If the summer heat quite literally has you beat, then it might be time to take a load off in the great glacier wilderness with this detailed itinerary from Practical Wanderlust for making the most out of Montana’s Glacier National Park.
Within the Rocky Mountains of the state of Montana and covering the over 1,500- square mile wilderness expanse up until the Canadian border is Glacier National Park with its sweeping valleys, ice-capped mountain peaks, and waterfalls emerging from aquamarine lakes. It’s a truly magical place within the Northern United States that every person should seek out at one point of another.
Though with local regulations, travel restrictions, and COVID-19 surges, it is always suggested that you properly research all local guidelines and CDC recommendations in order to keep you and those you care about as safe and responsible as possible.
Practical Wanderlust is a nationally-renowned travel blog from Lia and Jeremy that has been featured in CNN, Forbes,Travel + Leisure, Buzzfeed, VICE, and The Washington Post. The couple has prepared a longer, 10-day Montana road trip in which this two-day Glacier National Park trip was originally featured in. Ideally, this little outing would make for a breathtaking two-day weekend getaway as long as you have your heart set on prepared adventure.
Beginning their itinerary is the ethical note that like most United States National Parks, Glacier National Park was originally inhabited and maintained by Indigenous peoples, and Glacier was originally given to the Blackfeet tribe as part of their original reservation. With this history and efforts to educate, traverse, and make right in mind, the itinerary continues to offer many suggestions for the optimal national park experience.
One such tip is to not “geotag” or share your exact location within the park on social media so as to keep the delicate beauty of the park alive. Additionally, if you ever come into contact with the various animals within the park, be sure to give them ample space. The general rule of thumb applied in these situations is to keep approximately 25 yards (1 school bus length) away from non-aggressive animals and 100 yards from large or potentially aggressive animals.
Whenever traversing Glacier National Park, be sure to follow the ethos of “Leave No Trace,” which is a conscious effort to not leave anything behind when visiting a park; this includes unnatural items such as waste and garbage as well as items that are natural or compostable. Also, they suggest that instead of booking a rental car, consider taking advantage of Glacier National Park’s fleet of shuttles operating along “Going-to-the-Sun Road” that is free to ride.
Since the Glacier National Park scene is more for each individual visitor to experience, this itinerary is mostly aimed at making sure your park experience is as genuine as possible. One of the ways that this can happen is by ensuring that you’re staying somewhere nearby (if you’re not camping within the park). The town of Whitefish, Montana is ideal for this since it’s only a 45 minute drive from the park’s Western Gate. If staying in Whitefish, it’s suggested that you check out the Pine Lodge which is located off of the Whitefish River and only a 3-minute drive from the downtown area with its collection of boutique and specialty shops. This area is perfect for winding down after a long day within the park grounds. Though, you could always book an extravagant stay at one of Glacier National Park’s historic hotels such as the Many Glacier Hotel.
Completely surround yourself with the beauty and majesty of nature and its many surprises when visiting Glacier National Park thanks to Practical Wanderlust’s well-meaning itinerary.
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