The Hall Family Travels Blog

Glacier National Park lies in the northern mountains of Montana and borders Canada. It is known for its majestic mountains and ice-carved landscapes, lush pine forests, vibrant blue lakes, and, of course, glaciers. We knew it was a place we had to explore while we were in Montana, and while we weren’t quite sure what to expect, admittedly, our expectations were high.

What we didn’t realize going in was just how much planning would be needed to make the most of our time there. Our visit didn’t go quite the way we had hoped, but it taught us a lot about what we would do differently next time. So rather than just sharing what we saw, we wanted to share our experience, what we learned, and the changes we’d make to have a better Glacier experience on our next visit.

Glacier National Park: At A Glance

Our stay: 5 nights at camp, 2 days in Glacier National Park
When we visited: Late summer (early September)
Where we camped: Doris Creek Campground near Hungry Horse Reservoir
Entrance: West entrance
Hikes: Trail of the Cedars + Avalanche Lake; partial Otokomi Lake Trail
Our favorite: Avalanche Lake
Biggest challenge: Parking and crowds (start early!)
What we’d change: Visit on weekdays, allow more days, start early, and consider staying on the east side of the park
Would we go back? Absolutely!

Base Camp: Hungry Horse Reservoir

We opted not to stay inside the park to avoid the larger crowds and more expensive campground costs. Instead, we camped in a Forest Service campground near Hungry Horse Reservoir, about 15 miles from the west entrance of Glacier.

The road to our campsite crossed over the 564-foot-tall concrete dam before following a dirt road through the pine forest. Luckily, three of the four walk-up sites were still available at Doris Creek Campground, and we were able to snag a spot with a perfect view of the beautiful lakeshore.

The reservoir water was a deep, clear blue even on the overcast day, and the surrounding rocks were a beautiful mix of teal, red, and purple. It was a gorgeous area to camp and ended up being a pretty great home base for our Glacier adventure.

Day One: Lake McDonald & Avalanche Lake

We ventured into Glacier National Park for just two days. Our first day was a Friday, and we started with walking down to Lake McDonald. We had heard about the colorful rocks in the lake and had to check it out for ourselves. While the rocks were colorful and the lake was beautiful, it was obvious the pictures we had seen ahead of time were strongly edited. Nonetheless, the blue lake was peaceful, and the rocks were fun and colorful, even if slightly duller than enhanced online photos.

Next, we ventured onto the Trail of the Cedars Nature Trail that led to the Avalanche Lake Trail.

The Trail of the Cedars follows a boardwalk through the forest along Avalanche Creek, with multiple placards identifying different trees and wildlife along the way. Eventually, the trail leads to the impressive Avalanche Gorge, where the water has carved its way through the rock.

From there, it’s about 2.5 miles to Avalanche Lake, and the trail is just as beautiful as the destination.

The forest was lush and vibrant, with moss-covered trees and rocks and a thick layer of pine needles covering the forest floor. It felt like one of those places where you could stop every few minutes to take another picture.

The best part, though, was the lake.

The color of the water was an unreal teal blue, with towering mountains surrounding it and multiple waterfalls streaming down their rocky faces. After making it to the lake, we found a spot to stop for lunch and took some time to enjoy the view before starting the hike back.

This was definitely the Glacier experience we had been hoping for.

Day Two: A Lesson in Getting an Early Start

On our second day, we were determined to find another hike leading to a beautiful blue lake like the one we had seen the day before.

Unfortunately, we made one fatal mistake: We decided to sleep in.

Our second day was a Sunday, and we left camp around 9:00 a.m. By the time we reached the park, we were already stuck in traffic. It took us about 30 minutes just to travel three miles to the park entrance.

Once inside, we had several different hikes and stops we wanted to check out. But as we reached each destination, we were greeted with more traffic and cars waiting for parking spaces.

We kept thinking, We’ll just try the next spot and maybe come back to this one later.

But every time we reached another destination, we ran into the same problem: traffic and no parking.

Eventually, we spent nearly three hours driving through the park before finally reaching a parking lot toward the other end where we were actually able to find a space and access a trailhead.

And that’s how we ended up hiking the Otokomi Lake Trail—a hike we hadn’t heard of and hadn’t researched ahead of time.

