Glacier National Park Camping Trip

[Tkelly]

Deb and I are planning to travel from Duluth to Glacier July 10-13, camping on the way. Then to the Idaho rally the next weekend. We are considering the Canadian side of the park in case the U.S. traffic is too heavy. Any ideas for above including campsites along the way there and on the way to Gibbonsville, Idaho appreciated.

[Lannis]

We're planning a trip to Niagara Falls in August on the bike (Fay has never seen them) which would include a border crossing.   The official on-line info is extremely unclear as to whether a pair of US citizens can cross into Canada on a pleasure trip these days .... ?

Anybody done it lately or do we have to wait for something to change?

Lannis

[Nick]

FYI

".......Still, there are no signs that Canada is going to be opening its borders to international travelers anytime soon. On Tuesday, Canada and the U.S. agreed to extend the ban on non-essential travel between the two countries to July 21...."

Ref.: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-18/--19-border-closures-weigh-on-canadian-population-growth?srnd=economics-vp

[Chuck in Indiana]

Yeah, the border is closed as far as I know.

[oldbike54]

 Yeah , the border is still closed , and will be for at least a few more months .

 Dusty

[GeorgiaGuzzi]

Google Izaak Walton Inn. If you’re also train buffs that’s a don’t miss visit. Also the food was excellent! Expensive-ish but superb. But it’s been five years since that road trip.

[Tkelly]

Thanks for the Canada info.Any body have suggestions for the rest of the trip especially regarding camping near the park and must rides or hikes in the park?

[Wayne Orwig]

I have camped twice at Johnsons of St. Marys. Right beside the east entrance to Going to the Sun.
Worked well for us,

Well, there was that one night that someone played tom tom drums late into the night. DOOM doom doom doom, DOOM doom doom doom. Then it started to rain. Did not realize it was a rain dance. 

[Guzzistajohn]

I went to Glacier a few years ago and never crossed into Canada, plenty to see on the US side. We weren't disappointed.

[Lannis]

Yeah, the border is closed as far as I know.

Well, that'll be off then.   

We were trying to decide whether to ride down through Alabama and Mississippi to see family down there, then come back up the Natchez Trace and then across Tennessee to home (which we've done the Tennessee part before and it was a beautiful ride), OR whether to ride up through the Northeast and go to Niagara, and we'd picked Niagara and reserved a spot at a B&B on the Canadian side, so it'll be Option South then.

Lannis

[alanp]

Thanks for the Canada info.Any body have suggestions for the rest of the trip especially regarding camping near the park and must rides or hikes in the park?

I suggest you become acquainted with this website:

https://freecampsites.net/welcome/

Despite the name, it has info on free as well as pay campsites.  You can search areas of the county by name, and the interactive map show the sites, colorcode by type.  Click on a site and see pictures of it, read reviews, etc.  Very handy.

Also, check out https://www.recreation.gov/

This site has all of the info on federal government campsites (National Forest Service and BLM) and is where you can check status and make reservations.

[Chuck in Indiana]

We camped in the first campground after the east entrance of Glacier. You have to be there early because they fill up early. There is a really nice restaurant nearby that was *great* for waiting out one of those mountain thunderstorms. What a display..
Going to the Sun is not the best "motorcycle road" in the world..too many blue hairs in Buicks..   but must be one of the most scenic. Not to be missed.

[Cam3512]

Well, that'll be off then.   

We were trying to decide whether to ride down through Alabama and Mississippi to see family down there, then come back up the Natchez Trace and then across Tennessee to home (which we've done the Tennessee part before and it was a beautiful ride), OR whether to ride up through the Northeast and go to Niagara, and we'd picked Niagara and reserved a spot at a B&B on the Canadian side, so it'll be Option South then.

Lannis

Why not see the falls from the US side?

[alanp]

We camped in the first campground after the east entrance of Glacier. You have to be there early because they fill up early. There is a really nice restaurant nearby that was *great* for waiting out one of those mountain thunderstorms. What a display..
Going to the Sun is not the best "motorcycle road" in the world..too many blue hairs in Buicks..   but must be one of the most scenic. Not to be missed.

When were you there Chuck?  A lot of the Nat. Park campgrounds that used to be first come first serve, are now reservation only, so you can't just show up.

[Chuck in Indiana]

When were you there Chuck?  A lot of the Nat. Park campgrounds that used to be first come first serve, are now reservation only, so you can't just show up.

Had to look it up. Wow! It was in 12. Seems like yesterday..

[Lannis]

Why not see the falls from the US side?

1) We'd like to see them and walk around them and have the whole tourist-trap experience, and if we can't do that it's not worth the ride, plus the really nice places to stay are on the Canadian side.

2) I'd have a bad attitude about the whole thing because of the rules and, well, you know .... 

Lannis

[LowRyter]

Why not see the falls from the US side?

this (and more)

[cappisj1]

We are headed to Glacier mid July. I was looking around and as of now... the east entrance is closed. Something with reservation not letting folks through yet.

I made camping reservations at a place outside the town of West Glacier. We will be there July 13-15.

[Jim Rich]

We use Campendium.com to find campsites.  From pay sites to free camping.  In the western US, BLM land and National Forests are free to camp in. 

[ChuckH]

Tom, 

I rode the Going-to-the-Sun Highway twice on bicycles (1990 and '91).  Both times camped at Apgar Campground on the West side and St Mary's on the East.  Didn't need reservations then, it was first come, particularly for bicyclists. 

I went back again on a motorcycle in 2010 (?).  The Highway had suffered badly during the winter and needed lots of repairs.  The highway crews had pilot trucks taking us through at least four different areas being repaired.  Those caused lots of congestion and waiting.  Not a good trip at all.  Hope yours is better this year. 

As far as camping, many of the cities in the Western States allow overnight camping in their city parks.  I generally just stop at the Police Station and ask. 

Ride safe.

[Guzzistajohn]

We went to Montana for a Devil's Brigade reunion and then to Glacier. We got to see the super moon from the Great Divide

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

If you are looking for points of interest along your route, i cannot recommend the Ulm Pishkun (First People's Buffalo Jump State Park) and the SHONKIN SAG and Lost Lake highly enough!
Never felt more connected to history than standing on the field at Ulm and thinking about the desperation and ingenuity of the native people executing such a crazy orchestrated maneuver.
And if you ever felt old, you will never feel younger than looking into the Shonkin Sag seeing a waterfall thats be dry for over 10,000 years and the cliffs are still standing

Both are near Great Falls MT