Glacier National Park

We had wondered if we should wait to visit Glacier National Park. The east side of the park that adjoined the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was closed. The iconic red bus tours were not operating this year, and the smoky haze from the west coast wildfires was thick.  We decided to go for it since we were reasonably close and it was shoulder season.

We picked up Harold's sister, Annette, in Missoula, MT, and off we went. We stayed at North American RV Park in Coram, MT. The RV park was around eight miles to the west entrance of Glacier.  Yeah! Our Passport America discount, which is offered only in the shoulder season, was an extra blessing. 

What an amazingly beautiful park. Glacier quickly became one of our favorites. Going to the Sun Road up over Logan Pass is quite the drive. I asked Harold which road had a higher pucker factor, Going to the Sun or Needles/Iron Mountain in the Black Hills. He picked Going to the Sun because of the closeness of the rocks and the number of people who couldn't seem to stay on their side of the yellow lines. 

I also appreciated the amount of green in the local landscape. It seemed like it had been awhile since I saw moss, ferns, green grass, and lots of full-sized green leafy trees and evergreens. The Trail of Cedars at Avalanche Campground is the best ADA wheelchair compliant trail that I have seen. The .8 mile boardwalk and paved loop walked you through a dense forest and past a small gorge. You actually felt like you were on a trail, not just a few yards from a scenic overlook.

Then there was the wildlife. Our first day we saw a moose with her calf. On our next trip we saw a mama black bear with her three cubs crossing the road. Then, we saw a grizzly high on the mountainside. In that same area on another trip we saw a black bear. Our last sighting was of mountain goats high on the mountains above Lunch Creek.  "Did that white speck up there just move?" 

So despite the closures, it was a great park to visit. We're so glad we did. We returned Annette to Missoula and stayed a couple of days to get caught up on the never ending laundry. 

Lake McDonald

Traffic stoppers

The three little bears

Camera zoom maxed out