I'm in Havre, MT for work this week and I have 1 extra day (this Saturday) before I head home. I'm going to stay in Cut Bank Friday night and get up early Saturday and drive to the park....but I just have 1 day.

For those of you that have been there before, what would you recommend I try to see in just 1 day? I know its kind of ridiculous to expect to see much in 1 day, so I wanted to make sure I make the most of it. Thanks!

Hit the Two Medicine are early in the morning. Then head up and do the Going to the Sun Road. You could try hitting up the Many Glacier are too, but then you might be pushing it a bit. Lucky you, soak in what you can.

The easiest way to see the Park is traveling the Going to the Sun Road that cuts right through the park. It can easily be done in a day, with taking time to get out the car to enjoy things like this steps from the road.


If you pull over at the Park HQs (I think it's toward the midway point) and take the Hidden Lake hike. It's not that long and you'll get to see this.


Enjoy...the place is really cool. We took our time and saw as much as we could in one day and took as many pictures as was possible. But one day will give you a decent feel for the park.

[This message has been edited by FlyFisher99 (edited 7/31/2008 9:04p).]

And if you walk the hidden lake trail to the bottom you can see this...



[This message has been edited by HalifaxAg (edited 7/31/2008 9:37p).]

A bit more Going to the Sun Road love.


Shot this one about 3 minutes before I got engaged (Logan Pass---Start of Hidden Lake Trail still under snow)

HalifaxAg - You're much more of a man than I am for walking down there. Though I had my wife with me so I think I'll use that as my excuse for not going. Man...that is a long ways down there.

Dang That really ups the fever.... 9/15 I'll be about 70 miles or so south in the Rockies for about 30 days. I can hardly wait.

Any part of Glacier you have time to see will impress you. Though its hard to do it justice in a day.

Love that shot of wild goose island. I love Glacier but your going to want to go back I promise.
There is a book out about driving to the sun road. It will tell you to set your mileage @ Agpar and will then tell you when to pull over and get a photo or take a little hike, and on to the next mileage marker and so on. You can do this in one day easy which would include a nice hike ,you pick the spot that lures you in!
Two Medicine is pretty and it just keeps staying beautiful as you slice thru the park. You will love this journey and take a camera or you will be sorry!I also loved Many Glacier area. We had some nice hiking there and lots of wildlife. Enjoy!

AustinAg is right, I'm already getting the urge to go back.
To add a bit more to cowboy's fever.

An easy walk from the Two Medicine road.



This was shot at 2:30 in the afternoon in early June (2006), so it got pretty cold pretty fast

i went there when I was 14 and have been itching to go back ever since.

In my opinion, this is the prettiest park in the U.S. (although part of it is in canada). It truly does not get any better than Glacier/Waterton.

soak it in and get back there as soon as you can. I will be back up there once I graduate from college and have the funds.

Have fun!

[This message has been edited by unearth222 (edited 8/1/2008 12:49a).]

Here are a few threads on the issue:

http://texags.com/main/forum.reply.asp?forum_id=34&topic_id=1147109

http://texags.com/main/forum.reply.asp?forum_id=54&topic_id=1143650

This is only my opinion, which comes from 3 years of being a backcountry ranger for this park, so I consider myself lucky to have seen what I have seen thus far. For me, I would either do Many Glacier or Two Medicine for the day since you are already on the East Side. Both offer great things to see and do. You cannot go wrong with driving the Sun Road, but keep in mind that it takes a LONG time to drive. If you are wanting to hike, I would skip the Road and just concentrate on the two I mentioned. There are numerous small hikes you could do at each one to give you some great shots of the park.

However, if you decide to drive the road, I would not venture too far past Logan's Pass, as I would not waste that short of time in a car. I would possibly hike up to Preston Park just past St Mary, giving you a great view of Peigan Glacier and Jackson Glacier. This is 3 miles round trip and gain an elevation of around 1000 feet if I remember correct. If you only want to drive a short ways into the park, you can drive about 3 miles into it and catch a great shot of St Mary Lake. There is a good chance of seeing a bear at the alluvial fans just east of the campground during 10am-2pm. ALso, bears like to hang out at the avalanche path just west of the campground. This is a quick, one hour detour you could make on your way to or from Many glacier from two medicine.

