Travel tips for Glacier National Park: during the Covid-19 Pandemic & post pandemic

 “Wander here a whole summer, if you can. Thousands of God's wild blessings will search you and soak you as if you were a sponge, and the big days will go uncounted. (John Muir)

Hello friends,

I'm so glad you're here to join me in "The Joy of Travel" series, part 3:

Glacier National park is a special place for my family, it is filled with wonder and awe at the majestic beauty that surrounds the entirety of the park & the incredible creativity of our creator.

The park is surrounded by the most amazing peaks of stunning glaciers, the Rocky mountains and Clark, Lewis and Livingston ranges, with the highest peak being Mount Cleveland. Upon driving into the park visitors are met with gorgeous views that will delight any mountain lover at first glance of the stunning Lake McDonald, flanked by glaciers & all throughout the breathtaking drive along the famed "Going to the Sun" road. There are numerous stops along this amazing highway that is carefully & sometimes fearfully carved between the narrow/steep cliffs but each one is seemingly more worth a quick stop than the last. For those who are willing & daring enough to travel the entirety of the road are met with some of the most spectacular views the park has to offer. A reward worth the harrowing drive to get there!

Whether you're a national park enthusiast or relatively new to traveling/visiting national parks we hope these tips will be helpful as you plan your adventure and provide some useful insights that help make your trip a huge success! If you happen to be a homeschool family also, then this park might be at the top of your list of places to visit like it was on ours (or perhaps it will be after reading more about this awesome park!😀) Lastly, if you have been to Glacier and have some good insights, tips or tricks others could benefit from please share them in the comments below. I always love learning inside scoops or special tips/insights  & info I might not be aware about and would love to learn about what you discovered while visiting this park. 

Since we visited the park in June of 2020 we encountered some hiccups with availability & closures in effect that affected our plans of driving across the Going To The Sun road, but we were aching to get out and explore & were grateful for the opportunity to visit the park. When we travelled, Glacier N.P. had just opened a few weeks prior to our visit and due to snow & shifts in bear activity (due to the park closing for several months in the beginning peak of Covid-19) multiple parts of the high elevation road were still inaccessible during our visit. Despite part of the road being closed we were able to make life long memories and have incredible adventures during our trip. 

Join me below for tips and insights on things to do, look for and not to miss if you plan to visit this awesome national park anytime soon. 

Travel tips & insights for Glacier National Park:

*First, I'd recommend a visit to the  http://nps.gov/ site to find up to date information on park closures, applicable registration information **At the time of this post Glacier and several other parks are undergoing a pre-registration requirement for entry into the park, prior to arrival. 

-It is highly encouraged and recommended that you look into pre-registration requirements as early as possible as they are first come-first served and are necessary to obtain entrance into the park. I would hate for anyone to book reservations/accommodations or flights and not be able to enter the park!

*Next, after obtaining permits/registration needed for your adventures in Glacier would be to start your research, mapping out hikes, locations of interest etc. that you intend to visit during your trip. It is important to note that several of the famed hikes you may have read about may not be accessible or available, however there are multiple other locations just right inside the park that are worth planning your trip to Glacier for! 

*Before heading into the park:

-Filling up on gas & snacks at one of the gas stations/shops just outside the West entrance is highly suggested as there is only one gas location in the park (way up North in Polebridge and it is very pricey), unless Going to the Sun road is completely open & you're able to make it to St. Mary's RB to fill up. Also, food outside the park is much more cost friendly.

-Look online (Pinterest is a great place to start) for printables (if you're a homeschool family or family traveling with littles) that can help keep kids occupied during long travel portions of the trip. Possible printables: Animals that reside in Glacier, tree species & plants in the park, Lakes & waterfalls to check off after you visit etc. Also if you write to or call the Visitor Center they may be able to mail Junior ranger packets prior to your trip to help keep kiddos busy. :)

-Another great resource for fun activities/games/workbooks/snacks etc. is the Dollar store/Dollar Tree/Dollar General because you never know what you might find & it is super cheap. I loved to stock up on activity books when my kiddos were smaller & they could be entertained for hours by fun color books/car games & simple crafts while we traveled. Before our trip to Glacier I happened to find reusable travel bingo cards for $1 each and several car games that even my teens enjoyed using! I call that a mom win!🙌

*Upon arrival: 

-A stop at Lake McDonald is a must. This stunning lake shimmers in the sunlight, is a pale aquamarine, sea blue, light green lake flanked by multiple glaciers off in the distance. 

-If your family loves to be on the water you might want to look into boat rental/canoe or kayak rentals at one of the shops in Apgar Village. 

-Also, a fun place to browse & shop for souvenirs, grab a light snack, a yummy bite for lunch or delicious ice cream treat and learn more info about sights in the park is in Apgar Village, which is located right next to Lake McDonald. 

-Stop at one of the visitor centers right inside the park to inquire about times Going to the Sun road might be opened (it was closed when we first entered the park, June 18th 2020. We tried again a few hours later & to our delight it was opened again :)). Also a perfect time to grab a park map & learn about trail closures, possible animal encounters or concerns if planning hiking adventures and learn other park updates. 

