Located in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, Glacier National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the entire state. With it’s numerous hikes, stunning beaches, and diverse wildlife, families who visit the area are going to get more than their share of outdoor fun! From driving along Going-to-the-Sun Road to going on a rafting excursion down one of the area’s numerous rivers, join ViewCation as we take a look at the best things to do in Glacier National Park, Montana.
Go On a Drive Down Going-to-the-Sun Road
If you’re a visitor to Glacier National Park, Montana, that’s into scenic drives, then paying the small ticket fee to take the drive along Going-to-the-Sun Road can be considered a must. Driving along the road offers some of the lushest sights in the entire area, not to mention the numerous hikes and other activities available on numerous off-shoots.
While driving along Going-to-the-Sun Road can be considered one of the preeminent Glacier National Park activities, the road is sadly only open seasonally. On most occasions, access to the road isn’t allowed until July. This closure occurs for the sake of visitors, as Going-to-the-Sun Road isn’t a road that you’ll want to be driving along when the weather is poor! The road can be fairly harsh.
Even on the nicest of days during the summer, the drive along Going-to-the-Sun Road can be a tad bit stressful for inexperienced drivers. It’s best to take your time while going along the road, which also gives you the opportunity to take in the area’s exuberant heights! While the road is narrow, there are numerous spots along it’s length where drivers can pull off to the side and capture a picture of the view.
While taking the beautiful drive along Going-to-the-Sun Road, you’ll certainly want to take a moment to appreciate the staggering beauty of the Weeping Wall. The Weeping Wall is an area where multiple waterfalls can be seen cascading down an area beside the road. It’s certainly a very cold and wet location, and there’s a good chance that you’ll be seeing little piles of snow in the area during the summer.
At the top of Going-to-the-Sun Road is the Logan Pass Visitor Center. For those looking to stretch their legs after the beautiful drive along Going-to-the-Sun Road, there are numerous hikes near this location that will offer visitors the perfect chance to see Glacier National Park on foot.
Experience Glacier National Park’s Numerous Hikes
There are over 700 miles of trails located within the parameters of Glacier National Park, meaning that visitors would have to stay in the area for a good long while to experience even a fraction of the numerous hikes that the beloved tourist location has to offer. One of the best beginner hikes available to visitors of Glacier National Park is the Trail of the Cedars. Given that the hike isn’t too much of a challenge, it tends to be one of the more popular hikes in the area. Because of this, it might be a bit packed when the weather is good. Still, it’s beautiful sights make it worth it to face the crowds, and the crowds mean that you’ll have a greatly reduced chance of running into any hungry bears!
The Trail of the Cedars includes an incredibly beautiful waterfall along it’s length, and can be hiked by hikers of nearly any skill level. It’s even wheelchair-accessible! For those who are looking for a more challenging hike, there are numerous other choices besides the Trail of the Cedars available to visitors of Glacier National Park.
Avalanche Lake Hike is a slightly more challenging hike than the Trail of the Cedars, but still one that’s appropriate to take your children on. Some of Glacier National Park’s most beautiful hikes can be found near Logan Pass, which is located at the top of the aforementioned Going-to-the-Sun Road. While you’ll have to take the road to get to these hikes, the trip will be well worth it for seasoned hikers.
The best trail available near Logan Pass is arguably the Hidden Lake Trail, which can be known to burn quite a bit of calories with it’s steady incline! If you aren’t used to hiking, you may want to warm up on the aforementioned trails first. If you’re looking for an even more serious challenge while visiting Logan Pass, there’s a trail that can be found right across from the Logan Pass Visitor Center that may be more your speed! This trail is known as the Highline Trail, and it offers one of the more intense hikes that can be had within the confines of Glacier National Park. For those that are up to the challenge of the trail’s rocky terrain, the sights that it offers along the way are incredibly rewarding.
