Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Glacier National Park,

Never been,
But would like to see it.

I got my senior pass 4 years ago, IIRC, and it was only $10. Got it at an Army Corp of Engineers campground. Prices sure have gone up.

I'm not a Senior, so there's that....

Dave, could you explain this please?

And the bears while hiking, serious issue?

Seems like way too often you hear of people becoming bear snacks in GNP,,,,,

Don't worry about that, pick up some bear spray..it's every where there..and enjoy yourself.
Consider it a bonus if you get to see one....

BTW, how old are the kids. I'm working up a list of options, ages would be helpful.

Kenneth,

Having spent a lot of time in Glacier, I would fly into the west side of the divide and rent a car. Over the Going to the Sun, and then north to the Many Glacier area. There are rooms to rent there and a restaurant at that campground. From there I would take your family on as many day hikes as possible. There are a lot of great day hikes there and the need to overnight or hike in the backcountry is pretty minimal if you want to hit the high points. Ptarmigan Tunnel, Iceberg Lake, and Ptarmigan Falls to name a few.

On your way back, take the Going to the Sun Road. (it's actually a totally different experience going each direction because of the views.)

If you are going to camp, you're going to have to deal with the logistics of acquiring your own gear and equipment if you fly. Another advantage to the Many Glacier area is they have quarter fed showers on site. As well as nice schitters with running water.

I would recommend bringing your own glass and spotter as well. In the evenings you can spot grizz and mountain goat fairly easily.

As far as bear attacks, staying in rooms or cabins alleviates any concerns. Despite popular thinking there have not been many bear attacks in the park itself. And the area surrounding Many Glacier hasn't had one in years as far as I know. When you get OUTSIDE the park on the west end, it's pretty gnarly however.

Now, since you're from Wisconsin, go ahead and throw all this information in the trash.

F_uckin east siders, you got no idea how to enjoy yourself....come on, is that all you can come up with?

I spent five weeks camping around the areas outside the park last fall in the most likely of places to be eaten by a bear and saw nuttin but a couple of scrawny black bears...on the run....well the one didn't run until I kicked him...

I have been to Glacier several times. I like it in the early fall, around the middle of Sept. Lots of colors out earlier there then most anywhere else. Way less people too. Some of the facilities are shut down by then, but we never needed them anyway.

Since you've said that you're still in shape to hike and love doing it, I'd recommend spending the entire time in Glacier Park.

It's got 1100 miles of hiking trails and some of the most outstanding scenery in the country.

Years ago my wife and I spent a summer living on the road sleeping in a tent. We spent a week in Glacier and barely scratched the surface of it. It was by far the highlight of our trip. Nothing else compared to it.

If you've got it in you,....this is definitely one of the best hikes in the park,....or in the entire country, for that matter.

http://www.hikinginglacier.com/swiftcurrent-pass.htm

,...along the way:

upload a jpg

We enjoyed all of the places that we stayed, but our favorite was Prince of Wales.

Kenneth,

I don't want to downplay the bear thing, because things can happen, but as an outdoorsman and hunter you will have way more woods-smarts than the many other thousands of people some hiking, in flip-flops, with no bear spray, munching on a PB&J sandwich.

Our last trip, last summer, oddly enough, the closest we came to a grizzly was at a pullout overlooking St. Mary's Lake. Thousands of people stop there... A griz walked out of the thick brush about 75 yards away, onto the highway and picked up a road-killed squirrel and walked back in the brush.

The other bears we saw while hiking were at 300-600 yards and usually a drainage separated us. In one case, though we could look back and see the trail we had just walked down, switch-backing and could see a griz about 100 yards below the trail. We could also see people on the trail just above the bear. They had no idea a bear was right below them. Bears gotta, hear, smell, and see, people all the time and are used to humans being on the trails.

You will see bear sign right on the trails and they use the trails to move around just like the hundreds of hikers. See a grizzly always makes the highlight of the trip.

Pack some bear spray, talk as you go, and just be aware. The odds of getting in a car wreck in the park are a real concern though. Lots of people not used to driving on narrow crowded roads.

It has been years, and I can't remember exactly which lodge we were at (I think West Glacier) when Mom insisted on a walk after supper. My wife was able to beg off, but my six-year-old son and I were coerced into accompanying her. I pointed out that if we should encounter a bear with evil intent, I was going to knock her to the ground, grab my son, and depart in a rapid, but not alarmingly fast manner. Her response to this was, "Good plan".

If I knew if you considered camping an option my recommendations would be quite different.

If your flight arrives later in the day you could stay in town the first night just to get started.
https://kalispellgrand.com is about a affordable as it gets for anything decent and it's in the middle of town.
You can walk to outdoor shops and restaurants and the like, one of the hiking shops right there on main would have the bear spray you'll want to pick-up.

Glacier Park can really suck due to crowding, it's a day trip, make the run and get it over with, the surrounding area offers so much more.
Lunch or dinner at Lake Mcdonald Lodge ( https://www.usparklodging.com/glacier/lakemcdonald.php ) would serve you well on the way in or out.. The hotel rates just don't measure up to what it takes to deal with the congestion of the park.

