Everyone says that once you visit Glacier National Park in remote, northwestern Montana it will instantly become your favorite. Let’s put that theory to the test….
Being that this is my 53rd out of 63 US national parks, my expectations are sky high. Also, I had to wait almost 4 years to get back here after I begrudgingly had to cut this icon from my whirlwind US tour post Covid (just couldn’t justify the extra five hour one-way x 2 detour).
Starting in Apgar near the west entrance, I made the investment for a new annual park pass & beelined to my first hikes. After a long drive, it was a blessing to get my legs back under me on the easy Trail of Cedars boardwalk, amongst all the towering trees in a lush forest. This led to the Avalanche Lake 4.5 mile trek, which started with a breathtaking canyon carved out by the rushing waters below. After a steady incline through a forest, we finally dumped out at the clear, hidden lake surrounded by a towering peak that was intermittently covered by a very dense fog.
I made a pit stop at the historic McDonald’s Lodge, saw the historic red open air buses & walked the creek area, which is the largest of the park’s 250 lakes.
After searching for a few small souvenirs, I easily found my nearby hostel for just the night, which was on a working ranch. Then a quick shower, heating up a sandwich & I quickly fell asleep after an exhausting day of travel & exploration.
Day 2 I jumped out of bed at 6am to finally drive the infamous Going to the Sun Road & that’s another blog post coming soon!
FearlessAdventures 