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FF_PM's avatar
FF_PM
Explorer
Jul 05, 2019

Glacier Nat'l Park tips?

Planning a trip to GNP in a couple of weeks. We're flexible on days. What are the "must see's" and "to avoids"? How long is good to take in the park? Open to the interior campgrounds for a few days, or places with hookups for longer than about 3 days (a combination of those is good too).

We have an F350 towing a 31 ft 5er, so size matters.

I appreciate all the advice and tips!
  • Rug wrote:
    The best tip I can give you is. Do not drive going to the sun road.
    Take the Red Bus tour. The top of the cars fold back so you can look straight up. Plus the drivers can give you a lot of information about the road and the park. You will be able to see all of the going to the sun road.

    If you drive going to the sun road the one driving will not get to see much, the traffic is bad and there are a lot of twist and turns, there is not much room in the pull outs you will be watching the other vehicles and not the scenery.


    ^^Yup!

    We just did 5 days there, just on the west side. The east side deserves as much or more! Camping sites in the park require arriving very early or reservations. Very few will take your rig, but we had little trouble in Apgar.
  • Rug's avatar
    Rug
    Explorer II
    The best tip I can give you is. Do not drive going to the sun road.
    Take the Red Bus tour. The top of the cars fold back so you can look straight up. Plus the drivers can give you a lot of information about the road and the park. You will be able to see all of the going to the sun road.

    If you drive going to the sun road the one driving will not get to see much, the traffic is bad and there are a lot of twist and turns, there is not much room in the pull outs you will be watching the other vehicles and not the scenery.
  • We worked there for 5 summers and it's our favorite place. Not as big a YNP but still big. Do you hike. Don't miss doing the going to the son highway several times using the free shuttles(parking areas very crowded) that let you out at multiple places. Get out at Logan Pass and hike even a short ways in either direction; spectacular. The many glacier area is a must but just about any place you can get to, you can't miss. Invest in bear spray if you hike any as we encountered 2 large grizzly minutes from Logan Pass parking lot. No problem but you never know. You could see a lot in 3 days but 5 to 7 would be better. We like Apgar campground in the Park but no hook-ups and some sites are iffy for your rig. Always been able to get in mid-morning.
  • Going to the Sun Road is a must. If you can find a parking spot at Logans Pass, hike some of the high line trail. In my opinion, the Many Glacier area on the east side of the park has some of the best hiking trails. Iceberg Lake and Grinnell Glacier trail just to name a few. Lots of places to stay on the west side, east side your kinda limited by length of your rv inside the park. St. Mary KOA if you need FHU on the east side.
  • If you go to the west side entrance there is a great KOA just a few miles from the west entrance. Going to Sun Road is a must...no TT’s up that road. Your F350 May be a tight fit. You can opt to take a tour bus up. We spent 4 days there and enjoyed it all.
  • We stayed at the St. Mary KOA. Very nice and convenient location. Check out Two Medicine and Many Glacier areas. Also check out the old GN Hotels which are now NP lodges. Going to the Sun road is a must do as well. Check out Izaak Walton hotel on US 2 in Essex and have lunch.
  • While you are waiting for responses do a search on this Forum for `Glacier' and read on. Also do a Google search for `Glacier National Park tourism'.

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