Glacier National Park is indisputably one of the most stunning landscapes in the continental United States.
Even so, we very nearly skipped our stay in Glacier and went on to our next destination the day we arrived in 2021: our first campgrounds was on the west side of the park, and although it was a few hundred miles south of the nearest wildfire, the smoke was so thick that we couldn't see more than a few hundred feet away. We're very thankful that we stuck it out and made it to our longer term campsite on the east side, where the smoke was visible but negligible!
Until a future post when we can offer a few more detailed tips and thoughts on visiting Glacier, I'll just share a few highlights and memorable moments:
- We learned that it IS possible to drive Going-to-the-sun with a camper van that exactly hits the 21-foot limit, and you can still see and enjoy all the highlights. It's less terrifying than driving that same camper van over the peak of the Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, but you definitely want to make sure you're absolutely comfortable with your van before you try it. This is probably not a first trip sort of drive!
- It's definitely worth taking the time to drive to the Two Medicine and Many Glacier entrances on the east side. It's a long drive if you're staying on the west side, but things are a little less hectic and there's so very much to see. If you're looking for restaurants, bars, or even just a hardware store in less than an hour's drive, you're going to want to stay on the east side. If you can carry everything with you, though, there's some huge benefits to staying on the more remote east side and being so close to all the less busy hikes and landmarks.
-Did you know that the cabinets in an RV tend to just be stapled onto the walls? Yes, staples - not nails or screws. We learned this when the cabinets fell off the walls as we drove up one of the rougher roads in the nearby Flathead National Forest. While there's some amazing (and dog friendly) hikes on some of the lesser traveled roads, if you're driving a camper I'd make sure you have a full set of tools and hardware with you just in case!