Glacier & Waterton Lakes National Parks

It’s amazing to consider. Intense pressure from glaciers carved out the beauty in this region—but “pressure” is the last thing you’ll feel.  The dates that include Waterton National Park are longer and have the pricing supplement.

Catch sight of a bighorn sheep perched on the edge of a bluff. Get in a morning walk through a forest full of red cedar and fir. Journey on Going-to-the-Sun Road and soak up some of the finest views in northwest Montana. That road is 50 miles of superlative scenery. There are 62 species of mammals here, from diminutive pygmy shrews to majestic mountain goats, grizzly bears and elk, more than 260 species of birds, 780 miles of trails and 10,000 years of natural history. You’ve got six days and one incredible story to tell.

Trip Overview:

• Two national parks, two countries, one phenomenal trip
• Incredible hiking in a spellbinding tableau of glacier-carved valleys, broad lakes and     majestic peaks
• The stunning Going-to-the-Sun Road
• Spot bighorn sheep, mule deer and maybe even a grizzly
• Panoramic views from the Many Glacier Hotel
• All Meals Included except for 1 dinner
• Priced from $2,698 to $3,098 per person

Location: Whitefish, MT

2012 Dates: June 24th-29th, July 8th-13th, July 22nd-27th, July 29th-Aug 3rd, Aug 5th-10th,
Aug 12th-17th, Aug 26th-31st, Sept  2nd-7th

2011 Pricing:    

$2,698 to $3,098 per person
All meals included except 1 dinner
Single Supplement: $670

Day 1: Avalanche Lake Hike

Day 2: Going-to-the-Sun Road & Highline Trail Hike

Day 3: Waterton Lakes National Park & Carthew-Alderson Trail

Day 4: Layover Day in Waterton Lakes National Park

Day 5: Many Glacier Valley & Iceberg Lake Hike

Day 6: Twin Falls Hike

Routes for All Abilities

Every trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.  Your choices range from a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most difficult.

Day 1

Avalanche Lake Hike

Meet your trip leaders at 9 a.m. at the Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish, Montana. Please arrive in your hiking clothes and have a daypack containing your rain gear and other items you might need on today’s walk (e.g., sunglasses, camera, etc.). See “Arriving & Departing” for additional logistics information.
Welcome to Glacier Country! After we meet at Grouse Mountain Lodge, your Trip Leaders make introductions and give a brief safety talk. Then we hop in the van for our scenic journey into Glacier National Park. Savor views of beautiful Lake McDonald, the largest lake in Glacier National Park at ten miles long and one mile wide. If it’s a calm day, you can see the reflection of the surrounding mountains in its mirrored surface. Arriving at the trailhead, set off along the mostly flat Trail of the Cedars. Wind through a shaded red cedar forest until you cross Avalanche Creek, where you’ll have a spectacular perspective on Avalanche Gorge, a popular subject for photographers.

The next two miles climb steadily to Avalanche Lake, so named by Dr. Lyman Sperry in 1895 after he noted large avalanche tracks down the walls of the basin surrounding the lake. During spring and early summer, winter’s snowpack turns into scores of waterfalls that gush from the highest peaks. The lake’s beach provides the perfect spot to eat our packed lunches. Afterward, jump into the chilly water for a swim, if you dare!
This afternoon we settle in at our first night’s hotel, Lake McDonald Lodge, located on the renowned Going-to-the-Sun Road. Relax in your room or by the lobby’s fireplace: the famous western artist Charles M. Russell is rumored to have scrawled the pictographs you see on the hearth. Later we toast to our upcoming adventures with a wine reception followed by dinner in the dining room.

Lodging: Lake McDonald Lodge

Day 2

Going-to-the-Sun Road & Highline Trail Hike

We begin our day with a drive over Going-to-the-Sun Road, said to be the most beautiful 50 miles in the world. Cut into the Garden Wall escarpment, this narrow stretch of highway is the only road connecting the east and west entrances to the park. It crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass (6,646 feet) and offers stunning vistas of the park’s diverse scenery from forests and glacial lakes to broad alpine prairies. Our scenic hike is along one of the premier trails in the park—ideal for spotting wildlife, especially bighorn sheep, mountain goats, grizzly bears and ground squirrels. Make your way across fairly level terrain to an open alpine hillside, partially forested by evergreens. After reaching a viewpoint overlooking Going-to-the-Sun Road, the trail continues toward Haystack Butte. The mountains of the Continental Divide (known as the “Garden Wall”) tower above on your right, and the triumvirate of Mount Oberlin, Mount Cannon and Heaven’s Peak dominates the skyline to your left. Take in this amazing picture before returning the way you came and continuing to Many Glacier Hotel, which offers panoramic views of Grinnell Point reflected in Swiftcurrent Lake. We gather this evening for dinner in the hotel’s dining room.

