Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park (406/888-7800, www.nps.gov/glac [1], $25 per vehicle, $15 Nov.–Apr., $12 per person for bicyclists, motorcyclists, and foot travelers, $10 Nov.–Apr., separate fee for Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park [2]) contains more than 1,500 square miles of extraordinarily scenic wilderness. Towering glacier-pocked summits bend over mirrorlike lakes. Wildlife, including bears, bald eagles, moose, and ptarmigans, inhabits the park’s thick forests, stream sides, and rocky promontories; more than 60 species of mammals and 200 species of birds make their homes in Glacier.

Easily one of the most spectacular drives in the country is Going-to-the-Sun Road [3], which climbs from lakes and forest up the face of the Rockies to a fragile alpine meadow almost 7,000 feet above sea level.

Glacier is a park for the outdoor-minded; as much as possible, you’ll want to leave the car behind. More than 700 miles of hiking trails link backcountry peaks and lakes. In winter the park’s roads double as cross-country ski trails.

Sometimes called the “Crown of the Continent” for its staggeringly rugged skyline, Glacier and its Canadian cousin Waterton Lakes National Park [2] (403/859-2224, www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/ [4], C$6.80 per day adult, C$5.80 senior, C$3.40 youth 6–16, C$17.10 family) form one of the crown jewels of the national park system.

Getting to Glacier National Park

Kalispell [5] offers the closest airline service to the park.

Amtrak’s Empire Builder (800/872-7245, www.amtrak.com [6]) provides train service, with daily stops at East Glacier [7] (summer only), Belton (West Glacier [8]), and Essex, on Highway 2 near the southern tip of the park.

Intercity bus lines can get you as close as Whitefish [9] on the west and Great Falls to the east.

From Kalispell, you can also arrange a shuttle to the park by contacting Airport Shuttle Service (406/752-2842) or Kalispell Taxi (406/752-4022) or Wild Horse Limousine (406/756-2290 or 800/841-2391, www.wildhorselimo.com [10], $139 to Apgar).

Rental cars are available in Kalispell, Whitefish, and Great Falls.

The Best of Glacier National Park [11]

• Cross-Country Skiing Around the Izaak Walton Inn [12]
• Going-to-the-Sun Road [3]
• Logan Pass [13]
• Highline Trail [14]
• Glacier Park Lodge [15]
• Grinnell Glacier [16]
• Upper Waterton Lake [17]