Another good hike would be Scenic Point at Two Medicine. 3.5 miles roundtrip, giving you a fantastic 300 degree view of the entire park and into Canada. A good hike at Many Glacier would be Grinnel Glacier.

I would eat your meals at the Park Cafe and Two Sisters, just north of St Mary. Both are frequent spots on the TV Show, Diners Drive ins and Dives.

[This message has been edited by Vero143 (edited 8/1/2008 7:21a).]

My parents were just there last week. I don't even think the pictures they took do that place justice. It has go to be on of the most scenic places on earth.

If you don't go past logan pass from the east, you miss McDonald creek, and that is a beautiful little creek. Sky blue tinted water on surreal grey slate rocks...

you also miss a couple of great short trails, like Trail of the Cedars, which is really pretty.

[This message has been edited by MouthBQ98 (edited 8/1/2008 9:08a).]

quote:

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If you don't go past logan pass from the east, you miss McDonald creek, and that is a beautiful little creek. Sky blue tinted water on surreal grey slate rocks...

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The first pic I posted is McDonald Creek. That water is PERFECT. I could spend the rest of my life on that water and be happy.

Here is another of McDonald Creek. Man, just looking back through the pics almost makes me forget its 102 today...almost. The water in the pic was up to my waist.



[This message has been edited by FlyFisher99 (edited 8/1/2008 12:31p).]

Fly fisher....wow..just wow!! Nice pics...I wanna go wet a line now!!!!

I was there earlier this month. We stayed in Polebridge and did three things. 1) Drive the Going to the Sun road. 2) Biked to Bowman Lake. 3) Hiked Avalanche Creek to Avalanche Lake.

Avalanche is a popular area.

Sure you can see things by driving the road. But is that really anyway to see a national park? I would recommend finding a trail near by and hiking that. A man can see more in a mile on foot than a hundred by car.


Logan Pass still had lots of snow in early July. Hidden Lake trail was being used by skiers.


Hiking along Avalanche Creek. Teaching my friend's brothers and sister (I went with a friend and her family) how to skip rocks.


Avalanche Lake.

Thanks for all the responses. I think I'm leaning towards doing the hike to preston park. I know the drive on going to the sun would be cool, but I'd rather not spend so much time in my truck. I drove all around the Bear Paw mountains yesterday, so I'd rather be out walking around.

I'll have to figure out how to post pics when I get back home.

I spent a month in the park helping a professor with research back in the summer of 1999 and would go with Vero143's recommendations. Many Glacier is the bomb and though you can see a lot of the park from Going-to-the-Sun Road, it does take a long time to drive.

If you do Preston Park and want to make a day out of it, I would go the extra 2 miles to the top of Catarak. 360 degree views.

What professor did you work for, runnr? Chances are I know him/her. I did a lot of research up there too.

[This message has been edited by Vero143 (edited 8/1/2008 12:57p).]

I'm jealous.

Flyfisher, no worries, it was my wife who made me go down there...actually my fiance at the time, we got engaged on that trip. More pics, the first is a road side lake in Washington where I proposed and then a critter from the Hidden Lake trail in Glacier....and now I live in Canada where it is almost as pretty as Glacier.

Second avalanche Lake.



Iceberg lake was also very nice, even if the trail was snowed over. It's a longer hike, but if you ever get the chance, well worth it.



Both these pictures were taken in late July

I third Avalanche Lake--my now wife is usually cold regardless of the conditions

On the way to Iceberg Lake

This is where I was supposed to propose, thank God I didn't

---The cool Stihl gimme cap is what my best man failed to pull off my head before my wedding reception photos

[This message has been edited by ursusguy (edited 8/2/2008 9:43p).]

I'm bailin hay in 100+ temps day dreamin about headin North .....you guys are killin me

This should make you feel better.

Beautiful pics guys- thanks.

I just got a paper published on treeline fluctuation at Iceberg Lake. Great place to 'work'...