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Visit Whitefish and Walk the City Beach
One of the more unique aspects of Glacier National Park is that it features some pretty impressive beaches. In fact, there are many who feel that the beaches offered at Glacier National Park are comparable to the beaches offered on the coasts! However, visitors will have to be prepared to face waters that are much colder than the waters found on the coasts, as well as some slightly courser sand.
The nicest beach available to visitors of Glacier National Park is arguably the Whitefish City Beach, which is located within the resort town of Whitefish. Visiting Whitefish can take up a full day, as not only can visitors spend plenty of time on the City Beach, but they’ll also want to take some time to peruse the resort town itself. Whitefish is filled with places to eat and souvenirs to buy, with it being the most popular town in the area of Glacier National Park.
As far as the Whitefish City Beach itself, there is plenty to do at this beautiful beach for visitors to the area. The beach is completely public, meaning that you aren’t going to have to pay an arm and a leg to get in. However, that also means that the beach can be fairly crowded, particularly when the weather’s nice! Visitors to the beach can swim, go out in the water on a kayak, or simply play in the sand. Of course, there’s also a concession stand for hungry beach-goers.
Once you’ve had your share of the beach, checking out the town of Whitefish itself should once again be considered a must. One of the best locations to visit within the notable resort town is the Whitefish Lake Restaurant, while those looking for souvenirs can check out Whitefish Gift & Gear.
Visit the Whitefish Mountain Resort
If you’ve got more than a day to kill in the Whitefish area, you may want to check out the Whitefish Mountain Resort. Families looking for a variety of fun activities will find plenty to do at this resort location, which functions as a ski resort during the winter months but still has plenty of awesome family activities to partake in during the rest of the year.
Some of the many family-friendly activities that visitors can partake in while visiting the Whitefish Mountain Resort include an elaborate rope course, a massive incline slide, zip lining, and a gondola. Taking a ride on the gondola will bring visitors to a little nature museum where they can pick their own fresh huckleberries! This is a great activity for kids.
Take a Rafting Excursion
The reason that there are so many beautiful beaches at Glacier National Park is because the area has so much water! There are numerous rivers running through Glacier National Park, and taking a rafting excursion down one of these rivers may be a good idea for adventurous visitors. While rafting excursions can be pretty crazy in terms of both the volatility of the rapids and the length of the trip, there are differing packages available, some of which may be appropriate for little ones. While the majority of rafting excursions are going to be pretty intense, there are some scenic options offered for families. These scenic trips will even stop off at calm areas along the water to allow rafters to get out of the raft and swim, though keep in mind that the water is going to be incredibly cold at most times of the year.
Check Out the Wildlife
Glacier National Park is home to some fairly diverse wildlife, with some of the most notable animals you’ll be liable to run into while visiting the area including bears, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and moose. Of those animals, visitors may want to pay some mind to the bears. Visitors to Glacier National Park are advised to carry around some bear spray with them at all times. For those that don’t know, bear spray is simply a very high-grade form of mace designed for bears.
While seeing a bear from a distance can be a beautiful thing, you won’t want to get too up close and personal with one! Thankfully, the majority of tourist locations within Glacier National Park are crowded enough that bear attacks are rarely an issue. Besides bears, visitors to Glacier National Park should also keep an eye out for bighorn sheep and mountain goats. Though these animals are a good deal less scary to run into, you still won’t want to get too close!
There’s no guarantee that you’ll be seeing any of the aforementioned animals during your trip to Glacier National Park, but it’s likely! Besides bears, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats, there’s also a chance you’ll spot a moose.
With it’s staggering mountains and beautiful beaches, Glacier National Park remains one of the preeminent tourist locations in all of Montana for lovers of the outdoors. Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that there’s a good chance you’ll see a bear when visiting Glacier National Park, and that the area contains some of the most beautiful beaches in all of Montana? As always, like this video to show your support, and subscribe and hit the notification bell if you’d like to be among the first to know when more informative ViewCation videos are on their way!