Bighorn Sheep at Glacier

Glacier National Park

Of all the National Parks I visited in 2010, Glacier National Park was the wildest, most rugged place. Other parks might have a taller peak, bigger river, or deeper canyon. But, Glacier is different. Glacier is a little bit canyon – like the Grand Canyon, but formed by Glaciers so different. It is a little bit like Rocky Mountain – but not really. It has lakes and mountains like the Tetons, and yet it isn’t really like them, either. It is its own place and quite dramatic.Bighorn Sheep at Glacier

Glacier was the most wild in another way. I spent six nights in the park with no hookups, no internet, no electricity except our batteries and no water except what I filled in our tanks. This was truly an off-grid week.

The natural beauty of Glacier is incredible. One day, I did a five mile round trip hike to a lake in the mountains. You could look up and see five waterfalls fed by snow melt and a glacier that was hidden over the top of the mountains. On another day, I rode the Going to the Sun road up to Logan Pass. In the high altitude, I hiked in a meadow and saw two kinds of Marmots and some Ground Squirrels. This isn’t the big wildlife you I saw in other places but it was great nature. Glacier does have some big wildlife. A Bighorn Sheep walked within about 100 yards of me.

It was bear country; keep all your food locked in your camper. We joked that if Yogi Bear was written today, the ranger wouldn’t be after Yogi but after the campers who leave food out. To their credit, the rangers did a great job of patrolling the camp areas.

There are many fun activities in Glacier. You can rent a rowboat on Lake McDonald, ride horses, or do a rafting trip. The village area has some neat shops and restaurants. The local specialty is huckleberry. No, not the cartoon character, but a berry that looks similar to a blueberry. We saw them growing wild along the trail – and tried huckleberry cobbler, huckleberry ice cream, and even huckleberry beer.

I stayed at the Fish Creek campground in Glacier. This is a very wooded place. Campsites are arranged on loops. Accessing our site was very tight. With 50 feet of rig; a 22 foot truck and a camper that is 28 feet overall; getting in the site was tricky. Once in the site, the brush came right up to the camper. Yet, there was a nice open area for a picnic table and campfire ring. I had planned an area near the bath house – but it was closed for construction. As great as this campground is, I wouldn’t recommend it for a big rig. If you have a smaller camper, you will be happy with the location. Overall, this is a wonderful campground if you are small and self-sufficient.

I hope you have the opportunity to visit Glacier. Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment or question.

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