Glacier National Park
Logan Pass
Logan Pass and Going-to-the-Sun Road are "must do's" on your trip to Glacier National Park. Logan Pass spans the Continental Divide, and gives you access to the high country. Take the free shuttle bus, so parents can enjoy the views too, instead of driving.
Tip: If you are driving, the parking lot at the Logan Pass Visitor Center does get crowded, so go early in the day.
Continental Divide - Kids can stand on the Continental Divide at Logan Pass, one foot one either side (and imagine the rivers flowing east and west). Also, look for fluffy white mountain goats with cute pointy horns. We saw several goats, placidly strolling through the meadows and forest near the marker. The mountain goats seemed remarkably unaware of all the people stopping to take photos.
Logan Pass Visitor Center - Check out the exhibits so you can identify plants and animals on your hike - Glacier lily, red paintbrush, yellow monkey flower, dark pink alpine fireweed, ground squirrels, golden eagles, white tailed ptarmigans, marmots.
Hidden Lake hike - This is one of our favorite hikes; we felt as if we were on the roof of the world. As you start up the trail, there are fields of yellow Glacier lilies, look for deer with furry antlers grazing in the meadows, and you'll certainly see ground squirrels and hoary marmots. It's a largely level, easy trail to the Hidden Lake overlook, 3 miles round trip. If you hike down to the lake itself, it's an additional 700 feet down and up, 6 miles round trip. Even in July, there may be snow on the trail, so kids can stop and throw snowballs.
Tip: Don't try to hike this trail in flip-flops. For comfortable hiking, wear shoes with some sort of traction. In mid July, we found the trail buried in snow for some distance. Also, the weather at the pass is changeable, so bring a sweatshirt or windbreaker.
