The Worst Thing About Glacier National Park (and how to avoid it)!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ค. 2024
- While Glacier National Park is one of my favorite national parks to visit, one thing always gives me anxiety when I'm there! Today, let's talk about what I feel is the worst thing about Glacier National Park (and how to avoid it).
If you have been to Glacier National Park in it's peak season, then you probably already know what I am going to say. The worst thing about Glacier is the parking!
Parking in Glacier National Park can be stressful and overwhelming, but there are ways to avoid the nightmare that is its worst part. As a seasoned visitor, I have found ways to avoid the crowds and obtain parking.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to the Worst Thing about Glacier National Park
01:16 The Worst Thing About Glacier is the Parking
02:48 The Most Difficult Place to Find Parking
04:22 Reservation System (but it’s still hard to get parking)
04:47 Free Park Shuttle System and Tours (not my favorite options)
06:19 How to Avoid Parking Issues
06:45 Glacier National Park Itinerary
07:38 Arrive Before or After Peak Visitation Hours
My goal is to make national park trip planning easy!
⭐️ Glacier Ultimate Trip Planning Guide: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/glacier...
⭐️ How Many Days You Should Spend in Glacier National Park: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/how-man...
⭐️ Glacier National Park Itinerary: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/glacier...
⭐️ The Best Time to Visit Glacier National Park: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/the-bes...
Connect with Ash at Dirt In My Shoes:
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Last year, we were planning our first ever trip to glacier. My wife found Ash. We purchased her itinerary and spent a week there. We did not follow it exactly, but it was worth every penny and had so much helpful information!
Thank you so much! I"m honored to have been a part of your first trip to Glacier!
My family is planning a road trip from North Carolina. Your channel has been a lifesaver for us. We’ve been able to get campsites in almost every park we plan to visit.
I found your channel last fall and I’ve watched hours of videos. Can’t wait for June.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Brin Wyatt from Elkin NC.
I am so happy to hear that! I hope you have a fantastic vacation with your family!
Alas, old age keeps me from doing much hard-core backcountry hiking now, but for less strenuous hikes and day trips, Ash is spot-on. I've been to Glacier for multi-day visits twice, and the landscape is spectacular, but I'm no longer willing to get up at (or stay up until) 3 AM to get a parking spot at Logan Pass. Yes, you sometimes have to adjust your schedule to accommodate the shuttle, but the shuttle is the answer, I think, to most parking problems. I agree with Ash about the famed Red Bus, and have avoided them because of the time constraints. Book a campsite or a room at Rising Sun or Lake MacDonald a year ahead of time, or a motel room or campsite outside the park, and plan what you want to do - and when. Then use the shuttle to get to your starting point - no worries about permits!
It's a pretty crazy place, but so beautiful. Glad you've been able to visit a few times!
I swear by the shuttle! It's not perfect, but it's way better than trying to find parking at Logan Pass (unless you drive up before sunrise; I'd rather photograph alpenglow and a perfect reflection on one of those special mountain lakes). 🌄😍 And the shuttle is FREE!
Went up to Logan Pass and everything happened as you described. We arrived just before 7AM in mid-July and were "lucky" enough to snag one of the last spots. And it was crazy that people were asking us and anyone else if we were leaving and stuff. I also saw the "signs" too. Glacier is awesome!
It's awesome, but crazy!
Thank you so much for this information and for sharing your wealth of knowledge. Happy trails!
My pleasure! Happy trails to you too!
100% agree with you. We went and loved Going to the Sun Road and the wildlife but it was so busy and crazy and no parking. As always excellent information. Love your channel.
It's such a cool road, so it makes sense that everyone wants to be there haha!
I enjoyed your commentary very much! It was helpful and your delivery is pleasant as well. Thank you so much for your tips. I was aware of this issue but you brought it into better focus. Greg from Ohio
Thank you so much!
I watched a couple of your videos and this one solidified my decision to skip Glacier. One less visitor for everyone else to contend with. I’ll find something else to do in the area.
If the crowding/traffic issues are a deal-breaker for you, consider visiting in September after the summer crowds dissipate. It's still worth a trip :)
Outstanding videos about Glacier, Ash. Thank you. First time visitor next week.
So exciting! Have fun!
