Best time of year for Glacier

[Odessa_Grandma]

Trip planning for next year. What is the best time of year for driving in Glacier National Park. Also, with no camper, we are looking for lodging in that area. We will only get to see it from our car since DH health doesn't permit any hiking. Can someone give us tips on lodging and the best routes to see the park by car. Thanks so much!!!

[Odessa_Grandma]

Thanks. I will be calling them soon to reserve for next August!

[EsoxLucius]

Odessa Grandma wrote:
And can we still take the tour bus from East Glacier if we stayed at the Brown House? That looks
Great!

Tour bus can be boarded less than a half a mile away at Glacier Park Lodge.

[elmorc]

We went mid Sept. last year and I wished we had been 2 weeks earlier we enjoyed the 2 boat trips we took but the others had closed after Labor Day, if you can't hike the boat trips are great and very reasonable. We were at St. Marys for 7 days and went to Waterton for 2 of those days. You will need a pass port if you go to Waterton, if you want to come back to the USA. We drove all the roads on the East side and about half on the West side. If I was in a car I would spend about 4 days at St Marys and Waterton then drive over to the West side 1 day drive and stay for 2- 3 days, my opinion

[sweetnoni]

As I remember, Village Inn on Lake mcDonald was an okay place to stay.
But it has been 25 years since I've been there. It was small apartments that allowed you to cook and had a bath and bedroom . We went in early June and they just opened up GTTSR. That varies with the snow fall for the winter.

[Odessa_Grandma]

And can we still take the tour bus from East Glacier if we stayed at the Brown House? That looks
Great!

[EsoxLucius]

The Brown House in East Glacier is a great place to stay. End of June just before the Fourth of July or early July just after.

[Lauren]

Good question. We have passports but have never had to show them coming back - especially if just a day trip. They just ask if we are citizens and all. Being nice and polite and now trying to hide anything goes a long way.

[Odessa_Grandma]

I'm thinking Lake McDonald Lodge.... Expensive, but sounds worth it for a couple of nights! Do we have to have passports to go to the other park there?

[Texas_Roadrunn1]

X2 for Lake McDonald Lodge. We were there July 25 one year and they were celebrating "Christmas in July". The Lodge was beautifully decorated and it really did seem like Christmas. We were in our RV so can't say much about the accommodations, but the common areas were very nice and the view is stupendous!

[jgrimes]

If you're interested, today's Daily Interlake newspaper in Kalispell, featured an article on haunted lodges in the area, especially at Belton Chalet. Pretty interesting. Check it out online.

[cindik]

For next year, I would check out the park lodgings on glacierinc.com. I am going to Glacier in august to visit my son, who is working there. I am staying at Grouse Mountain Lodge, which looks to be nice, but not in the park.We have reserved the red bus tour for the going over the sun road, and son has booked us a tour to their sister park, waterton. If I would have had more time to make reservations, I would have definitely stayed at Lake McDonald Lodge.

[Lauren]

For my photo work I truly love Spring best unless Fall colors are there. But Spring is so variable it is tough to schedule a trip - which is why I said September. I understand the commercial tours are great but we prefer to drive ourselves (anyplace we go) as then we are on OUR time and not their time. But, no matter how you do it, Glacier is fantastic and one of our favorite places - been there 4 times I think.

Elevation is not severe in Glacier - think the highest you get on GTTS Road is about 6650 feet or so; but it should be taken into consideration for those with health concerns.

Also, one should check with their website on GTTS Road and they always seem to be doing some construction someplace!

Enjoy!

[yrusoslo]

I recommend The Belton Chalet in West Glacier. If you like 1930's lodging, no phones, no tv in room, great food ,etc.,but a awesome rustic lodge. But you would need to check it out soon for next year's booking. It's worth it. check them out on the internet. P.S. early Sept.

[Dick_B]

If you can't hike then take a bus tour. They know what are the best sights. There are two tours; the Red bus and the Indian run tour. We took the latter which had air-conditioned buses.