Glacier Nat Park

Mount Rushmore and Little Bighorn are great stops along the way. I live just outside Glacier National Park, and in years with typical snowfall, the snowplowing crews start plowing the 52-mile "Going to the Sun Road" in April and finish around mid to late June. This weekend we are getting hit with another foot of snow and GNP will see 2-3 feet. This year will be above average snowfall, so I wouldn't expect the entire road opened until closer to the 4th of July.

As far as campgrounds, St. Mary Campground inside the east side of the park is very nice. Camping here will allow you to access the east side of the park even with the road closed at Logan Pass on the continental divide. Camping on the west side, the West Glacier KOA is very nice with plenty of amenities. For a cheaper spot inside the park, Apgar Campground is just inside the west entrance and nicely wooded with great bike trails.

Just know that you cannot pull a trailer over the Going to the Sun Road, you must drive around the southern part of the park on Highway 2. However, you can explore lots of the park in a tow vehicle no matter if the summit is cleared of snow or not.

Enjoy your trip!

If you are in the Medora area Theodore Roosevelt National Park is nearby. Well worth a day or two in the park with the ND badlands.

We're also going to Glacier this summer - glad to get all the input folks gave on the campgrounds. We booked the KOA on the east side of the park - one reason was that the Red Bus tour will pick up at right at the campground.

If you are in Glacier before the road opens a special opportunity exists. The road is closed to vehicles, but open to nonmotorized use. You can bicycle the Going to the Sun road without dodging cars and breathing diesel exhaust.

dave54 wrote:
If you are in Glacier before the road opens a special opportunity exists. The road is closed to vehicles, but open to nonmotorized use. You can bicycle the Going to the Sun road without dodging cars and breathing diesel exhaust.

Now that sounds like a good thing!

NYCgrrl wrote:

dave54 wrote:
If you are in Glacier before the road opens a special opportunity exists. The road is closed to vehicles, but open to nonmotorized use. You can bicycle the Going to the Sun road without dodging cars and breathing diesel exhaust.

Now that sounds like a good thing!

Really, the road is 50 miles long and not a smooth flat road, that would be 100 miles round trip on a rough road!

GeoBoy wrote:

NYCgrrl wrote:

dave54 wrote:
If you are in Glacier before the road opens a special opportunity exists. The road is closed to vehicles, but open to nonmotorized use. You can bicycle the Going to the Sun road without dodging cars and breathing diesel exhaust.

Now that sounds like a good thing!

Really, the road is 50 miles long and not a smooth flat road, that would be 100 miles round trip on a rough road!

You don't have to ride the whole thing. Go as far as you want, then turn around. It will be downhill the whole return trip.

You stated you will be visiting Glacier early June. Unfortunately, the Going-to-the-Sun Road probably won't be open that early. Here's the park's web site with lots of good information on the road and also camping and things to do:

https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/gtsrinfo.htm

By the way, if the road is not plowed you won't be biking it. :)

2gypsies wrote:
...
By the way, if the road is not plowed you won't be biking it. :)

It takes several weeks to completely plow and fix the road. It is open to bikes behind the plows. There are periodic gates. As a section is cleared it is opened.

NCWriter wrote:
We're also going to Glacier this summer - glad to get all the input folks gave on the campgrounds. We booked the KOA on the east side of the park - one reason was that the Red Bus tour will pick up at right at the campground.

For anyone traveling with dogs East Glacier KOA has a dog walking service available so that while you are out they will come to your RV and feed and walk your pooch. Lets you take the all day Red Bus tour. We were very pleased with this KOA and the dog walking service is why we picked it. The West Side KOA does not offer this service instead they offer to have your pooch picked up by a local kennel and taken off site for the day.