Planning a trip from 8/28-28th. We land inSpokane on Friday am and need to be back to Cour d'Arlene by Tuesday evening 8/28. Would like to go to GNP during that time. Not set on whete to stsy or whete to go but looking for suggestions on nest routes and locations to visit in that time frame.
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Doug K
Spokane, Washington
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for Glacier National Park, Spokane
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1. Re: Glacier NP
4 years ago
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You have time to hit glacier that day. Fastest routs is to jump on interstate 90 to st. regis, MT, then north to plains, hot spring, elmo and into kalispel and Columbia falls, then in to Glacier. Key is lodging. Get first night in West Glacier or Columbia Falls. You are in high season, so lodging challenging and traffic high in the park. Definitely hit going to the sun for a day. over and back. If you van get a night around St. Mary-Babb for 2nd night, grab it and then spend a day in Many Glacier. Then Monday drive the soute around the bottom of the park (east Glacier) and two medicine. Then back to C d'A Tuesday morning.
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scott c
Venice, Italy
2. Re: Glacier NP
4 years ago
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Thank so much. Very helpful!
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MaryEllenM27
Kalispell, Montana
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for Glacier National Park, Santa Fe, Sedona
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3. Re: Glacier NP
4 years ago
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I assume you arrive on the 24th and leave on the 28th. It was not clear on your initial post. There are 2 scenic routes betweenSpokane and Glacier and the circle tour below will take you along both of them. One on the way into Glacier and the other on the way back out. Mileage and time to drive is about the same. You have a LOT of daylight hours up here in August.
AUGUST 24th...arrive Spokane early and end up on the west side of Glacier for a night....280 miles. Stay in West Glacier, Apgar or in one of the nearby bedroom communities.
The route you take to get to West Glacier from Spokane airport is exceptionally pretty and scenic, even though part of the drive is freeway. You take the I-90 heading east. Take the #33 exit at St Regis...a nice fuel, snack stop if needed.
From there you will be taking the 135 and 200 along the river toward Plains. Then cross over through the mountain valleys on the #28 until you reach the Flathead Lake at Elmo. Head north from there on the #93 all the way to Whitefish and then east to West Glacier from there on the #40 and #2.
Along the lake you will come to Lakeside and if its time for a break, you can stop at the Tamarack Brewery and Grill there before heading on north. Once in the park, choose from the following list. Enjoy sunset overlooking Lake McDonald from the toe of the lake at Apgar boat dock or picnic area.
Basic attractions on the west for a very short 1/2 day visit, **you will have to choose according to your own tastes:
1...River Rafting and float trips on the river are only available from West Glacier. /… /…
2...Touring the Lake McDonald valley's turnouts, the Lodge area and finally at Avalanche, taking the Trail of the Cedars/Avalanche Laketrail. /…hikinglakemcdonald.htm
3...You can rent canoes, kayaks and boats from Apgar.
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AUGUST 25th and 26th...stay on the East side for two nights...preferably in ST MARY/RISING SUN. It is centrally located and better located for a short visit than the more remote Many Glacier or East Glacier Park village which is too far outside the park to the south of the east side. You can still visit MG the second day. And drive through Two Medicine/East Glacier park the day you leave and head back toward Spokane.
The 25th you traverse the GTTSR and it can be totally used up by the overlooks and famous hikes along that route. For example, at Logan Summit the Hidden Lake Overlook and the top part of the famous Highline Trail to Haystack or Grinnell Glacier overlook and back if you are very fit. The Highline can take a good chunk of the day. It is really a better hike if you make it an in-and-out- from Logan Summit and back. The bottom 4 miles of that trail near the Loop end is really quite a slog and IMO boring. The in-and-out is prettier and looks different in each direction and at different times of day...which it will be. You also then do not have to worry about the shuttle schedule and parking issue. Just arrive at Logan Summit early the day if you plan to hike the Highline and/or the Hidden Lake Overlook. /…hikingstmary.htm
On the east side descent, you can take a walk up the creek at Siyeh Bend, a short walk up Sunrift Gorge or a hike to St Mary and Virginia Falls. Stop at the Wild Goose Island overlook as you near the far end of St Mary Lake.
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On the 26th drive up to Many Glacier Valley. The highlight can be the two-lake boat tour/ranger led hike to Grinnell Glacier (steep and strenuous) or Grinnell Lake (easier and mostly flat, still pretty)...or independent hiking according to your ability. An evening must-do walk is to Fishercap Lake to see the resident Moose...plural. /…hikingmanyglacier.htm
//glacierparkboats.com/tour/many-glacier/ You can also rent kayaks and canoes there.
Two choices for a meal...The Cattle Baron in Babb or Two Sisters between MG and SM. You can also eat at the Lodge or at Nell's at Swiftcurrent motorlodge area. //www.facebook.com/CattleBaronSupperClub/ //www.twosistersofmontana.com
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AUGUST 27th...end up in Whitefish or Libby for the night. Whitefish is more interesting, Libby is closer for your interesting drive to Coeur d'Alene the next day.
Early in the morning take thee 89/49 down to Two Medicine Lake (a short side drive off of it) for hiking/boat tours or simply fabulous scenery and photos. TM is the second gem of the east side. /…hikingtwomedicine.htm
//glacierparkboats.com/tour/two-medicine/
/…
Even without hiking, the 89/49 is a spectacular drive. You travel a winding road with the high Mountains on the west and the vast Great Plains out to the east of you. You will most likely encounter some free-ranging cattle on the road.
After Two Medicine drive down to East Glacier Park village and catch the #2 route back to the West side and over to Whitefish or Libby.