If Going to the Sun Road is open during your visit I can't recommend or suggest taking a cruise along the road enough! It was the highlight of our visit to Glacier & I think it will be yours as well. :) In the summer of 2020, things about the pandemic were still fairly new and several locations of the park were limited due to trying to control crowds. Thus, as I mentioned above entrance to the Going to The Sun road were staggered and only a limited amount of cars were allowed to enter at specific times throughout the day. On our first attempt the road was blocked and we were re-routed, so we made the most of it and headed to Lake McDonald for a lovely picnic along the lake shore and souvenir shopping in Apgar Village. After about 2 hours we attempted again and to our luck they had just reopened the road so we were able to drive as far as the road was open: The Trail of Cedars. That just so happened to be on our list of places to explore, so we were stoked to find a place that was open and on our bucket list. 🙌  We parked and walked about .3 tenths of a mile to the trail head, it is a lovely paved path with some parts a boardwalk trail that circles .9 miles through 80 ft cedars, a river & slight waterfall. We all enjoyed the views, the easy hike and chance to stretch our legs. Towards the end of our hike as we were headed back to the car we met several hikers coming from a side trail. Each of them raved about the incredible views they had seen and strongly encouraged us to hike the trail to Avalanche Lake. We were intrigued so we decided to go for it. 

Little did we know that we were in for one of the most rewarding hikes of our lives. The views at Avalanche Lake are out of this world, with indescribable beauty and a serene atmosphere that is hard to come by. It is our favorite family hike we have ever been on (we hike all the time and have been to countless waterfalls all over our home state of Oregon, all throughout Washington, California, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and several eastern states) and the one place we highly recommend for anyone headed to Glacier. On the hike you will increase elevation quite a bit so it is strongly suggested to allow your body to acclimate to the increase in altitude for a day or more before attempting (especially if you are prone to altitude sickness).

* Tips for hiking to Avalanche Lake:

-Bring plenty of water (no where to fill up water bottles beyond Apgar Village)

-Pack or store snacks in bear proof containers (especially if you plan to camp & will have food with you. Bears have been known to break into cars looking for food, so it would be wise to keep it somewhere bear proof! ;))

-Consider bringing Bear Spray (it is encouraged to bring along as bears frequent this area, although we never saw any)

-Make sure you have plenty of space on your phone/camera or sd cards (You will want to have room for lots of photographs!!)

-The hike is 5.9 miles from parking area, add another 3 miles if including Trail of Cedars and planning to hike to the end of the trail post & beyond (We walked around 9 1/2 miles total when we combined both hikes)

-Bring comfy shoes or better yet hiking shoes, or water proof hiking boots (trail is unsmooth at times, many tree roots, rocks and some steep climbs or descents, lots of switchbacks and muddy spots. Also may require walking across a stream or wet areas depending if you do any off trail hiking once you reach the lake)

-Bring a sunhat & plenty of sunscreen if hiking in the Spring/Summer

-Pack layers as the weather can change on a dime and one minute you are hot and sweaty and the next the sky is full of dense clouds and temps have majorly dropped. Best to be prepared for cold/rain with a light, warm coat along. 

Other things/places to consider and add to your list if you will be visiting the park for multiple days (especially if Going to the Sun Road is closed or temporary closures):

On our second day we decided to head to the Northwest corner of the park and drive to the top of the U.S. portion of the park (the top of the park boarders Canada & is accessible if the boarders are open for U.S. travelers). With the Going to the Sun road still limiting how many visitors could be on the road we opted for seeing another part of the park and we were very happy with our choice. We drove as far north as we could stopping at Polebridge Mercantile, Kintla and Bowman Lakes and several view points along the way. Before reaching Polebridge a good part of the road is paved, however most of the roads after Polebridge are very bumpy, not well maintained dirt roads but they make up for it with stunning scenery and roadside pull offs along the way. 

*Polebridge Mercantile: Cute little shop that was built in 1914 that provides travelers with a place for some souvenirs, premade sandwiches & delicious pastries, a nice little rest stop area with picnic tables, restrooms, and the only gas station area in the park (prices are very $$ though as you can imagine so it is strongly recommended to fill up before entering the park).

*Drive to Kintla & Bowman Lakes: It is quite the drive but the scenery is stunning and makes the drive worth the effort. 

-Both lakes are glacier fed, surrounded by incredible views, offer amazing hikes and are near the Canadian boarder. 

-Just before reaching Bowman Lake is the North entrance to Glacier N.P. which provides a ranger checkin station, restrooms and a small visitor station/area. It was closed for visitors while we were there but a ranger was inside a closed room and available to answer questions through a window. Also available were maps and a few other park resources. 

-Bowman Lake: approximately located 32 1/2 miles from west glacier entrance & considered one of the most secluded areas of Glacier due to it's distance from the main entrance and that it has remained a bit of a hidden gem not often visited by most travelers to the park. Lovely views and a peaceful setting will great you upon arrival to the lake, to the right of the parking area is a wooden bridge that leads to hiking trails and many great views of the lake & glaciers that boarder Bowman lake. 

