June 2018 – We have visited Glacier National Park three times, and each time we have seen another jewel in this appropriately named “Crown of the Continent” National Park.

Glacier National Park has several entrances, and all of them head towards the mountains in the crown. Like all the biggest and most famous National Parks, it deserves at least a week of exploring — or many return trips — to experience the beauty in any kind of depth.

As we approached Many Glacier the mountains rose before us in the distance.

The most popular entrance to Glacier National Park is on the west side at West Glacier, but some of the most jaw-dropping views are on the east side, 120 miles away via an easy drive around the park or 50 miles away via the twisty, curvy mountain road that traverses Logan Pass in the middle of the Park.

A few years ago we explored the park at the Two Medicine and St. Mary entrances on the east side, but somehow missed the stunning Many Glacier area. It is the furthest north entrance to the east side of Glacier National Park and is just 50 miles from Canada’s spectacular Waterton Lakes National Park.

Waterton Lakes National Park abuts Glacier National Park along the US/Canadian border, shaking hands across the border in what is officially called Waterton-Glacier National Park in both countries.

We got a glimpse of Lake Sherburne as we drove in.

Of the 60+ National Parks, Monuments and World Heritage Sites we have visited so far, Canada’s Waterton Lakes is one of our favorites. For anyone visiting Glacier National Park, we highly recommend driving the short distance and going through the very easy and small border crossing to have a look at Waterton Lakes, a vibrant and breathtaking jewel in the crown of Waterton-Glacier National Park.

However, if you don’t have your passport with you, Many Glacier is very similar to Waterton Lakes and is truly awe-inspiring as well.

Many Glacier at Glacier National Park in Montana

When we visited Many Glacier this year, we got excited as soon as we saw the mountains appearing down the road in front of us. We stopped to enjoy the glorious wildflowers that were blooming along Lake Sherburne.

Wildflowers were in bloom everywhere.

Glacial lakes are vivid shades of turquoise and blue when the light catches them just right, and the mountains behind Lake Sherburne were truly majestic.

Wow!

Montana had an enormous amount of snow this past winter, and the rivers and lakes have been swollen for weeks as the snow has melted.

A waterfall to our left on the road alongside Swiftcurrent Creek that is probably very modest at other times of the year was crashing over the rocks in an all fired rush to get downhill.

The waterfall on Sherburne Creek was roaring!

Montana had big snows and a rainy spring, so the water was rushing at full throttle.

We walked along a short trail on the edges of the waterfall to get a closer look.

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At the end of the road leading into Many Glacier we crossed another area of rapids that is just upstream from the waterfall.

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And then we arrived at the most fabulous view. Jagged mountains formed a fantastic backdrop behind Swiftcurrent Lake. In the distance, the historic Many Glacier Hotel proudly watched over the lake as it has for over a century.

Swiftcurrent Lake at Many Glacier!

Many Glacier Hotel is a Swiss Chalet style hotel that was built in 1914-15.

We were mesmerized by the view, and we both shot at least three photos with every step we took as we wandered around on the shore. Looking at our photos later, Mark noticed he had captured a butterfly in one of his images. How cool!!

A butterfly flitted through Mark’s pic!

The weather was constantly changing with the clouds chasing the sun away and then the sun trying very hard to chase the clouds away.

Many Glacier is so photogenic we had a blast wandering around taking pics.

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The valleys left by the immense earth-moving forces of the glaciers are all U-shaped with sloping sides and rounded bottoms.

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There is a small gravel beach along the shoreline and a dirt road wanders around the hotel property.

A dirt road wanders near the shore and hiking trails go all over the place.

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In 1914-15, long before Glacier National Park was created in 1932, the Great Northern Railway built the Swiss Chalet style Many Glacier Hotel on the banks of Swiftcurrent Lake. The railroad barrons at the time wanted to encourage people to travel on their trains, so they went to great lengths to create enticing destinations at the ends of their lines.

Another beautiful resort that sprang into existence this way is Sun Valley, Idaho, which was created as a skiing destination for the Union Pacific Railroad.

What a fabulous property Many Glacier Hotel is, and how exotic it must have been to journey there and spend some time over 100 years ago. It would be fabulous to stay there now!!

Many Glacier Hotel

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Many rooms not only have lake views but have a porch that opens onto the lake.

Some rooms have a little porch and a fabulous view.

As we wandered around the hotel we noticed two restaurant workers from the fancy Ptarmigan Dining Room taking a break and soaking in the views from the parking lot.

I started chatting with one of them and discovered that he was living right at Many Glacier in dormitory style housing while working at the restaurant for a four month summer job gig. It was his fourth summer doing it, and he absolutely loved it.

