Camping at Glacier National Park in August

firemen7

firemen7

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Escondido, CA
Hey all!

We are planing our travel locations for 2019, we are currently considering Glacier National Park for the last week of July and first week of August. We have been looking online for campgrounds and attractions at the park. We have not stayed in a National Park before or traveled that far north, we are looking for any advice or suggestions you may have to offer.

Is it better to camp in the Park or look for Forest Service campgrounds near the park, if so any recommended locations would be quite helpful.

Thanks Bud
 
Bud,we stayed at Glacier in 2009. You can make reservations at several of the campgrounds.
Plus there are very nice first come first serve camps on the west side.
We stayed at Bowman Lake on the west side also Lake Kintla.These two are accessed from the west side road.
At Fish Creek on Lake Mc Donald you can reserve there. This has a lot of nice spaces.
Haven't camped on the east side I think that's the more popular side.
Frank
 
Hi Frank, thanks for the info, I was looking at the map for Bowman Lake campground and the discription. Looking at the maps and reading the park info it looks like there are a few campgrounds on the west side and I wouldn’t think the roads are going to be that challenging.

What time of the year were you there and how about the mosquitoes? I have a couple type of repellent and may pickup a screened tent or something to that effect.

Thanks again Bud
 
We stayed at the St. Mary campground on the east side. Be ready for crowds have a reservation.
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Do the lake cruise from Many Glaciers Lodge. We did both lakes with the hike between them had a great time. One thing we try to do at every National Park is eating at the lodge, it is our treat to ourselves. Many Glaciers has a great dinner.
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The going to the sun road is fantastic, be sure and stop to look around. Hope you have the same great weather we had.
IMG_8582.jpg
 
Skeeters are not that bad there, at least higher up and on the east side, which is where we have been a few times. We've always managed to reserve or get there early enough to sneak in a first come site.

West side by Lady Mac is very wide open. Top and East side are more "dramatic". We have not checked out Kintla though, and it looks nice as well.

If you don't like twisty and very narrow mountain roads, avoid the Going to the Sun road. You need to be able to hug the outside of the road. Going east, that means the passenger side is the "drop off" side and usually has a 24" high stone wall you need to be 1-3" away from, and on the way west, the mountain side overhangs, so tall rigs can get damaged if they get too close, or hit oncoming traffic if too far away. I've done it in Miata's and my M3, not in my truck... yet.
 
Almost forgot, don't forget to get one.

The famous Polebridge Mercantile Huckleberry Bearclaw. Yes it is that good.
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Thanks billharr & Vic, looks like we need to go just for the Huckleberry Bearclaw. Looking at the park brochure do you think it’s better to take the Redbus or drive the Going to the Sun road?
 
Skeeters are not that bad there, at least higher up and on the east side, which is where we have been a few times. We've always managed to reserve or get there early enough to sneak in a first come site.

West side by Lady Mac is very wide open. Top and East side are more "dramatic". We have not checked out Kintla though, and it looks nice as well.

If you don't like twisty and very narrow mountain roads, avoid the Going to the Sun road. You need to be able to hug the outside of the road. Going east, that means the passenger side is the "drop off" side and usually has a 24" high stone wall you need to be 1-3" away from, and on the way west, the mountain side overhangs, so tall rigs can get damaged if they get too close, or hit oncoming traffic if too far away. I've done it in Miata's and my M3, not in my truck... yet.
 
firemen7 said:
Thanks billharr & Vic, looks like we need to go just for the Huckleberry Bearclaw. Looking at the park brochure do you think it’s better to take the Redbus or drive the Going to the Sun road?
Click to expand...
Redbus is awesome. No worries about parking, and free!
 
Its been a few years since we were there. The free shuttle bus service is a great way to access hiking trail and travel the going to the sun hwy. We would take the shuttle to one trail head, hike all day to a different trailhead and then shuttle back. Some campgrounds are on the shuttle routes other times we drove to a parking area to catch the shuttle.
I highly recommend the Highline Trail, which leaves from the visitor center at the top of going to the sun hwy.

You will see lots of wildlife.
Have fun
 
I've done Going to the Sun road several times in my truck with camper, both directions and no issues. Have also used the shuttles to get to the top, convenient and free.

I really enjoyed hiking the Highline Trail from Logan Pass around to The Loop, absolutely stunning on a clear day!

And yes, the baked goods at Polebridge Mercantile really are worth the drive even if you aren't camped out that way!
 
All good information, thank you all for the heads up.
I really appreciate this groups knowledge base, willingness to share and the passing along helpful advice.
 