We all have our favorites, I have a few.

The https://izaakwaltoninn.com is at the top of my list. It's on the southern end just across the border from the Park.
It's slower there, a good spot to start and end you park day tour, you can make the loop from east to west through the park and the Izaak Walton will be in the middle.
Be aware, there is going to be big time road construction on the parks east side for the next two summers.
It's a federal government project, stand by for disastrous traffic conditions.
Great food, nice little bar, and plenty of impeccably maintained restored historic value. There is nothing else in the immediate vicinity except an amazing river, the Goat Lick and a few hiking trails. You're in the river drainage so everything is uphill from there and steep when it comes to hikes.
It's a Cross Country ski lodge, that's their mainstay so summers are just slow for them..

Now for some hiking....

Hungry Horse Reservoir, this is another slow, outta the way location that'll be tourist free. It's the locals playground... there is 170 miles of shoreline with 110 miles of road that loops around it. This is also on the southern boarder of the park.

Check your rental car agreement to be sure these back country areas I mention are not forbidden, all those cars have GPS locators on them, they'll know where you've been....

Places like this are the real real Western Montana. If you're camping, it's all for free.
For hiking, fishing, camping and even hunting, it's all there. look at the maps, do your research and you'll be overwhelmed with the opportunities this area has to offer.

I could pinpoint some great camping areas, there are developed spots with fees but you're in a national forest, you can camp anywhere you like for free other than their developed locations.

There are a couple lodges that you can book into there.

They are both good but funny..http://www.spottedbear.com gets great reviews but it's gonna be spendy.

Then there is the https://www.diamondrranch.com . This one is more intriguing, they don't know how to advertise, never have.
I've seen them written up as "one of Montanas best kept secrets" that's not what I'd want my place of business to be know for.

I suppose that's why they are always slow, nobody knows they are there..
The place is for sale, maybe they've just lost interest but whatever it is makes for a quite slow and more than tranquil layover.

They have these cool little cabins, this is the view off a back deck..


That's the Spotted Bear river they are sitting on, great fishing, amazing hiking trails yada yada.. You can book a horse trip to one of nearby mountain lakes even.. They have good food, but don't go looking for normal conveniences....like electricity, they ain't got none... I think you could negotiate a family rate with them but getting one of the cabins overlooking the river is a must.

Now for along the western border of the park...

Like the southern park border where the Middle Fork of the Flathead river defines it, the North Fork of the Flathead defines the parks western border.

There's another road...check car rental agreement...it follows the river all the way to the Canadian border.

Up the Northfork road much like Hungry Horse, you're in a National Forest looking across the river at the Park.
This is where you'll find the iconic Polebridge Mercantile OMG what a bakery..
You gotta stop there, hell they have rooms too..Even Bristoe went there, but they kicked him out...

I had drinks in the Norther Lights Saloon next door last summer, they have a little food there as well.

There is a little buzz of tourist right there being it's so well known but it's the gateway to the remotest region of the park if you just insist on hiking there.......rental agreement....it's not a paved road in the park there either.
This is where you'd find access to the remote Kintla and Bowman Lakes. You can drive there but I just can't recommend the camping.
Yeah, it'll be slower on this side of the park but the park is where you have more negative interactions with bears.

I don't care what anyone tells ya.
Grizzlies have killed eight people in Glacier, bears, both black and grizzly, have injured about 100 more people.
I've camped and hunted all around that park with little incident but you'd never catch me camping in that park, I don't even like to hike there because of the conditioned bears. Too many people in one spot mixing and mingling around these bears make for bears you're gonna have trouble with...

Now where was I.......did I mention Polebridge Merc's bakery? It's amazing.....

Oh yeah, the North Fork road...I can only assume you're looking at the maps if you are serious about this trip.
Look west of the North Fork Road.
All those drainage have a host of hiking trails and of course free camping because we own the land, it's National Forest.

This is another playground for locals..

>>>>>>> More later if requested....

Did somebody mention Polebridge?
You will find yummy pastries here....





Oh and Bowman lake... this is a favorite spot of mine. I must disagree with Jeff on camping at this location, they have a nice and relatively large campground in close proximity to the lake.
I recommend taking a kayak.
The campground is first come first served, the trick is to be there no later than 10;00am , people will be leaving and you will have a choice of spots. Great hiking trails around Bowman also.
I would skip Kintla, tiny campground and limited views.

Bowman....

Everything east of the divide is prettier and more accessible. Plus air quality is less of a crap shoot.

Wife took this pic from the Red Jammer bus tour a couple years ago.

We’re currently building a new lodge up at Summit. That’s in the SE corner of the park near Marias Pass. If you need any help with accomadations PM me.

While one is at it, anyone bothered to fish around/in Glacier? I never feel like I've been on vacation if I can't get in one or two days of angling each week.