“All you need to bring is your hiking boots,” he told me, “and we make great money too!”

Wow!!

He’d had restaurant serving experience before, but he said the hotel was still hiring for this summer and that folks with no restaurant experience bus tables and do other entry level jobs.

Climbing up on the hillside opposite the hotel we got some wonderful shots.

Future full-time RVers often wonder how they can make money on the road. Working at a restaurant overlooking a stunning view serving happy guests who are on vacation in one of the most picturesque spots in our country wouldn’t be a bad way to pick up some pocket money.

And for folks who don’t need a summer job themselves but who know young adults who’d appreciate a thrilling summer experience, what a fabulous summer that would be! You have to be at least 18 to apply. I know I would have far preferred working in the Many Glacier Hotel kitchen over the urban kitchen that did employ me my 18th summer so many decades ago!

What a place to call home for a few days or a few months!

We just scratched the surface of Many Glacier on a quickie in-and-out visit this time around. But we will be back to explore it in greater depth in the future. Unfortunately, adorable puppies aren’t allowed on National Park hiking trails, which hampers us a little nowadays. For folks without a dog in tow, there are oodles of hikes and alpine lakes and mountain views all around Many Glacier. What a jewel it is!

Looking back across Swiftcurrent Lake at Many Glacier Hotel.

The restaurant hadn’t yet opened for the season when we visited, so we didn’t have a chance to check it out. But many tables are situated next to big windows that look out on the lake, and the server I talked to assured me the food was really good. Sounds awesome! It is on our list for next time!

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More info about Glacier National Park and Many Glacier:

• Glacier National Park
• Camping inside Glacier National Park
• Details about each campground inside Glacier NP – including current status (full/closed/etc.)
• Campgrounds and RV Parks outside the Park – Zoom out on the map for Two Medicine, St. Mary & Many Glacier to the north
• Many Glacier Hotel
• Dining at the Many Glacier Hotel
• Map showing Many Glacier Entrance and the Hotel

Other blog posts from Waterton-Glacier National Park in Montana and Alberta, Canada:

• Glacier National Park’s “Many Glacier” – Crown of the Continent!
• East Glacier Scenic Drive – Treasures OUTSIDE Glacier National Park
• “Going to the Sun” from Glacier National Park’s East Side – Breathtaking!
• Glacier National Park’s Quieter Side – Saint Mary
• Waterton Lakes Nat’l Park – Starry Skies, the Milky Way & Wildflowers
• Waterton Shoreline Cruise – A Classy Tour of Waterton-Glacier NP
• Waterton Lakes National Park – Rocky Mountain High!
• Glacier National Park in Montana – Mirrors at Lake McDonald
• Glacier National Park, MT – Mountain Goats and Lake Views

Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU.   New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff. Also check out our COOL NEW GEAR STORE!! *** CLICK HERE *** to see it!
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June 2016 – After nearly six weeks in the Canadian Rockies, it felt funny to cross over the border with our trailer and be “home” again in America. And what a gorgeous spot we landed in — the east side of Glacier National Park in Montana! We were welcomed home with some incredible sunrises and sunsets.

The mountain clouds gave us some incredible sunrises and sunsets.

Glacier National Park is joined with Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park just over the border from the eastern side of Glacier National Park to create Waterton-Glacier National Park, and the beautiful scenery around St. Mary Lake was very reminiscent of the vivid blues and towering mountains we had been enjoying in Waterton Lakes National Park for the last two weeks.

Saint Mary Lake is reminiscent of Upper Waterton Lake just over the border in Canada.

There are three entrances to the eastern side of Glacier National Park, one at Many Glacier, one at St. Mary and one at Two Medicine.

Glacier National Park’s eastern side is adjacent to the Black Foot Indian Reservation, so the communities have a distinctly Indian flavor. We were amused to see a series of teepees set up for visitors who wanted to camp the way the Indians used to.

Tired of your RV? Try a teepee!

The main entrance to Glacier National Park’s eastern side is at the tiny community of Saint Mary where the eastern half of the Going to the Sun Road that bisects the park from west to east comes to an end after passing by stunning Saint Mary Lake.

Saint Mary Lake

There are many different hikes in Glacier National Park on both the eastern and western sides and in the middle too! We were on the hunt for wildflowers, and a ranger told us there were some beauties on the Beaver Pond Loop trail right by the ranger’s station at the St. Mary entrance.

So we set out on that trail behind a mom and her three year old daughter who was a real trooper. This is a flat and easy hike that took us out towards the bright blue lake.

