Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park lives up to its name, glaciers and waterfalls right next to the road, craggy peaks, aquamarine streams, clear lakes, alpine meadows strewn with wildflowers are spectacular scenery.
The full name of the park is Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, and it spans the Canada - U.S. border. It's less than a day's drive to Waterton Lakes National Park and well worth a visit.
Go camping - Glacier has lots of different campgrounds, on a first-come-first-serve basis. You can reserve advance at Fish Creek campground at Lake McDonald.
Free shuttle bus - July to September, ride the free shuttle bus from Apgar Village to Logan Pass, up the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Buses run every 15 - 30 min., hop on, hop off, and avoid crowded parking lots.
Tips for Glacier NP
Drinking water - Even on a short hike, bring water bottles with you. In the mountain air, it's easy to get dehydrated, so drink plenty of water. The streams in Glacier look pristine, but don't drink from the streams.
Footwear - Don't short-change yourself. Make sure everyone has comfortable shoes. Flip flops and plastic sandals are okay on boardwalks or playing by the lake, but not on dirt trails. Closed toed shoes are best, especially on Logan Pass where parts of the trail may be covered with snow.
Changeable weather - The weather is Glacier can be warm and sunny one minute, cold and cloudy the next, especially on the mountain passes. If you're out hiking bring a sweatshirt and windbreaker along in a backpack, the kids can always take off layers if it warms up.
Don't feed the animals - The red squirrels know they're cute, and will even pose for you, but don't feed them. At lunch time, chubby marmots (they look like furry slippers) will magically appear from the shade in the rocks, but don't share your lunch. Chips and snacks are bad for many of the animals here - feed them people food and they can end up dead.
Bears - The bears in Glacier National Park are wild, but are conditioned to people. If you leave food in a cooler or in your car, the bears figure you brought it for them!
Don't get close to bears for a cute photo. A mother bear that thinks her cub is threatened is a dangerous animal and all you have to do is stand between a mama and her cub to be on her bad list.