-Kintla Lake: is around 8 miles in length & approximately 40 miles from the West entrance of Glacier and about 1 hour drive from Polebridge, is considered to be the most remote area of the park, is closest to the Canadian boarder & is only reachable by very bumpy dirt roads. Car & tent camping is available on a first come first serve basis as well as primitive camping (must bring your own water) at different times of the year. This is one of the most secluded and serene places in Glacier as not motorized boats are allowed on the lake and plentiful hiking opportunities are available around the area. 

*When planning to visit one or both lakes it is recommended to:

-Have a full tank of gas as there are no options within the park (some sights still list Polebridge as having limited supplies & others say there is none. We ended up getting 2 gallons in Polebridge to ensure we made it to the west entrance and more gas options but it was near $8 a gallon! 

-Bring plenty of drinking water as there are no available options to refill water bottles (*at least none when we traveled in summer of 2020)

-Bring some t.p. in case the pit toilets are out, since they are less visited they are not as often attended to by park staff/rangers

-Purchase snacks etc. food either before entering the park (cheapest option), at Apgar Village or at the last option in Polebridge or plan to be hungry ;) 

-Check that tires are in good condition before heading on the bumpy unpaved dirt roads (some are in very very poor condition and could wreck havoc on small vehicles or tires in need of repair/replacing)

-Be aware that cell phone range is limited in this area and it is a good idea to let someone not in the park know where you plan to travel as well as to check in with park rangers before traveling on the back roads.

-Also be aware this is prime grizzly & black bear country so plan accordingly with bear spray & bear proof containers for all food. 

-If planning to camp be prepared to bring in all water as water may be limited or not available. Also plan to bring all necessities as there is nowhere around to replace supplies forgotten. 

Plan to stay a while and enjoy the solitude of discovering a place within Glacier that most never see or know about! Odds are, you may have the lake entirely to yourself depending on time of your visit and which part of the lake you are on. :)

My last tips for anyone planning to head to Glacier this year or next are:

-If time allows, I recommend taking the drive towards East Glacier as well. There are numerous sights to see & amazing views are plentiful. *Keep an eye out for mountain goats (we nearly had one run right in front of our car!), gorgeous unnamed roadside waterfalls, crossing the continental divide & a neat mini version of the Washington Monument among many other fun finds. 

-If you are a homeschool family like we are there are so many lovely gems to uncover and beautiful places to explore. Let your littles have fun searching for little critters, see who can spot mountain goats  roaming on the mountain sides, see if they can spot mule deer that frequent most of the lakes and keep them busy while they record how many unique birds or trees you find on your adventures. Older kids will enjoy helping to map out hikes or staying on the lookout for wild animals as well as joining in a junior ranger program or collecting stamps in a national park journal or perhaps collecting pressed pennies from one of the shops in Apgar Village.

-To be prepared for unexpected changes in your plans, sometimes those can put a damper in our day but when looked at with an open mind, a positive perspective & great attitude it may just be the ticket that ushers in some of the best memories you will ever make! 😊💖 

-Enjoy the scenic views and don't be afraid to pull off the road to take them all in and capture the stunning vistas with a photograph or perhaps a painting if you're an artist. What a fantastic way to memorialize your trip than a painting (done by you or a loved one) of one of your favorite views you discovered while in Glacier. 

-Due to the pandemic, numerous places might be closed or face closures so it is always important to research when might be best to visit this National park as well as any other you intend to visit. *We coupled this National park with a visit to Yellowstone (post coming with tips for visiting Yellowstone N.P.), and brief drive through visit of The Grand Tetons. It is relatively easy to combine these 3 amazing parks into one week trip, of course if you have a longer period of time that would make it more enjoyable for you & give you more time in each place.  

-Lastly, knowing that even in the midst of all the chaos and upheaval felt world wide during this pandemic, nature rarely changes in the way it can effect our state of mind by offering a calmness and often providing peace, tranquility and a place of rest for our soul that nothing else can offer. My best advice would be, to allow yourself to be fully immersed in the adventure, to be open to setting aside your plans & just enjoy whatever happens to stumble into your path. You never know, those unplanned activities/adventures just may end up becoming some of your favorite memories!:)

Are you planning a trip to Glacier or have recently traveled to the park? If so I'd love to hear your travel plans and any updates or insights about visiting the park you have to offer, leave me a note in the comments so we can all glean from your tips! Join me on all of our other adventures by following along on our journey at: https://www.instagram.com/thishomeschoolerslife/ & https://www.instagram.com/thislandisfamilytravels I can also be reached via the contact me form (👉on the right) any time as well. I look forward to connecting with you!:)

Happy travels friends & to many exciting adventures for you and your crew,

~K

*To read other posts in "The Joy of Travel" series click on these links: 

Part 1: Travel tips & insights for how to plan/prep for any upcoming adventure

 https://thishomeschoolerslife.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-joy-of-travel-how-to-plan-prep-to.html

Part 2: My top travel hacks/packing tips for women

 https://thishomeschoolerslife.blogspot.com/2021/04/packing-hacks-travel-tips-for-whatever.html