Wife has green lit what will hopefully be my longest journey on the k12 to date. Plan is to ride solo* from Atlanta to Glacier National Park, cabin or camp for 4-5 days then head back . -Trip will last 14 days. *Wife will fly out and (possibly) ride with me back. I need ADV's help on the following: What is the best time of year to go to GNP? -We were thinking the last week of May. Recommended places to camp or cabin once there? -Clueless with this one. What are the mandatory sites and local attractions? -Location details would be awesome. Also a bar or two Preferred route from Atlanta? -As little interstate as possible.
Went to Glacier in August, locals say they don't get the roads open till June. Make sure you plan a full day there, never seen something so beautiful.
Too early. If you plan to go through Going to the Sun road, think end of June or beginning of July. I have stayed in Columbia Falls, (got a cabin), but you could stay in Whitefish, Hungry Horse, as well as other places. There is National Forest camping, or if you want to be in the park I'd recommend the eastern part of Glacier.
Thanks for the heads up guys. I was hoping to get there early enough I wouldn't have to worry about those killer Canadian bugs. After looking on the local resort sites, June 6th is the first "official weekend". I figured global warming would start letting these places open sooner: GNP Webcams. -Check out the lake mary visitor center. wow.
Late June the Sun Road us usually open. Weather in the northwest is much different than in the eastern US. Our spring (by the calendar) is wet and cold. Nice individual days but lots of rainy cool overcast days. Things dry up mid June. Temps of 70*, July temps to 80*. It can rain til June 15, quit, and not rain til Oct. except for a few cloud bursts with 2-3 tenths of rain. Crowds can be avoided in Glacier by running the Sun Road in early AM. Lot of motels/cabins around Glacier. With wife, I would try to book Many Glaciers Hotel. Beautiful old Chalet on a Fjiord. Nice buffet dining room. Tiny rooms but what a view. There is a cabin motel thing a few mile further into the Park, also. I've stayed there. Rustic. Way less food service. Stunning scenery. We stayed here but went to the Many Glaciers Hotel for dining. Definitely hit here for breakfast or tea. A very cool spot. There is a gravel road that runs north thru Glacier to Polebridge. Nice road but very narrow. True one lane. It is worth the trip just for the Polebridge Mercantile brownies. There is a better road outside the park, still gravel. Mid to late Sept is a nice time for Glacier. Similar to spring but dry. Glacier is a spectacular Park. Far west MT has some nice scenic roads. If you go north/south thru Plains, Troy, Yaak, you will find good riding. Even I-90 is good from central MT thru ID
To add to what thetourist said.... Another vote for Many Glaciers. Beautiful setting, and the eastern side of the park has fewer visitors. The rustic motel down the road is the Rising Sun Motor Lodge. We have stayed there; I liked it, but it is more simple and rustic. There was a restaurant right across the parking lot from the motel. I would also vote for early to late September for a visit. The roads are open, and after Labor Day, the number of visitors decreases. The weather is usually really nice (although there's always the possibility of an early winter storm).
Try to add in some other scenic roads on your way there , then take a different way back. This thread has some info in it, about the Chief Joseph, and Beartooth http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=844317 Some really great riding
My m.i.l. & b.i.l both live in Bigfork, SW of GNP. Great little town that sits on Flathead Lake. Mrs. Samthg & I are up there 1 or 2 times a year, and we stay at Bridge Street Cottages or Mountain Lake Lodge. You can't go wrong with either place! Write this down and don't forget...when in Bigfork, eat at Burger Town!! You'll thank me later. For coffee and morning goodies, on the river, it's Brookies Cookies...you'll thank me later. More importantly, Mrs. JamesM will be thanking you for such a great MT. experience. Whitefish is a great little tourist town,at the Whitefish Mountain Resort, be sure to take the ski lift to the top for a great view over to Glacier. Oh, btw, Logan Pass opening dates... http://www.nps.gov/glac/parknews/upload/Logan-Pass-Open-Close-Dates_Press-Kit.pdf
The most reliable weather will be in late July thru August. No point in going to Glacier if it might be socked in foggy clouds. In East Glacier there are some cool old school and cheap cabin-motels. Make a resrevation well in advance (now) cuz it will be busy. Once a ways away from the Park it easy to find places to camp. The road from East Glacier Hwy 49 up to the East entrance at St Mary is awesome.. In the morning ride East to West. Allow time to do some hiking at the pass. MT Hwy 89 from Great Falls is cool too. No bad turns here! Glacier Park in August: Cheers!
Kind of spendy, but my wife and I stayed here on a long ago bike trip. Very cool place. http://www.glacierparkinc.com/prince_of_wales.php
there is much more to Glacier than simply riding the road over the pass. Get off and Hike, get away from the road for a while. spend a few nights in the park, the campgrounds are great. ride to the summit in the evening and watch the sun set over the mountains, go fishing. check out the lodges, very cool old rustic buildings. Take your time, take it all in. I just hate when people say they visited glacier when all they did was ride over the pass and continue on.
Sorry I missed your post. Compared to the other places, it actually seems quite reasonable and those views! How are the restaurants around there?
There is a village a couple more miles into the park. Lots of walk-a-round shops and eateries. An awsome day would be to run the Sun Road early, brunch or lunch at Many Glaciers and check in to Prince for the evening. Remember it is in Canada. Passport, etc. I think the Glacier Fees let us into Waterton, also. I saw a grizzley run across the road right at the border crossing. Very cool.
I always like to go as close to Labor Day as possible, sometimes after. No tourists, but the weather can get colder by then. If you want to go to the East side of the park, stay at Many Glacier and do a day hike (or two) - Iceberg Lake is always good for starters.
I plan to go to GNP this year. GNP is one of the "must do" stops for my retirement walkabout. I am planning to make my tour in late August, and will be traveling via truck and toyhauler. I was excited to read about the dirt road to Polebridge. I hadn't planned a dirt road ride as part of my GNP tour, but I will now! I rode to the area (Missoula) from Trenton, SC back in 2007 on my Suzuki V-Strom. I took 4 days to get there. If you ride at an Ironbutt pace, there is time to sight see along the way. I rode home in 3 days, but didn't see much along the way. I wrote a short report. http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=273463
We have been to Glacier a couple of times now. I would recommend staying or camping in Whitefish and leaving early the next morning and returning to the camp site that night. It takes one full day to do the loop, head up the front side to the top. Make sure you bring a lunch as there is no restaurant at the top. There is a great fairly easy hike to the hidden lake which is highly recommended. Once you leave the top head down the back side and through the Blackfoot reservation. These roads were freshly paved in 2010 with some great banked corners that still excite me to mention them. I'll post you a pic of the loop... Oh and the road was still being worked on in the beginning of July so I think may would be to early.