The easy Beaver Pond Loop hike is not notable or exotic or a signature hike, but we enjoyed it very much.

The ranger was right about the flowers. They weren’t in thick abundance in vast fields the way we’ve seen in some photos of Saint Mary Lake, but they were definitely there, scattered about the meadows.

Wildflowers were in bloom… wonderful!

A pretty lupine (“loopin”)

The flowers were so pretty it was impossible not to sit down among them.

Simple pleasures.

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The trail also took us through some nice stands of aspen and other wooded settings. Mark was totally in his element. He is a woods guy and a true tree hugger.

Mark embraces his roots.

The most beautiful parts of the trail were a few off-shoots that went down to the pebbly beaches on Saint Mary Lake.

Saint Mary Lake has the lovely teal blue color created by glaciers.

The wind was quite strong and small waves lapped the beach, one after another.

The strong wind kept the waves coming.

The hike crossed the meadows before turning into the woods and then delivering us to the beach again.

Hiking across the meadows.

What a view!

Near the end, we came across the original Park Ranger’s cabin for the eastern side of Glacier National Park. Built in 1913, the stories on the plaques told amazing tales of what it was like to live in this remote outpost with nothing but nature all around back in those days.

Back in the 1910’s, this is where the ranger and his family lived. No car, no stores…

One of the early rangers, Chance Beebe, went out hiking on patrol one day (there were no roads for cars in those days, and he preferred hiking to riding a horse). His wife and child were back at the cabin patiently waiting for him to return.

Suddenly, she heard something rattling around up in the attic of the log cabin. It was a mountain lion! He had jumped in from a tree through the open attic window!! Luckily, the mountain lion eventually went on his way, and she and her child were okay. When she told her husband about it later, he knew she wasn’t making it up when he saw lion paw prints in the dust in the attic!

The attic window has a wooden door covering it now, but the ground level window gives a glimpse of the simple life lived by the ranger’s family 100 years ago.

Life was so rustic, the ranger’s wife discovered a mountain lion in the attic. Yikes!

One of the duties for rangers, both then and now, was to keep an eye on wildfires and try to extinguish them. In recent years, due in large part to mismanagement of the forests and wooded areas for a century, wildfires have become particularly intense.

Towards the end of the Beaver Pond Loop hike we came across a stand of trees that had been bleached silver by the sun during the years since a wildfire swept through the area. The tree trunks swayed and creaked in the breeze, as if they were talking with one another.

Remnants of wildfires are prominently visible in all of the National Parks, and we found a ghostly tree community that was ravaged a while ago.

It was eerie and beautiful at the same time. We felt as though we had come across a community of ghostly tree spirits standing in each other’s company today just as they had for decades, but without even a hint an animal’s footsteps or the faintest rustle of a leaf.

The tree tops bent and swayed and knocked into each other and made wonderfully eerie noises.

We stayed among these skinny souls for a long time, looking for ways to capture the wistful beauty of this silver world.

There was a special aura here that gave us a feeling of reverence.

The most famous part of Glacier National Park is the Going to the Sun Road, and we drove it many times during our stay. For a few days, the weather was misty and soggy, and the towering mountains were as mysterious as they were majestic.

The Going to the Sun Road looked more like the Driving Into the Mist Road.

On July 21, 2015, a wildfire erupted right along this road, sending huge plumes of smoke in the air and torching the forest. Again, we found ourselves wandering through wildfire devastation, but this one had happened just one year prior. And again, we found ourselves witness to an unexpected beauty.

The trees were wet from the mist and rain, and they still bore the scars of charring from the fire. The bark was peeling off many of them, revealing rich brown wood beneath, and tiny hints of life grew at their feet.

Last year’s fire was a fresh memory for these trees.

One of the surprise blessings of a big wildfire like this along a famous scenic road is that it opens up the view.

As the years have gone by, many of the most scenic roads in America’s National Park system have lost their views because the trees that were saplings when the road was built have grown tall and strong — and totally blocked the view.

We found this was true on much of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and we have seen it on many other scenic drives as well. So, although our hearts broke at the way the woods were stripped of life in a matter of days last summer, we loved being able to see the lake between the remaining trunks!

Continuing on, around one bend we noticed a thicket of bright blue wildflowers that jumped out from the misty backgdrop of mountains. They were growing right along the rocky cliffs.

The gods threw a splash of color onto our gray day with wildflowers growing on a rocky cliff.

We snuck closer and saw they were growing against orange lichen covered rocks. Mother Nature had chosen a very colorful palette for her handiwork once again.

