West Glacier National Park
Fish Creek Campground,
We started our visit at Glacier National Park at Fish Creek campground located on the southern shore of beautiful Lake McDonald. The sites were small and compact just perfect for our Aliner Expedition. This is bear country so campers have to keep their food packed away along with any cooking equipment. The park provides bear proof lockers for campers who have little room to store their perishables. We configured our trailer and car to make sure that we left no trace of editables or any other item that may attract bears into our campground. The area we camped in was surrounded by old growth forest with views of the surrounding mountains. The shore of Lake McDonald was a short walk from our campsite.
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| Our Campsite at Fish Creek campground, West Glacier National Park |
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| Lake McDonald, a short walk from our campsite |
During our stay at West Glacier we drove up the majestic going to the sun road to Logan pass. Once at Logan pass we hiked out to Hidden Lake on a scenic trail that took us to a beautiful alpine lake surrounded by mountains. Along the way we saw mountain goats, marmots and beautiful fields of mountain flowers in bloom. The scenery in this area is amazingly beautiful with waterfalls, majestic mountain peaks and vast valleys that inspire the senses with a feeling of awe.
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| The Going to the Sun Road clings to the cliffs as it ascends to Logan Pass |
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| Beautiful waterfalls cascade down the side of the mountains along the way |
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| Great engineering made this possible |
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| Haystack Falls |
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| The visitors center at Logan Pass |
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| Barbara on the Hidden Lake Trail head at Logan Pass |
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| Marmot seeking some warming sun rays just off the trail to Hidden Lake |
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| The majestic landscape makes a great background for portrait photography |
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| Mountain Goat with her young baby |
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| We came across several mountain goat families with siblings |
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| Fields of mountain flowers were quit common in areas along the trail |
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| The majestic Hidden Lake view point at the end of the trail |
West Glacier Lodge located on McDonald Lake is a historic landmark. It is a remarkable structure that beckons back to the early days when the park was first created back in 1910 when President Taft signed a bill to create Glacier National Park. Perhaps one of the most recognizable features you see here are the old ford motor coaches that take visitors to the scenic areas that make this park so special. At West Glacier Lodge you can board a boat that will take you out for a tour on beautiful Lake McDonald.
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| West Glacier Lodge |
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| The lobby of West Glacier Lodge |
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| The classic Ford motor coaches at West Glacier Lodge |
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| The convertible classic Ford motor coaches at Logan pass |
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| The view of Lake McDonald from the dock at West Glacier Lodge |
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| The boat that takes visitors out on Lake McDonald at West Glacier Lodge |
East Glacier
National Park
St. Mary Campground
We also visited East Glacier area of St. Mary Lake during our visit to Glacier National Park. We stayed at St. Mary campground not far from the St. Mary's visitors center. During our stay we traveled up to the historic Many Glacier Lodge located about 18 miles to the northeast of St. Mary Lake. Many Glacier Lodge was built by the Great Northern railway to attract visitors to the park providing a great source of revenue for the railroad. The setting at Many Glacier could not be more majestic with a view of Swiftcurrent lake and the silhouette of Mount Grinnell in the background. The hotel is massive with a swiss alpine architectural style that befits the area. Multiple mountain peaks and glaciers are visible from here.
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Our campsite at St. Mary campground, Barbara and I are having breakfast. The temps at
night can get down into the low 40's in the summer months |
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| The Front Entrance to Many Glacier Lodge |
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| The Lobby |
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| The back of the Lodge has rooms that face out to Swiftcurrent Lake |
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| Swiftcurrent Lake |
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| Mount Grinnell, 8,852 feet tall |
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| Visitors can take a boat tour on Swiftcurrent Lake |
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| The rapids of the Swiftcurrent river to the east of Many Glacier |
During our stay at St. Mary Lake we took a ride back up to Logan Pass on the going to the sun road. As a part of our trip I took a ranger led hike to Sun Point, overlooking St. Mary Lake, and on to Barring Falls. The views up in this area are amazing with turquoise glacier lakes framed by majestic mountains. We were able to catch glimpses of wildlife in the area which really made for a special day indeed.
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