After years of wanting to go, we finally jumped and decided to visit Glacier National Park this summer. Glacier is a large park that is very spread out. You also currently need individual permits for each section of the park. You can secure these permits several months in advance or the day before. We didn’t find much difficulty in getting permits for the areas that we wanted but have heard that other people have had a harder experience.
Day 1:
We arrived at our campground in Columbia Falls (about 30 minutes from the Apgar Visitor Center) in the late afternoon. We decided to go into the park and check out Lake McDonald. Even later in the day there was very limited parking options and we did a couple laps before snagging a spot. The lake is BEAUTIFUL and was such a fun place for kids to play. The cold water didn’t keep Beauden out of the water at all. We also snagged some ice cream right by the lake at a place called Eddy’s. So yummy. They are known for huckleberry, but my chocolate shake was perfect.
Day 2:
We got to the entrance around 8:30 and only had to wait a few minutes for our permits to get checked and into the park. We were taking on Going to the Sun Road and were so stoked. It is an iconic drive that is full of stunning views. There are many pull outs along the way to take in the view. The top of the road is known as Logan Pass and parking is generally full in the morning. After making a couple short stops we arrived at St. Mary Lake for lunch. We ended up lucking out and getting on a boat tour after eating and hanging out at the lake.
1000% recommend the boat tour. It was really informative and you got great views. You also stop on the shore of the lake for a short hike to Baring Falls before returning back to the dock.
After our boat tour we drove back up to Logan Pass to do the Hidden Lake Overlook Hike. The hike is around 3 miles round trip and is known for spotting mountain goats and big horn sheep.
Even though the hike is relatively short, you are going uphill-up stairs- a lot of the time. My three year old hiked nearly the entire thing on his own, so it isn’t too strenuous. The views are stunning and we were able to see goats, sheep, and squirrels.
Day 3
We decided to head to the North Fork section of the park, which is generally a lot less busy. Part of the reason is because you will mostly be on bumpy (sometimes very) dirt roads for most of the day.
The first stop we made was actually outside of the park, but one that you don’t wanna miss- POLEBRIDGE MERCANTILE. In the tiny town of Polebridge there is a store with some famous pastries. They are well known for their Huckleberry Bearclaw, however, our favorite was the sticky bun. Everything here was delicious. Don’t miss it!
After entering the park we headed straight for Bowman Lake. Just an FYI, if you’re bringing any sort of watercraft you’ll need to stop at the entrance to have them inspected and be given a permit for it. The road to Bowman Lake is fairly narrow and has some very bumpy sections, however really any car should be able to make it just fine.
We spent all day at the lake paddleboarding, watching a wildfire be put out via helicopter, and having a deer walk within a few feet of us. It’s a great way to break up days of hiking in the park.
On our way home, we stopped at Home Ranch Bottoms for some smash burgers and fries. Yumm. They also have homemade pie and icecream!
We did find that if you want to avoid some of the dirt road, there is a road that is inside the park that runs from West Glacier nearly to Polebridge. A much better option if you’re looking to avoid a gravel road.
Day 4
Our fourth day we headed to another area of the park- Two Medicine. We were hoping to get on a boat tour and hike to either Upper Two Medicine or Twin Falls, however they were sold out and we didn’t plan well enough ahead to ensure a spot on a boat!
Instead, we did the hike to Aster Falls which was great! The trail was posted for bear frequenting, but we didn’t end up seeing the bear. The trail winds you through the woods and is 2.6 miles roundtrip. There were huckleberries lining the trail which was a great motivator to keep the toddler going. The waterfall is a great little place to hang out and have a snack before heading back.
If you wanna add on a little extra distance you can take a detour to Paradise Point which will add on about .4 miles each way. My husband did it and it takes you to a little beach on the lake.
After your hike don’t miss out on the soft serve ice cream in the store! They are known for huckleberry flavor, but we had blackberry. My husband said he would drive back just for the ice cream. Plus it’s only $3.50 for a large cup.
We drove back to our lodging in Columbia Falls and then decided to do another evening hike in the park. We went and walked Trail of the Cedars. At about a mile long its a quick one and weaves you through big trees and across a blue creek that is so so pretty. We even got to watch a guy fly fishing and catch several fish. The highlight for the toddler.
Day 5
We were unable to do our plans for day 5- my water broke in the night and I was stuck in the hospital where I’m still at a week later writing this blog post. BUT I’ll tell you my plans because I was really really excited about it.
Our last day was gonna be spent in the Many Glacier section of the park. We had booked boat tour reservations in advance, mostly to cut off 4 miles of the hike we were planning on.
Our plan was to hike to Grinnell Lake which is 3 miles roundtrip. I debated trying for Grinnell Glacier which would have been around 7 miles roundtrip with the boat shuttle. If we had gotten an earlier boat time, we might have tried for it! But Grinnell Lake looks gorgeous too!
I’ve also heard that the Many Glacier hotel has some great food and they also have the famous $3.50 soft serve as well!
A couple other trails that I’ve heard are great for kids that we didn’t have time for: Avalanche Lake and St. Mary Falls!