Bright blue flowers and orange lichen on the rocks. Wonderful!

There were several different types of blue flowers, each a slightly different shade. We loved them all!

The wildflowers at Glacier National Park were delightful.

The East side of Glacier National Park is the much less visited side. The villages on the east side are tiny, with just a few stores and family restaurants for the tourists. But in many ways it is the more beautiful side.

Although the Going to the Sun Road is not a good road for any but the smallest RVs, it is easy to reach Saint Mary and the other eastern villages from the western side of Glacier National Park with an RV simply by driving from west to east on Route 2 south of the park.

It is also an ideal jumping off point for a visit to eye-popping Waterton Lakes National Park just a few miles over the Canadian border.

The east side of Glacier National Park is the less visited side, but it may be the more beautiful too!

There are more RV trip planning links below…

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A Little More info About Saint Mary and the East side of Glacier National Park:

• Glacier National Park – Official Website
• Saint Mary Hikes and trail maps
• Glacier National Park Notes on the Old Ranger Station
• Location of the Many Glacier, Saint Mary and Two Medicine entrances to Glacier National Park’s east side

RV Camping Options at Saint Mary:

• Saint Mary KOA RV Park
• Johnson’s of Saint Mary RV Park
• Saint Mary Campground in Glacier National Park

Blog posts from our RV travels to Waterton-Glacier National Park:

• Glacier National Park’s “Many Glacier” – Crown of the Continent! 06/22/18
• East Glacier Scenic Drive – Treasures OUTSIDE Glacier National Park 06/15/18
• “Going to the Sun” from Glacier National Park’s East Side – Breathtaking! 08/21/16
• Glacier National Park’s Quieter Side – Saint Mary 08/17/16
• Waterton Lakes Nat’l Park – Starry Skies, the Milky Way & Wildflowers 08/09/16
• Waterton Shoreline Cruise – A Classy Tour of Waterton-Glacier NP 08/05/16
• Waterton Lakes National Park – Rocky Mountain High! 07/28/16
• Glacier National Park in Montana – Mirrors at Lake McDonald 05/29/16
• Glacier National Park, MT – Mountain Goats and Lake Views 08/27/07

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May 2016 – After enjoying a bit of the cowboy life and ranching life of the Bitterroot Valley in Montana, and then taking a zippy day trip over to charming Philipsburg, we took our RV north to Glacier National Park. This park is tucked right up against the Canadian border in northern Montana.

Lake McDonald at Glacier National Park, Montana

It was early May, and the main road through the park, the Going to the Sun Road, wasn’t completely open yet due to avalanche activity in the appropriately named Avalanche Creek area.

Dawn lights the snowcapped peaks at Lake McDonald

But the road was open as far as Avalanche, so we took full advantage of doing a few drives up and down its length.

Early morning reflections.

We had been to Glacier National Park once before, back in the late summer of 2007, and we had dashed through the park so fast that we didn’t even notice the large and beautiful Lake McDonald that greets visitors coming in from the southwestern entrance. Oh my!!

Lake McDonald.

The early morning air was very brisk when we drove alongside this stunning lake one morning, and the trees stood utterly motionless and silent. Hardly a breath of wind stirred their leaves.

Trees hung over the shore at Lake McDonald

The thick woods were lined with a lush carpet of moss, and the sun filtered between the trees.

The woods were thick alongside the Going to the Sun Road

The water was like a mirror, reflecting everything in its depths.

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And it was so clear that we could see each and every stone on the bottom perfectly.

The lake created perfect reflections with a few rocks peeking through from under the water

We stopped at McDonald Falls where the water coming down from the mountains rushed past us in a blur.

McDonald Falls was moving fast!

A few wildflowers were just starting to peek their heads out here and there.

Flowers were just beginning to bloom.

It was one of those ideal mornings that you wish could last forever.

When we got to Avalanche, we noticed that cyclists were unloading their bikes from their cars to ride a few miles further up the road. Because the road was closed to cars up ahead, they could do this wonderful bike ride without having to share the road with anyone but other bicyclists. What fun! We hadn’t brought our bikes this time, but made a mental note for the future.

This pre-season bike ride opportunity is similar to cycling the McKenzie Pass outside Bend, Oregon before it opens to motor vehicle traffic, something we had really enjoyed doing two years prior.

Only the first third of the Going to the Sun Road was open to motor vehicles.

Nearby, the Hungry Horse Reservoir made for another lovely day trip. Again, we were blessed with crisp air and sunny skies.

Snowcapped mountains framed Hungry Horse Reservoir.

