin drinking a Canadian beer
Tyler with a hot chocolate
Ryan tried some poutine
Shopping in Fernie
When we travel, I like to collect ornaments for the Christmas Tree and the boys like to get a stuffed animal. We started hitting some of the stores along the main street, but couldn’t find anything similar to a souvenir store. Eventually, I found a store that had a small moose on a keychain that had the words Fernie, Canada, written on the flannel jacket on the moose. I decided that was the closest I would find and purchased that to commemorate this time in Canada.
Dogwood Park
After we were done shopping, I wanted to find a geocache in Canada to get the badge in the app and say we found on there. The nearest geocache was near an old building along the Mutz Creek in Dogwood Park. We parked in the dirt parking lot and then walked along the creek until we got to the area of the geocache. It took us a good 10-15 minutes but we eventually found the geocache and got that logged.
Then we walked down to the boat launch area of the park and to the side of the creek. We all took our shoes off and put our feet in the sand and water. The area was beautiful and a great place to relax for a while before the long drive back to Montana.
At the boat launch, there was a vault toilet similar to the ones in the national parks.
Geocache in Canada
Stephanie and Justin’s mom along the creek
Ryan sitting on a fallen tree
Tyler found a large bird feather
Dogwood Park
Skipping rocks
Skipping (and throwing) rocks
Dogwood Park
US Customs & Border Patrol
The border crossing into the United States was definitely more time-consuming than going into Canada. When we got to the station, there was a long line that hadn’t moved. I was disappointed that our passports weren’t stamped on the way into Canada, so I grabbed mine and the boys and jumped out of the car to go into the Canadian Border Patrol building. I explained that it was our first time in Canada and I wanted the stamp. The border patrol officer was very kind but said he couldn’t stamp the boy’s passports without seeing them in person. He asked where they were and I said in the car in line to get back to Montana. So he grabbed his stamp and met me outside, followed me to the car to see them, and then stamped all of our passports! I was very impressed with how nice and helpful he was. He did everyone’s passports, not just mine, Tyler’s, and Ryan’s, although he didn’t bring the inkpad outside so it was running low as he did the last few.
Once I got back in the car, and we finally got up to the border patrol crossing, we were asked many questions by the US Customs and Border Patrol before they checked all six of our passports and finally let us back into the United States. We had to claim any purchases made and explain why we went to Canada, where we were heading directly to within the United States, where we live in the United States, and why we were in that area.
Overall, we spent about 30 minutes at the border crossing going back into the United States. From there, we drove the hour and a half back to our rental home in time to make dinner at the house.
Crossing back into the United States
Day Five Map
Day Six
Leaving North Montana
Day six was, sadly, our day to leave the Big Sky Country of Montana. This was the part of the trip we hadn’t fully figured out logistically until a day or two before we left. We all needed to be out of the house at different times, and we had two vehicles between three groups of travelers.
Justin’s parents left very early in the morning since they were starting the days-long trek back to the Houston area. Our flight was a morning flight so we still had to be up a little early to get to the airport on time. Justin’s brother and his girlfriend didn’t leave until the afternoon, so his brother dropped us off at the airport, only 5 minutes from our rental house, and then went back to the house to sleep for a few hours before their flight. They dropped the rental car off when they flew out which worked out perfectly for all of us. Originally they talked about trying to Uber or walk since it was only a mile, but we decided this would work better.
Glacier Park International Airport is a very small airport, so it didn’t take us long at all to get our bags checked and through security to our gate. Of course, it always helps that we have TSA PreCheck since we fly so often. There weren’t many options for food at the airport, so I’m glad we brought our own snacks with us.
We flew out on United Airlines, heading straight from the northern reaches of Montana all the way down to South Florida for our annual trip to visit my family. This time, we were also including a trip to Everglades National Park. We went from one of the northernmost national parks in the contiguous US to one of the southernmost national parks! The temperature difference was staggering, even though we know how hot it gets in Florida in the summer.