Glacier National Park (Road Trip USA)
Last edit: August 17 2024 • 375 view
I’ve wanted to do Glacier National Park road trip for a long time, but never had the chance. The last time I was at Yellowstone in 2010, I didn’t want to drive north for 8 hours since I had plans to visit Arches and Zion in Utah, so I skipped it. But this time, I finally made it!
To reach Apgar visitor center, which is the southern entrance of the park, took 8 hours from Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone.
Village Inn at Apgar
There I stayed at a place called Village Inn at Apgar, which doesn’t have many reviews, but it’s amazing. I highly recommend it. If reservation system does not show any rooms available, try again the next day. People do cancel, that’s how I was able to reserve the room. All the rooms, by the way, have views of the McDonald lake. I stayed in a first-floor room with a kitchen.
This is the view from our room, amazing, right?
The lake is crystal clear and not too cold. I even went for a night swim, which was very pleasant. I usually don’t like swimming in lakes or rivers, but this one was so clear, it was an enjoyable experience.
Before checking out the next morning at 11 a.m., I rented a kayak just a minute’s walk from the beach. The pictures I took were stunning. The rental place opens at 9 a.m., so I had a full hour to enjoy the breathtaking views and beautiful water.
Going-to-the-Sun Road
My plan for Day 2 of Glacier National Park road trip was to drive along “Going-to-the-Sun Road” from Apgar Village to Many Glacier Hotel, where I had booked two nights. Along the way, I planned to stop and check out some picturesque spots.
However, I was unpleasantly surprised to find out that you need to make a car reservation to be able to drive on that road from Apgar Visitor Center between 6 AM and 3 PM! What?!
IMPORTANT TIP. Here’s how it works: Tickets for road access are released every year on April 20th at 8 AM local mountain time. If you didn’t book one then, you can try every day at 7 PM local time to reserve an additional spot. The price is just $2. Go here to access the ticket system.
So, I had to drive around the park to enter “Going-to-the-Sun Road” from St.Mary, the west side, where you can enter anytime. No idea who came up with that rule!
Anyway, after driving for 2 hours, I entered the park on the West side and headed east along the road. The drive was incredible, with beautiful scenery, narrow roads, and tunnels. It was an amazing experience overall. I definitely wasted an extra 3 hours that a reservation could have saved me, but don’t miss this scenic route — it’s absolutely breathtaking. The views alone were jaw-dropping. We didn’t have time for hikes, but people were raving about Logan Pass (where you can see mountain sheep) and Avalanche Lake.
After the drive, I exited the park at St. Mary again and re-entered from the Babb entrance. A heads-up: there’s a 2-mile stretch with no asphalt, and the road is rough, but manageable. Again, to enter this road before 3 PM, you need a reservation (!!!). Luckily, I was entering after 3pm. lol.
Many Glacier Hotel
Many Glacier Hotel is a historic gem nestled in the heart of Glacier National Park, offering stunning views of Swiftcurrent Lake and the surrounding mountains. Built in 1915, this Swiss chalet-style hotel exudes rustic charm and provides a cozy retreat for nature lovers. With its picturesque setting, traditional wood interiors, and a sense of timelessness, Many Glacier Hotel is an ideal base for exploring the park’s breathtaking beauty. It is also the only option inside the park )
Many Glacier Hotel features two restaurants that don’t require reservations. The quality of the food is decent, and considering the remote location, it’s a blessing to have the option of a great dinner.
Parking at Many Glacier Hotel though is a nightmare. There’s only one parking lot for both hikers and hotel guests — first come, first served. It took me a good 30 minutes to find a spot.
There are lots of hikes originating from the hotel. I did two in two days. On the first day, we hiked to Grinnell Lake. It wasn’t bad at all, took us around 3 hours round trip and the lake is beautiful. It is very, very cold though.
IMPORTANT TIP. You can cut 4 miles off the round trip if you book a boat ride across both lakes. But, as you might guess, you need reservations for the boat, and all seats were sold out well in advance. If you’re planning to visit and know your dates, start hunting for boat reservations. It’s $40 round trip per person, $20 for kids. It saves 2 hours of hiking, so definitely worth the money.
The next day, we tackled the Grinnell Glacier Lake hike. It’s tough. The total distance is 5.8 miles from the hotel one way, and it ended up being 14 miles round trip for us. The hike has a 1,500-foot elevation gain, a few narrow mountain passes, some waterfalls, and chipmunks along the way. In short, it’s a stunning hike, and the reward at the top is incredible. Seeing a lake with floating icebergs — wow. I tried swimming in it, but it was so cold I got cramps in my leg. We spent almost 2 hours there picnicking and taking photos/videos. An amazing place. Our timing was perfect; we started at 10:20 AM and got back at 6:05 PM.
While hiking the trail, you can see Grinnell Lake below — it’s a stunning view. The water is a brilliant turquoise blue, an amazing color. If I hadn’t seen it in person, I’d think the photo was photoshopped.
I also heard the Iceberg Lake hike is fantastic, but it was closed due to bear activity while I was there.
Summary
Prepare before coming. Glacier National Park road trip is amazing, but make sure you get a reservation for your car to make your experience smoother. Stay at the resorts inside the park — they’re great, but it took me a week to book something during summertime. If no rooms are available, keep checking back, as I saw many rooms become available as people cancel their reservations (usually 5 days prior to arrival).
I did a lot of driving to get to the park from Yellowstone and back to Jackson, WY—totaling 17 hours. But it was worth every minute of driving and every cent spent on hotels and food.
The ideal itinerary would be one night at Apgar Inn, one night at Lake McDonald, and two or three nights at Many Glacier. Search for hotel reservations here.
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