I've stayed by Flathead Lake...not free but darn cheap. Never had a problem getting a drive up but the campsites around Flathead offer reservations too...no a far drive to Glacier
 
We did this trip last summer. You can read our blog entry for our experience. That time of year you will definitely be sharing the park with many others. Still beautiful though. You will most likely need reservations at the campgrounds inside the park.

We camped outside the park in a rustic USFS campground- that worked well for us. We also lucked out with a last-minute spot at Kintla Lake for a couple of days. The road there is not challenging but it is a long drive. You can check for campground openings at the visitor centers.

Enjoy your trip and please post a report when you get back. :)

http://travelswithrockythedog.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-trip-to-glacier-national-park-and.html
 
Hi Bud
I don’t want to deter you, but we did a trip from SF Bay Area to Banff via Glacier last July/August . Unfortunately the forest fires were so bad we were forced to retreat to the coast. Hopefully this is not the new normal for summer in the Pacific NorthWest!
-Bruce
 
My Gal emailed a friend for information and wanted to cut and past it here for more info.

Here are a few more thoughts on Glacier / Banff,

Glacier
  • East side campgrounds near St. Mary’s: If all campgrounds are full, you can stay at a private campground just north of St. Mary’s, especially if you arrive by mid-afternoon. Just ask for directions at the park entrance station, or drive north from St. Mary’s and within a mile or so you will see Johnson’s Campground and RV Park on the right.
  • Rising Sun campground - On the east side of the park, only the Rising Sun campground does not take reservations; it is first come, first served. If all the park campgrounds are full, you can spend the night at a private campground, and get in line at Rising Sun early (6 a.m. or so – the campground host can tell you a good time) to get a spot there the next day. Then you can stay up to 14 nights there. They have campground programs in the evening.
  • The east side of the park is drier and more scenic (to me).
  • Avalanche Creek - On the west side, if you can get a parking space, walk along Avalanche Creek. The trail goes 3 miles total all the way up to Avalanche Lake, but you can walk a shorter distance through the trees along the creek which has moss and ferns.
  • Going-To-The-Sun road - The number one thing to do is to drive the 50-mile long Going-To-The-Sun road through the middle of the park. Very scenic.
  • Hidden Lake Overlook - The number two thing to do is stop at Logan Pass (on the Going-To-The-Sun road) and hike 1+ miles, mostly on a board walk, to Hidden Lake Overlook. There will be lots of people along the way. The path winds up through a meadow with grand views of two Matterhorn-shaped peaks. Especially in the morning you may see mountain goats only a few feet away, and maybe bighorn sheep. In late July the wildflowers are stunning in the meadow. There is a visitor center there, also.
  • Free shuttle bus - The parking lot at Logan Pass usually fills by mid-morning, so get there early if you want a spot. Otherwise, you can take the free shuttle bus to the pass from anywhere along the Going-To-The-Sun road. Busses run in both direction every 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Wild Goose Island scenic viewpoint - Maybe 10(?) miles west of Rising Sun Campground there is a sign along the road indicating a photo opportunity, right next to the road. This is the overview point for Wild Goose Island, a famous viewpoint. It is lit by the sun in the morning, usually the best time for a photo. If the sky looks dramatic, it can be a great sunset view. The viewpoint in right next to the road, no hiking required.
  • Many Glacier - Half and hour north of St. Mary’s is the turnoff for Many Glacier. There are absolutely stunning views here. Park at the hotel and look out the back windows of the hotel. From St. Mary’s to Many Glacier only takes 30-45 minutes driving.
  • St. Mary’s Lake boat ride - From close to Rising Sun campground you can take a boat ride on St. Mary’s Lake and then hike a short distance to one or two waterfalls. I’d recommend the morning for this.

Banff
  • Very scenic area. Big campground in the town of Banff, which is a large and very touristy town.
  • There is a gondola ride to the top of a mountain; maybe drive by scenic Vermillion Lakes; visit the Banff Springs Hotel and nearby Bow Falls.
  • Lake Louise - If you get to Banff, be sure to drive north on the main highway. In less than an hour you can get to Lake Louise (which also has a campground, with showers.) Lovely view at Lake Louise; canoes for rent. Walking path along the lake, which can take you all the way up to the glacier at the end of the lake, if you want to go that far. And the highway has beautiful views.
  • Moraine Lake and Valley of the Ten Peaks – This is a MUST SEE: near Lake Louise, go to Moraine Lake and Valley of the Ten Peaks. This is a stunning view, very close to the parking lot. It is so pretty that it is on the back of the Canada $10 bill. Go first thing in the morning for best views (~8:30), when the sun is shining on the mountains, before the parking lot fills and becomes a mad house. There is a short trail (10 minutes) from the left side of the parking lot that goes to a nice overview.
 
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