Hello Ash, I’m planning to go to Glacier in June where it will probably be extremely busy. I will be camping in 2 areas, first in West Glacier for a couple of days they head over to St. Mary’s. I want to hike but depending on the weather and crowds. Last year, your advice for Yellowstone was wonderful. I did follow it and got the part early each morning and managed to see a lot. Thank you, however what I had to deal with was the road construction on the upper loop, which they had lanes down to one lane. But, overall I had a good time. Thank you Ash for all your helpful advice 👍.
You're welcome! I hope you have a great time in Glacier!!
Thank you so much for this information.
You are so welcome!
Every time I go to a trailhead there are always 3 or 4 vehicles that have tickets because they got so frustrated they just parked on the shoulder. Not sure what the solution is other than expanding the roads and parking lots. The reservation system is awful for visitors and locals.
I know...it really is a huge issue in this park. Frustrating in so many ways!
The reservation system is absolutely necessary due to social media and a growing population. Expanding the roads and lots is definitely NOT the answer! The parks exist not just for the benefit and enjoyment of the people, but also to preserve and protect these spectacular landscapes and their inhabitants! (leave no trace) I've been to Glacier six times --before and during ticketed entry-- and it's completely worth all the time and effort. If you plan ahead and have a positive attitude, you'll leave blown away and completely in love with that park. As Ash said, wake up early, use the free shuttle (I highly recommend this), and/or go during the evening. It's really not nearly as bad as some people make it out to be! Have a plan, a backup plan, and be flexible. It's that simple. And the farther you hike, the fewer people you'll see... 🩵
My family and I live in Missoula and we drive to Glacier National Park in the evening and camp out at Logan Pass and star gaze .. The Milky Way looks amazing up there! Then we start our hike early in the morning or drive to Many Glacier and hike there. A few people camp out overnight in their Subaru's and or Roof-top tents and then the parking lot starts filling up around 6AM at Logan Pass. The worst thing about Glacier National Park IMO is the bumpy roads! I am hoping they finish paving the rest this Spring lol.
They are cracking down on parking lot camping a lot more these days, so I'd be careful with that going forward. Nothing like getting a knock on your door in the middle of the night and having to get out of the park 😬
@@DirtInMyShoes They didn't seem to care last year..They drove through the parking lot and didn't say anything to anyone.. there were only about 5 vehicles camping..People come and go throughout the night to star gaze and hike Hidden Lake Overlook also. We moved to Montana almost 2 years ago, and the first time we completed Going to the Sun Road, my husband accidentally drove our 28F RV from the West Entrance to the East Entrance lol..We were stopped and the cop said "I don't know whether to cite you or salute you!" .. My husband can drive fire and fuel trucks on tiny roads lol. We definitely wont do that again though! ..The teens racing their Mustangs on Going to the Sun Road at 1:00AM is more worrisome lol.
Just avoid the Going-To-The-Sun Road altogether. Logan Pass. The Park is huge.
Haha, well, if you've been to the park before, that can be good advice. But if you've never been, it would be kind of weird to visit Glacier without driving the Going-to-the-Sun :)
I don't plan on visiting unless I have a reservation inside the park, which guarantees parking and admission.
Except this year, in Glacier, it doesn't :( Lodging in Apgar, Fish Creek, Rising Sun, etc. all don't include entrance reservations!
I never understand why they tell us how large these parks are and please come, but oh yeah, there are only 20 spots for you to park. They have plenty of room so it makes no sense whatsoever to not have more parking. Frustrating!
It is frustrating, but we also don't want a bunch of land to be cleared out for bigger parking lots either. It's a delicate balance between protecting the resources/keeping things natural and also having the infrastructure for millions of people to visit each year!
@@DirtInMyShoes exactly! And the more convenient it is the more people who come. It's a delicate balance.
It is, especially with the visitation numbers nowadays!
Ask yourself this . Are you there to see nature or spend it watching the backs of 2-3000 people's heads?
There are commuter buses that take you through the park. Park at the entrance and take the bus
Planning on going to Glacier in August. I love your videos ive been binging them! We are actually planning a 2 week trip from Grand Teton to Yellowstone and finally up to Glacier. Im so worried our trip will be ruined by wildfires though, im not even worrried about the parking lol!
