Click here for Map of Glacier National Park.If "A picture speaks a Thousand words" has any truth to it, then it doesnt get better than this. An absolute nature lover's paradise, this Glacier National Park, set on the US-Canada border in unexplored North West United States, in the state of Montana! Anything I say will not do justice to this place which is as close to paradise as a human can ever get ...I guess! A complete treat to the eyes and by far one of the Best Places I have ever been to.
Montana, whose name comes from the beautiful mountains that enclose this wonderful state, forests, rivers and wonderful wildlife! is a heaven in itself. Getting there is pretty trecherous, but is worth every effort. We drove more than 10 hrs at a stretch, slept in Gas stations and had no proper food for a couple of days, but at the end of the day, as the pictures convey, its just superb! I flew upto Spokane, WA all the way from Kansas City,KS. Spokane is a small airport and doesnt have too many flights coming in or going out. Alternatively, a more closer airport is the Glacier National Park airport, but it rarely has any commercial operations by any major airlines, and no doubt would be very expensive. Getting off at spokane, we drove all the way upto Montana, under normal weather, a drive of more than 6 hours, during night and inclement weather to reach the western end of the Glacier National Park. The western end is the closest to the Interstate-90 Eastbound (about 300 Miles west of the park). We took a break in Kalispell, for the night.
Accomodation is available and is a small town at the foot hills of the park. Beware during inclement weather, as it gets very very bad snow and parts of the roads are closed on a regular basis. Glacier National Park itself is closed during winter, for more than 4-6 months due to early snow and doesnt melt until later in the year. Activities are endless but are seasonal. Make sure you have enough time to spend at the park, as it only gets better day by day. Weather changes are extremely high and people with altitude sickness need to be prepared for.
"Going to the Sun" highway is the historic route through the park.Tha road connects Glacier One route which starts from the west, along lake Mc.Donald and goes on to become "Going to the Sun" as the park gains elevation. The road connects the western end to the eastern and every mile is a vista in itself. It is said that, watching the Sun Rise from this road is the best view one can ever get of a sunrise! or in the worst case, a Sunset! The glow, the view you get on a clear day are beyond words and breathtaking at the very least, glowing up the whole valley! Get your camers clicking! This park has been rated by National Geographic as one of the World's 10 best locations.. to die for! :) The western end to the eastern end can also be reached by going around the park, which is beautiful too! Driving through the valley, and along a river and a rail route, the reflection of the sun rays turn Golden by sunrise or sunset and is a complete treat! You will see the most pristine transparent waters, awesome greenary, rivers, streams leading to an elevation of more than 11000 ft above sealevel! If you can imagine what it is like, that should inspire you enough to take up this journey! Going to the Sun road is a historic route constructed with the sweat and lives of hundreds of men and women on a very harsh terrain. I invite you to visit my photo gallery on this site as you scroll down and make your trip to this Virgin location in the United States! Miss it at your own cost! :) Also, dont miss the FlatHead lake on route 93 Southbound and further, Hot Springs on US-28 Soutnbound which are beautiful too, and I'd say is the end of these beautiful vistas before you hit the Interstate. The interstate offers some very good views too, to keep you going :). visit the NPS website or write to me if you need more info! Trust me, Make this Happen! It will be the Best Ever!
I believe I have better pics but More pictures from National Park Service can be found by clicking this link :).
A few of my Low resolution pics..
Glacier National Park, MT
