Another Walk in the Park: Glacier National Park

The official name is Waterton/Glacier International Peace Park. It straddles the Canadian border in northwestern Montana and features spectacular scenery and wildlife. Before 9/11, access to the Waterton Lakes National Park on the Canadian side was easy. We crossed one morning before the border station was open. Just a sign there advising us to drive carefully--in English and French.

The easiest access to some of the most impressive features in Glacier is via Going-to-the-Sun Road, one of the most spectacular drives in the whole world. It runs about 50 miles east-west through the center. That assumes, of course, that the road is open. Snow can block it until July, though it is usually open in early June. And snow can return in September, though usually not until mid-October. The Logan Pass Visitor Center is about half way along. You'll want to stop there for the exhibits, gift shop, and opportunities to take a little walk in the park.

There are vehicle length restrictions on the Road that prevent most RVs from using the road anymore but the park runs shuttle buses to Logan Pass from both ends. If you wish to go all the way, change buses at the Pass. Like all the national parks, Glacier is experiencing increased traffic so you might well consider getting your day started as early as you can.

The Park Service is introducing more shuttle buses to relieve some of the congestion on narrow mountain roads.

Separating the sheep from the goats is easy. Bighorn sheep are brown with big, curvy horns. Mountain goats are white with sharp, spiky horns.

Many visitors scan the slopes with binoculars hoping to see goats or sheep. We find that just a short walk out one of the trails from Logan Pass can get you quite close to both.

The boardwalk from the Visitor Center climbs over a low ridge to Hidden Lake, about 3 miles round trip. The boardwalk is not so much for the convenience of visitors as it is to protect tundra wildflowers.