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AUGUST 27TH...end up in Coeur d'Alene for the night. You will be using the scenic #2 all the way. It is completely different from the route you took heading to Glacier. Along the #2 route after Libby, you will come to Kootenay Falls hike and overlook. That is where some of the scenes from The Revenant and other movies have been filmed. //rvtravels.net/kootenai-falls-libby-montana/ kootenaicountrymontana.com/movies-filmed-in-…
If you have time, there is an interesting alternate route and short side drive from a turn off just before getting to Troy...head south on the #35 and visit the Giant Ross Creek Cedars. If you do that you can continue on to Sandpoint using the #35 and #200 into Sandpoint. Sandpoint is a very nice stop for lunch or coffee. Either route is pretty. The Ross Cedars route is IMO a little prettier and more engaging than going up through Bonner's Ferry. But you cannot make a bad choice. //www.visitmt.com/listings/general/national-forest-picnic-ground/ross-creek-cedar-grove-scenic-area.html
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AUGUST 28th flight home from Spokane.
You may have questions, please ask. You will have to get park reservations in place and at this late date may have to wait for cancellations.
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MaryEllenM27
Kalispell, Montana
Destination Expert
for Glacier National Park, Santa Fe, Sedona
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4. Re: Glacier NP
4 years ago
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You do need to book rooms as soon as you settle on the itinerary because rooms book up a year in advance. Don't panic though if they show booked already...you have some time to wait for cancellations where you want them on the dates you need them. Its easier to book a night at a time than trying to find a block of nights....you'll eventually fill them in but you do need to keep at it for a while.
Just a hint...When people get connected to on-line booking, whether its a park-run hotel or independent, they grab what ever comes up and sometimes double and triple book reservations in multiple places. They later calm down and cancel those reservations which actually do not fit their schedule. Its not right and unfair really...but it happens all the time.
Cancellation policies are very lenient up here...which actually causes the over-booking in the first place. Those same cancellations policies are nice if you do legitimately need to cancel your own plans later. Please take note of cancellation policies at independent hotels/motels/cabins/VRBOs as those can be more strict.
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The following is a fairly long list of accommodations which may help you obtain reservations in the various places in and near Glacier. Book according to your itinerary to avoid un-necessary backtracking.
WEST SIDE OF GLACIER :
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INSIDE the park: InApgar = *Village Inn in Apgar has the best views, all rooms face the lake right on the beach! There is also the Motel Lake McDonald, or the Apgar Village Lodge and cabins right in Apgar.
Also Lake McDonald lodge, its cabins & motel located 9 miles north of Apgar along the east side of the lake.
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In and near WEST GLACIER village or JUST OUTSIDE the park: West Glacier Motel, Vista Motel, Glacier Guides Lodge, Glacier Highlands and the Historic Belton Chalet. The Great Northern Resort and rafting, SilverWolf deluxe log chalets, Great Bear Inn. Mountain Cleft Wilderness Retreat, a VRBO home. Glacier Outdoor Center cabins and rafting. Cabins at the KOA campground. San-Suz-Ed campground and 8 B&B rooms.
10 miles east of the west gate on the #2, Glacier Wilderness Resort. Its just as close as other bedroom villages but is more remote.
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In and around CORUM and HUNGRY HORSE, 9 MILES AWAY from the west gate: Mini Golden Motel, the historic Tamarack Lodge, Lake Five Resort, Evergreen Motel, Crooked Tree, Glacier B&B and Log Cabins. Hungry Horse Motel. Glacier Park Inn B&B. Glacier's Mountain Resort cabins. Abbott Valley Homestead cabins.
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CORE OF THE EAST SIDE of GNP where most of the hiking and most beautiful scenery is located.
At RISING SUN, an IN-PARK motorlodge and rustic cabins just inside the East Gate.
In ST.MARY just BARELY OUTSIDE the East Gate: St. Mary Lodge complex, its Great Bear annex (the only one with TV, AC and fairly good WiFi), new cabins, two basic 50's style motels and now some very very small "tiny houses". Also Glacier Trailhead Cabins, The Cottages at Glacier, Johnson’s and the new cabins at the KOA. It may not be inside the park boundary...but it may as well be, it abuts it.
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In MANY GLACIER VALLEY inside the park: Many Glacier Lodge and the Swiftcurrent motel and rustic cabins. If stunning room views matter to you, at the lodge, choose a Lakeside Balcony room.
If you are not AVID hikers, MG can be a bit remote from other east-side attractions and can get more boring because its also not huge. The 14 miles from Babb to MG is also very rough and rutted...something that some visitors would not want to drive 2x/day to visit other areas from there.
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In BABB, 15 miles east of Many Glacier Valley: Thronson's, a basic but clean, recently upgraded older motel. 4 miles north of Babb Is Paul Ranch Montana with its alpacas. Also in the Babb area, the Park Cabins
East of Babb about 5 miles is Duck Lake. Duck Lake Lodge, Stone House, Duck Lake cabin.
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Lodging in and near WHITEFISH, a unique and fun resort town...35 miles away from western gate of Glacier NP.
The Lodge on Whitefish Lake for a splurge...the only hotel on the lake. Grouse Mountain Lodge, New Hampton Inn & Suites, Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge, Chalet Motel, Big Mountain Lodge in town, Cheap Sleep Motel, Pine Lodge, The new Firebrand Hotel, The Garden Wall Inn B&B, Bailey's Bed and Bale, Duck Inn B&B, The Hidden Moose Lodge, Whitefish Downtown Suites, and the Haymoon Ranch for seclusion and larger groups. Good Medicine Lodge B&B. Also the great Whitefish Bike retreat. Whitefish TLC B&B for adults. Coming soon...a new Marriott.