The road winds along the south fork of the Flathead River and along the reservoir, offering pretty views of the river and reservoir the whole way. We got out at one point and hiked down to a pebble beach where a series of tree stumps made for an eerie scene.

A man sitting in a camp chair at the trail head and working on his laptop while soaking in the view of the river told us that he remembered the river before it was dammed, back when those tree stumps were towering trees at the water’s edge.

Before the river was dammed, there were tall trees on the shore.

Crossing the Hungry Horse Dam, we got a terrific view of the mountains backing the reservoir.

There were some beautiful views at Hungry Horse Reservoir

This would be a great road for a bike ride too, and as we stood staring at the lake a cyclist suddenly zoomed by, his eyes fixed on the pretty view too!

A cyclist zoomed by

But it was Lake McDonald over in Glacier National Park that kept drawing us back. We drove the Going to the Sun road as far as we could a second time, late one afternoon, hoping for a knock-your-socks-off sunset to top it all off.

The pebble beach at the Lake McDonald Lodge was very beautiful, and we got a kick out of exploring the cabins at the Lodge, many of which were in the process of spring cleaning for the summer season.

Late afternoon light lit up the shores of Lake McDonald.

But we thought we might get a better view of the lake at sunset back at Apgar Village where there is a boat ramp that marches right out into the lake and offers a splendid panorama of the mountains.

At Apgar Village there is a dock that goes right out into the lake.

We poked around on the shore waiting for this oh-so-sensational sunset to happen.

That colorful sunset should be along any minute…

The lake undulated reflections of the mountains in shades of silver and blue.

Silver and blue hues shimmer on Lake McDonald at dusk.

A couple came down to the dock with a photographer and did a bunch of romantic shots with the mountain backdrop behind them. They had had the same idea of catching this majestic view at the golden hour, sealing their undying love with a beautiful photo at Nature’s golden hour. But the skies just didn’t deliver that night, and the best we all got was a hint of pink.

No matter. This place is gorgeous anyway!!

Romance on Lake McDonald

We were on a mission to continue our RV travels north, so we didn’t stick around for the Going to the Sun Road to open up all the way to the top a few weeks later. But we loved what we saw and will hopefully be back for some wildflowers later in the season.

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This year we traveled north from Arizona ahead of the crowds by just a bit, and it made a big difference in many ways. Not only were there few crowds (and fewer people in general), but there was still snow on the mountains. However, the flip side was that the nights were often cold and many days barely got warm. Also, we arrived before the rangers had opened certain gates and attractions for the season.

But I have to say, there’s a special intimacy to a place like Glacier National Park when you have the scenery to yourself, even if you’re shivering!

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More info about Glacier National Park:

• Glacier National Park (NPS Website)
• Going to the Sun Road (NPS Website)
• Map of Glacier National Park
• Locations of all these places on Google Maps

Our RV travels in Montana:

• Northwest Passage Scenic Byway (US-12) RV Trip 01/12/24
• Bighorn Canyon – A River Runs Through It in Montana! 07/27/18
• Beartooth Highway Scenic Drive – Dazzling All American Road – WOW!! 07/06/18
• RVing Central Montana – Great Falls, Cool Coffee & Amish Buggies 06/29/18
• Glacier National Park’s “Many Glacier” – Crown of the Continent! 06/22/18
• East Glacier Scenic Drive – Treasures OUTSIDE Glacier National Park 06/15/18
• Montana Road Trip – Wildflowers, Bison, a Mission Church + Good Eats! 06/08/18
• Ross Creek Cedars & Kootenai Falls – Giant Trees & Swings in Montana! 09/03/16
• Eagles and Hummingbirds in Libby, Montana 08/31/16
• Long Ride Travel by Horse and Bicycle! 08/29/16
• Whitefish to Libby – Big Surprises on the Back Roads of Montana 08/28/16
• “Going to the Sun” from Glacier National Park’s East Side – Breathtaking! 08/21/16
• Glacier National Park’s Quieter Side – Saint Mary 08/17/16
• Glacier National Park in Montana – Mirrors at Lake McDonald 05/29/16
• Philipsburg, Montana – One of America’s Prettiest Painted Places! 05/24/16
• A Glimpse of Cowboy Life and Cattle Ranching in Montana 05/16/16
• Montana’s Bitterroot Valley – Elk, Horses, Ranches & More! 05/14/16
• Ennis, MT & Earthquake Lake – Small Town Charm & Airstream Trailers! 09/16/12
• Nevada City, MT – Rebuilding History in a Vanished Ghost Town 09/11/12
• Virginia City, MT – Living History in a Ghost Town 09/07/12

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