It's a valid concern, but even if there is a fire in the park, the views can change hour-by-hour. We've had trips where everything is socked in all day, but have also had trips where the smoke is blowing a different way so the views are fine even if the fire is super close. Early mornings typically help with clearer skies too :)
I am planning a trip for next year; where can you park for a week stay camping at the park? I would just like to park take all the gear to base camp and take the shuttle when need be...is that possible?
You can see the Going-to-the-Sun with the shuttle, so camping anywhere along that road would work for your purposes. But if you want to get to any of the other sections of the park, you'll need to drive or book a tour.
Planning on an early morning at Logan Pass this summer. How early is early?
This is what I need to know.
I go to Glacier every summer, and I sit and watch the parking lots there in the mornings (which is a boring job, but someone's got to do it LOL), so you'll find my specific timing recommendations in my Glacier Itinerary: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/glacier-itinerary/
Is the parking situation bad during the weekdays too in summer?
Yes!
Forget going in the morning. Go in the early afternoon; most people are gone by then.
That used to be true, but now because of the extra reservations needed, the park gets flooded in the afternoon with people who are coming in when the reservation time frame ends :)
i moved to Whitefish, Mt in 1982 to take a job at KTXX radio (located on the river where Pine Lodge currently is). immediately began hiking and exploring. spent 35 of the next 39 years putting on well over 6000 Glacier Park trail miles, over 100 mountain summits, dozens and dozens of nights back country camping, spring biking, and winter skiing.
the crowds were extremely manageable until about 2000. i could find a place at Logan Pass at 11 am. Two Medicine and Many Glacier required no reservations - EVER! North Fork campgrounds were never full. spring biking had about 25-30 bikers a day pre 2000.
i have a TH-cam video showing 175+ bikers on a 10 mile stretch in 18 minutes (downhill) in 2016 (yes. at age 62 i was still biking to Logan Pass and NO DAMNED e-bike used). that was before noon that day. i'm sure there were at least double that by mid afternoon. by 2015, my twice monthly climbs of the peaks around Logan Pass had me getting to the parking lot before 7am just to find a spot to park. it changed fast from 2000 to 2015. a zoo.
crazyland. it was getting worse year by year
nothing but rude, inconsiderate, pushy, arrogant, know-it-alls with a sense of privilege and entitlement. the friendliness and kindness quickly disappeared and the behavior became untenable. what a bunch of assholes.
i finally had enough and come retirement - i couldn't get the hell of there fast enough. not because i didn't love Glacier Park and it's employees.....it was the "citified" rudeness of the newcomers that drove me away.
loving the Andes now. i miss Glacier Park.....but not the people. i don't miss those assholes one bit. good riddance.
I love Glacier, but I totally understand your frustration with it!
@@DirtInMyShoes I do to (love Glacier). i'm still culling through 5000+ pics to chose wall hangings for my apartment in Cuenca Ecuador.
but it's a whole new ballgame.
glad i had the opportunity to enjoy it unperturbed. my many good experiences will never be forgotten.
but the last few years soured me on what the American public has become. it's a cultural thing.
@@jerrystraka7856 I'm glad you found somewhere else that makes you happy!
I was planning a trip to Glacier next year...but reading some comments with various channels; a lot of you home bound people of Glacier are saying the same thing. I am feeling I should reconsider my trip! I have never been, but I enjoy & love nature and hate that the rude city crazies mess it up. I dont like a lot of people/crowds especially hiking. I was going to plan last week of September or 1st week of October just to avoid all the chaos-but what I am reading I dont think all the people can be avoided at this point? It seems like this is happening in every state that has some kind of nature attraction, people just flock to it...why cant people just go to the zoo where they belong or a sport game haha?!
100% parking at Glacier is awful. We went last Summer and it took multiple passes on multiple days to get a spot at Trail of the Cedars. Logan Pass parking brings out some pretty nasty behavior from people.
It does! I've seen some crazy things in that parking lot!
I was wondering when you make a vehicle reservation for GTTS Road, do you have to select a specific time frame or is it good for the whole day?
It's good for the whole day!
Parking sucks. Go early or late. There, I saved you 10 minutes.
So the worst thing about glacier national Park is the extreme lack of parking?
Got it.
Save 10 minutes, folks!
It’s Parking!
@@kriley570 you would be surprised at how many people don't know that, and it totally ruins their trip. If you already know, it probably seems super obvious, but many people don't.