Lodging: Many Glacier Hotel

Day 3

Waterton Lakes National Park & Carthew-Alderson Trail

After breakfast we shuttle north to Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park, part of the Waterton/Glacier International Peace Park commemorating the long friendship between the United States and Canada. Cameron Lake is the starting point of today’s hike along the Carthew-Alderson Trail, which leads through numerous botanical life zones and past the austere Forum Peak to the west and Mount Custer to the south. Take a break and enjoy the tranquility at Summit Lake and perhaps spot mule deer. This is the turnaround point for the short option, leaving you time to return to Cameron Lake for an optional kayaking excursion (kayaking is not included in the trip price).

Or you may decide to continue uphill to Bear Grass Flats for views of turquoise lakes and the sharp outline of glacially sculpted peaks. If you choose to keep hiking, it’s a steep push to the barren rocky Carthew Summit, but the resulting vistas are well worth the effort. Come prepared for all weather—it can change in an instant at the summit. A steady descent brings you to Waterton Townsite and the Prince of Wales Hotel. This historic inn is one of the most photographed hotels in North America due to its supremely picturesque setting where “the mountains meet the prairie.”

Lodging: Prince of Wales Hotel

Day 4

Layover Day in Waterton Lakes National Park

The day is yours to be as active or relaxed as you’d like. You can explore one of many nearby trails on foot or horseback, return to Cameron Lake for fishing or kayaking, or take a cruise on Waterton Lake. (Please note that horseback riding, fishing, kayaking and the cruise are not included in the trip price.) If you hop aboard a boat to Goat Haunt, the northern gateway to Glacier National Park, you can hike to Rainbow Falls or Kootenai Lake, where moose are sometimes seen, or walk up to Goat Haunt Overlook for spectacular views of Waterton Lake.

When you’re near the lakes, keep an eye out for birds, including kingfishers, spotted sandpipers, red-naped sapsuckers and white-crowned sparrows. There’s also time to shop for souvenirs in Waterton Townsite.

Whatever you choose to do, you’ll be surrounded by a spellbinding tableau of peaks, broad lakes and rugged glacial valleys. You’re on your own for dinner to try one of the restaurants in Waterton Townsite.

Lodging: Prince of Wales Hotel

Day 5

Many Glacier Valley & Iceberg Lake Hike

After breakfast we shuttle to the striking Many Glacier Valley. With a backdrop of Mount Wilbur to the south and the Ptarmigan Wall to the north, hike to Iceberg Lake, whose frigid waters often harbor icebergs well into summer. At one time, this lake was reputedly home to Montana’s elusive fur-bearing trout. The claim, however, turned out to be nothing more than a yarn spun by local mountain men in hopes of hoodwinking a few gullible newcomers. Although you won’t spot any hairy fish, you’ll be awed by the beauty of the Many Glacier area. Surrounded by wildflowers, tackle a 900-foot climb, then continue on a gradual ascent to the lake. You’ll be treated to sublime views of Swiftcurrent Pass and the surrounding peaks that make up the dramatic Many Glacier Valley. While enjoying a rest at Iceberg Lake, search the rocky slopes for bighorn sheep.

Later we shuttle to our next retreat, the venerable Glacier Park Lodge & Resort, nestled at the foot of Squaw Valley Mountain. Built in 1913, this grand hotel features a lobby lined with massive 40-foot-high Douglas fir pillars (hence the lodge’s Blackfoot nickname, Oom-Coo-La-Mush-Taw, or “Big Tree Lodge”).

Lodging: Glacier Park Lodge & Resort

Day 6

Twin Falls Hike

After a short drive to Two Medicine Valley, we relish a scenic boat ride across Two Medicine Lake aboard the Sinopah, built in 1927 and named for one of the prominent peaks in the area. The boat was launched the following year and has been a fixture on Two Medicine Lake ever since. The park’s first visitors depended on the Sinopah to transport them between campsites and other activities to West Glacier and the train station. After ferrying across the lake, we begin our hike from the western shore and follow a narrow trail over level terrain to Twin Falls, a cascade divided by an island. Continuing through dense forest and meadows, emerge on an open hillside bursting with wildflowers before ending at the bridge over the outlet of Pray Lake. From here, it’s just a bit farther to Two Medicine Lake Campground, where we gather for a farewell picnic before shuttling to Glacier International Airport and Whitefish.