Otokomi Lake Trail

Upon further investigation, we discovered that the trail to Otokomi Lake was 5.4 miles one way, with more than 2,000 feet of elevation gain.

This was definitely a little more challenging than what we had been hoping for, but at that point we were all tired of sitting in the car and it seemed to be our only real option if we wanted to get out and hike that day- even if we didn’t finish the whole hike.

The area had been affected by a wildfire in 2015, so the beginning of the trail was very bare and open to the sun. The new seedlings and fresh-growing pines actually made some sections feel like we were walking through a giant Christmas tree farm.

Eventually, the trail led into a slightly denser forest and began following Rose Creek. Along the way were beautiful views of cascading waterfalls.

The waterfalls and cascades were definitely one of the highlights of this hike, and another huge positive was how few people we encountered. We passed only two other hikers during the three hours we were on the trail.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time—or quite enough energy—to make it all the way to Otokomi Lake. We hiked about three miles before deciding to turn around. It was already early afternoon, and the sunny blue skies we’d started with had quickly turned into dark clouds that looked like they could bring rain at any moment.

While we didn’t make it to the lake, it was still a pretty hike, and after spending most of the morning sitting in traffic, we were just happy to finally be out of the car and on a trail.

The Going-to-the-Sun Road

As we followed the Going-to-the-Sun Road back through the park, it was now mid-afternoon, and the parking situation hadn’t gotten any better. Fortunately, even without stopping at every destination and trailhead, the road itself offers spectacular views most of the way and is part of the experience itself.

By this point, it had been a long day of driving and hiking, so we made just one more stop at the Apgar Visitor Center. The boys turned in their Junior Ranger books and earned another badge before we finally exited the park and headed back to camp.

Would We Go Back?

In all honesty, I don’t think we had the best experience we could have had in Glacier National Park.

But that’s not because Glacier wasn’t beautiful. Quite the opposite.

The parts of Glacier we were able to see were absolutely incredible and the reason we would be back. Our experience was mostly a lesson in what not to do when visiting such a popular park.

We made the mistake of not getting an early start, and that one decision significantly limited what we were able to do that day.

If we go back—and we definitely would—there are a few things we’d do differently.

1. Avoid weekends if possible.

Our Friday visit was busy, but it felt manageable. When we returned on Sunday, the difference was noticeable. The traffic, crowds, and parking situation made it much harder to explore the park at our own pace.

If you have flexibility, we’d recommend visiting on weekdays.

2. Get an early start!

This is probably our biggest takeaway.

Get up early!

Glacier has one main road that crosses through the park, and once traffic builds up, it can take a very long time to get anywhere. Even if you know exactly where you want to go, finding a parking space can become its own adventure.

An early start would have given us much more time to stop at the places we actually wanted to see instead of spending hours sitting in the truck.

3. Consider staying on the east side.

Another option we’d consider next time is camping on the eastern side of the park.

From our experience, that side felt much less busy, and it would also put us closer to the Many Glacier area, which we didn’t get a chance to explore at all.

4. Give Glacier more time.

Two days simply wasn’t enough.

If you’re going to visit Glacier, we’d recommend planning multiple days and giving yourself enough time to explore different areas of the park rather than trying to see everything from the Going-to-the-Sun Road.

We would much rather spend several days there and explore a little at a time than spend entire days driving from one crowded parking lot to another.

5. Visit earlier in the season.

We’d also love to return in late spring or early summer, when there is still more snow on the mountain peaks.

The Going-to-the-Sun Road provided some amazing scenic views even during our visit, and I can only imagine how beautiful those same views would be with snow-covered mountains surrounding them.

So, Is Glacier National Park Worth It?

Absolutely.

But don’t wing it.

Glacier is one of those places where a little planning can make a huge difference in your experience. Plan ahead, avoid weekends if you can, get an early start, and give yourself multiple days to explore.

It may even be worth considering staying inside the park or looking into the shuttle system so you aren’t spending so much of your day trying to find parking.

Our two days in Glacier didn’t go exactly as planned, but even with the crowds, traffic, and missed opportunities, it was easy to see why this park is so highly regarded.

The mountains were incredible. The lakes were unbelievably blue. The forests were beautiful. And even our unplanned hike turned out to be a pretty great adventure.

We’d absolutely love to return someday. Next time, though, we’ll be a little more prepared.