Glacier National Park is located in northern Montana and is absolutely stunning. From mountain views to glaciers to lakes and everything in between, there’s a reason why it’s known as the “Crown of the Continent”.
Whether you plan to get out on one of the numerous miles of hiking trails or want to take in all of the views along the famous Going to the Sun Road, there is something for everyone at Glacier National Park.
This travel guide will help you start planning your perfect trip to Glacier National Park
Best Things to Do
The 23 Best Stops on Going to the Sun Road
No visit to Glacier National Park would be complete without driving Going to the Sun Road. This iconic road traverses the width of the park through some of the most incredible scenery. Learn all about the best stops so you don’t miss any.
How to Enjoy Glacier National Park Without Hiking
While there are loads of awesome hikes at Glacier National Park, not everyone can or wants to spend all their time hiking. This guide goes over how to enjoy the park even you don’t like hiking.
Itineraries
One Day East Glacier Itinerary – Many Glacier, St. Mary, & Two Medicine
With just one day, you can explore three unique areas of Glacier National Park. Take a hike at Many Glacier, cruise St. Mary Lake, and visit a waterfall at Two Medicine.
The Ultimate 5 Day Montana & Glacier National Park Itinerary
On this five day itinerary, you’ll spend most it exploring Glacier National Park, but you’ll also get a little time to go beyond the park and see other parts of the great state of Montana.
Budget Tips
5 Expert Glacier National Park Budget Tips
Traveling through US national parks can be expensive and Glacier National Park is no exception. In this guide, here’s my best tips to make your trip to Glacier more affordable.
When to Visit Glacier National Park
While you technically could visit Glacier National Park all year round, you should really focus your visit during the summer months. Going to the Sun Road is only open from late May through early October (exact dates vary year to year based on the weather). To have the best experience, plan your visit for the summer months. Otherwise, you’ll miss out on some of the best experiences at Glacier National Park.
I visited in mid July and while it was incredibly hot with temperatures reaching nearly 100 degrees near our hotel, up in the mountains of Glacier it was a very pleasant 80 degrees. However, I hiked the Hidden Lake Overlook Trail from the Logan Visitor Center and there were still a few patches of snow (yes, even in July with temperatures of over 80 degrees). My only complaint with the weather was we had some haze from wildfire smoke so my pictures weren’t as clear as they could have been. Even with that, I’d still recommend traveling this time of year.
Where to Stay at Glacier National Park
There are numerous hotel options near Glacier National Park and it really depends on your itinerary where you stay.
Many people will recommend staying in the town of Kalispell, which is outside the western entrance of Glacier National Park. While you will find plenty of hotel options, these hotels can be pricey (like over $300 per night). For this particular one day itinerary, Kalispell doesn’t make the most sense as you’ll have a 2-3 hour drive each way to the start and end of this itinerary.
There are a handful of lodges in and near the park, but these are expensive and fill up fast. However, they offer some incredible views and easy access to Glacier National Park. For this itinerary, I’d look at staying either at the Many Glacier Hotel or in St. Mary Village if you want to stay in the park and minimize driving.
For a budget option, you could stay in the town of Cut Bank. This is a 60 to 90 minute drive from the eastern entrances of the park (driving time varies by which entrance you use). Hotels are very limited here, but I was able to spend two nights in a Super 8 motel for less than the cost of one night in Kalispell. Yes it added more driving, but the cost savings was so worth it.
More US National Parks
Glacier National Park is just one of 63 national parks across the United States. Learn more about these parks and start planning your perfect trip with my US National Parks Travel Guide.