Glacier National Park

"Once we were done seeing all the attractions at Yellowstone, we made the 7 hour drive up to Glacier NP. We stopped in Big Sky, MT and to our surprise, it was pretty much a ghost town. They were in their off season, but so many restaurants were closed. We tried about five different restaurants before we went to Hungry Moose Market and Deli for some sandwiches. We had two different hikes picked out, Ousel Falls Trailhead (1.5 mi//1 hr) or Reflector Loop (4 mi//2 hrs). We then made it to our campsite at West Shore Unit Flathead Lake State Park. We stayed at an incredible site (T001) right along the water for $38/night. In the morning, Wally was dropped off at A & A Glacier boarding so we could spend some quality time in the park. We started off with a two-hour horseback ride at Swan Mountain Outfitters via the CM Russell Trail. After that was done, we picked up some lunch and had a picnic at Lake McDonald. We had planned to do a 6-mile hike at Avalanche Lake via Trail of the Cedars, which would have taken around 3 hours, but we opted to go pick up Wally and head back into the park. After picking up Wally, we picked up and burgers and shakes from Mudman Burgers and drove dirt roads to Kintla Lake and Bowman Lake, (near Polebridge) (**side note, make sure you turn towards Polebridge, otherwise you will end up at the Canadian border) There was not a soul in sight in either part of the park and it was nice to sit and relax while watching the sun go down. We stayed at Best Western Plus in Kalispell for $150/night. This hotel included free breakfast and parking and did not require a pet fee! In the morning we had breakfast at the hotel and then headed to McDonald Creek Bike Path. It is the only trail in Glacier NP that is dog friendly (as long as there is no snow). It is a 2.5-mile trail between West Glacier and Apgar Visitor's Center. While our ideal plan was to drive along Going to the Sun Rd and camp at St. Mary's campground on the east end of the park, the road was still closed due to snow, so we went around the park. There were many trails and pull-out spots with river access in the national forests that surround the park. We got to our campground at St. Mary's, and stayed at site A48 for $23/night. This was our windiest night camping. It was so windy that I ended up sleeping in the car due to the noise of the wind against our tent. At 9AM my friend woke up because she thought I had started to take down the tent, but it was the wind blowing the tent away! "

"Glacier National Park is a stunning and expansive national park located in Montana, near the border with Canada. It forms part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Glacier National Park covers over a million acres of wilderness in the Rocky Mountains. The park is renowned for its rugged mountains, glaciers, deep valleys, and pristine lakes."

"Nestled in the US Rocky Mountains, this park is abundant with wildlife and incredible views. Dependent on the time of year, you'll have the opportunity to see grizzly bears, moose, bighorn sheep, or even a mountain lion! "