Glacier National Park Tour...

[Steve Plucker]

Have any of you toured Glacier National Park in Montana? Thinking about it this summer hopefully in the Model A.

Any suggestions on camping spots for about 3-4 days?

Thanks.

Pluck

[700rpm]

Pluck, I've been there. It's beautiful. The GOING TO THE SUN road is a thrill, especially in an A. Don't miss it. Stay at the lodge of you can. And when you see a sign that says, "Beware! Grizzlies are active in this area." take it seriously. They are not kidding.

Also, there's a tourist shop in the old train station in front of the park. They used to have a reprint of a book written in the '20's that described visiting all of the National Parks by auto. I didn't get one, and have regretted it ever since. If you get there, and they still have it, please buy one for me. I promise to pay you back!

[dean from bozeman]

Pluck, visiting Glacier Park is an excellent idea. I lived in East Glacier Park for 14 years.

As Ray pointed out, Going to the Sun road is a wonderful experience. Make sure that your brakes are good. At the summit of Logan's Pass take the short walk to Hidden Lake. If you are with seasoned mountain drivers then driving east or west is no problem. If your passengers are not familiar with mountain driving only drive westerly on Going to the Sun. That way you hug the mountain and are not just a guardrail away from "a steep decline".

There are park lodges at Lake McDonald, East Glacier, St. Mary and Many Glacier. All have camp grounds near by. If you want to enjoy a night in a lodge after several nights of camping, reserve a room well in advance.

Of course, I am partial to the East Glacier - Two Medicine area. There is a campground called "Red Eagle" near the Two Medicine Lake entrance. During our wedding many of our guests stayed there. As you drive into the park you drive along Lower Two Medicine Lake. At Middle Two Med(icine Lake) there is a trading post and a wonderful view. Take the boat ride on "Sinopah". It probably holds 40 people and goes back and forth several times per day. Some ride it both ways. Some get off and hike to Upper Two Med or hike back to the trading post. All are wonderful ways to enjoy the area. Talk/make noise along the way when hiking. Bears and moose don't like to be scared. Don't let a can of pepper spray give you a false sense of security. I hiked hundreds of miles in that park and did not have a "personal encounter with a griz".

Camping at Red Eagle or at a campground in the park near Middle Two Med allows you to enjoy the outdoors but you are still a 15 minute drive from a great restaurant in East Glacier.

If you like to fish, Rainbow Trout and Brook Trout can be caught and released at all three Two Med lakes. If you like to hike and/or enjoy photography, you will be in heaven.

Whether on your way to or from the east side of the park, stop in at the Issac Walton Lodge in Essex. Stay over night in a remodeled caboose or just stop for lunch. It is a wonderful old lodge with much railroad history.

A Lake McDonald - Essex - Two Medicine vacation would be my recommendation. For a well kept Model A, Going to the Sun road is a great experience. Note there is a considerable elevation gain to Logan's Pass and a considerable downhill experience. For a Model A that doesn't care for elevation, the McDonald-Essex-Two Medicine is very doable. Marias Pass on the south boundary of the park on Highway 2 is just over a mile high. Highway 2 is a wonderful Model A road.

Pluck, a trip to Glacier Park will be a wonderful experience. I highly recommend it. Happy Trails!

Dean

[JJCunningham]

I've been dreaming of doing this roadtrip for a couple years, but being in Maryland, I'm not sure how to get the car out there unless I rent a truck/trailer. Still on the bucket list.

Have a wonderful time!

[Dave in MN]

We toured Glacier Park in 2013 in our 1929 Phaeton while on a cross country roadtrip. What a beautiful place! Hope you do it!

Sorry...we did not camp so no suggestions.
Good Day!

[larryf]

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[Mark in MT]

Glacier is a real treat in an A, everybody drives our speed. If you want to do some gravel roads, the lakes on the west side of the park are great, Bowman and Kintla are my picks. Lots of short or long hikes to take. Our club has taken 3 day weekends in the park for several years around Labor Day, enjoyed by all. If you come and need anything, my shop is 90 miles south of the park.

[ABento]

As Dean said reserve a room early,very early,like now, Xanterra the concessioner for park services wants to cater to tour bus loads of forginers, we have a group tour in Yellowstone every year with a bunch of private owned former YP touring buses and have to make our reservations a year in advance,this year while we we on tour Xanterra cancelled us for the "17" trip as our fearless leader had not returned their 20 page reservation. Weather GP does this same thing I don't know I haven't been there for a few years,when we were there I had the only Yellowstone park bus there at East Glacier, most likely the only one thats been there in years.

[Bruce]

As an almost-retired guy with a Model A Ford and a "let's-go" navigator, I'd like to join the Alaskan A’s on their annual long distance tour to Kodiak in Jun 2017. If we pull it off, we'd be "in the neighborhood" of Glacier in early May. It would love to bump into some other A-listers along the way. The string of messages earlier this week about a message board for guys (and gals) who want to go on tour kind of hit the bumping post. But maybe a one-time try at an impromptu L O N G D I S T A N C E tour might work. Anybody out there with air in their tires?

[700rpm]

Originally Posted by JJCunningham

I've been dreaming of doing this roadtrip for a couple years, but being in Maryland, I'm not sure how to get the car out there unless I rent a truck/trailer. Still on the bucket list.

Have a wonderful time!

Why not just drive your car to Glacier? It's only about 2300 miles and you can mostly take non-freeway roads. Allow a month for the trip, and make a lifetime unsurpassed memory.

[Jason in TX]

Doing it later this year!

[harleynut]

I did that trip two years ago and loved it. Post Card pictures don't do it justice. I'm from Pennsylvania so I didn't have my A there but I did do it on a motorcycle. Two years previous to that I made the mistake of going out there in June. The road was closed due to snow in June. They have an 800 number you can call to get a recording telling you the condition of the Road to the Sun. This last time I went it was in September when the tourist season was mostly over and the kids are back in school. We had perfect weather. Great trip.

[Tim Armstrong]

Wife and I took the train out to Glacier, stayed in the Lodge and a few other places in the park...great place...would go again. Stay at the Izzak Walton Lodge or in one of the remodeled train cars. GREAT TRIP.

[Doug Linden]

Steve, great place to visit especially in a Model A. We toured the park going to the Vancouver Meet in 2010. I was worried that the Model A might slow dpown traffic, but that was not the case at all. We got to stay in inn at East Glacier which was a bonus that we hadn't planned on.