Today I thought I’d share a travel post as I haven’t in quite a while! We saw some beautiful places on our road trip a couple of weeks ago, but the prettiest by far was Glacier National Park.
On our way back to Minnesota, we drove four full days with a two-day break in the middle to visit Glacier. It was winter, so much of the park was closed, but we found some open roads and trails to make the most of our short visit.
We got into town late on a Monday night and stayed all three nights at Cedar Creek Lodge in Columbia Falls. It’s a cozy and very reasonably-priced hotel. There’s a fitness center, pool, and hot breakfast buffet served every morning (that my fiance with celiac ate without getting sick).
Going-to-the-Sun Road & Snyder Creek Trail
On our first day, we lounged around our room in the morning and submitted our application for our new apartment. Then once it had warmed up a bit, we drove about twenty minutes to the west park entrance.
No one was at the entrance or the visitor center, so we picked up a map and chose our own course for the day. First, we stopped at the Apgar Campgrounds to take some pictures of Lake McDonald, the biggest lake in the park. Then, we decided to drive up Going-to-the-Sun Road along the eastern side of the lake.
The mountains in the park are spectacular–that’s really the only way to describe them. They’re especially dramatic when they’re snow-covered. I enjoyed that we were able to drive leisurely and admire the scenery. There was essentially no one there!
When we got to Lake McDonald Lodge, near the eastern end of the lake, we decided to pull over and do some hiking. We hiked what was open of the Snyder Creek trail (a little over a mile roundtrip) and took in the beauty of the rushing creek. It was so peaceful.
Then we headed back for a relaxing evening at the lodge.
Hiking Around Apgar Visitor Center
On our second day, we did less driving and more hiking. After entering the park, we drove up Camas Road until we found a closure sign and parked in a nearby lot.
We hiked back into the woods next to a small tributary. The sun was finally out and the snow was sparkling. You couldn’t hear any noise from the road. It was perfectly quiet except for the sound of the wind in the pines. Unfortunately, the trail name wasn’t labeled on the park map–I’d love to share it with you otherwise.
We hiked a couple of miles (hiking in melting snow is no easy business!) and spent some time relaxing by the creek.
Overall, even though much of the park was closed, I think that visiting in the off-season has its perks. While I’d love to visit Glacier in the summer, too, we visited Yosemite last summer and oh my goodness. It was beautiful, but completely overrun! One of the reasons I love hiking, and visiting parks in general, is to feel disconnected from the rush of everyday life. I certainly felt that way at Glacier.
But tell me, where’s the most beautiful place you went this week? It doesn’t have to be a park–you can find beauty in so many places if you’re looking for it 🙂