Road Trips Let us know where you've been on your Harley, the best places to visit on a bike, etc.

Glacier Nat. Park

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 11-14-2016, 08:21 PM
uplandpinter's Avatar
uplandpinter
uplandpinter is offline
Road Captain
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: MN. USA
Posts: 744
Received 26 Likes on 23 Posts
Default Glacier Nat. Park

This year when we go to sturgis we plan to make a side trip to Glacier.

So lets plan it.
Roads to take, things to see and places to stay.

3 or 4 nights.
 
  #2  
Old 11-14-2016, 11:08 PM
glider11's Avatar
glider11
glider11 is offline
Advanced
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Northern Il
Posts: 89
Received 14 Likes on 9 Posts
Default

Just rode GNP this last summer. Left Cody, WY in the morning avoided Beartooth and Chief Joseph on the way up in order to make time. I was riding 2up with my wife so I wanted to make it as comfortable as I could for her. We spent the night at the Glacier Lodge in East Glacier. Be careful in Browning the reservations can be a bit rough. Saw a review on here for the Glacier Lodge and decided to give it a try. It reminded me of the hotel from The Shining! Kinda spooky. It is a very grand old lodge. I'm glad we stayed but wouldn't repeat. It is very expensive, and rustic. No tv, ac, doors don't really close, and a creaky old bed. The restaurant was terrific great food. The next morning we took off for GNP. We took 49 to 89 to Going to the Sun. I have been here before and wanted to share this amazing beauty with my wife. From the moment you leave East Glacier it is awesome! What at an experience. We took our time stopping for lots of pics. Don't go to fast in comparison to Yellowstone it's over before you know it. We left GNP and rode south down 2 to 93. Stopped in downtown Kalispell at a really cool brewery. Sorry can't remember the name. We followed 93 along the never ending Flathead Lake back to 90 and into Missoula. All in all it was an amazing ride that I got to share with my wife and she loved it.
We did this ride the first week of August. It was cool in the mornings 40's and 70's by afternoon. Some rain not bad. I wanted to stay close to the park to get an early start in the morning and avoid traffic, which wasn't bad at all. We were through GNP by noon. The line was starting to get pretty long at the gate on our way out.

Stay safe and enjoy, GNP is absolutely amazing.
 
  #3  
Old 11-15-2016, 05:27 AM
HDriderDave1's Avatar
HDriderDave1
HDriderDave1 is offline
Tourer
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Albertville, AL
Posts: 268
Received 17 Likes on 13 Posts
Default

We are heading to Yellowstone late June next year and just might have to add this to our trip. Thanks
 
  #4  
Old 11-15-2016, 07:52 AM
Architect's Avatar
Architect
Architect is offline
Seasoned HDF Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Long Island, New York
Posts: 7,759
Received 4,923 Likes on 2,565 Posts
Default

We went there three years ago on our way home from Sturgis. We were coming north from Yellowstone, nothing but great roads, 93 is exceptional. We stayed two nights in Whitefish on the West side of the road, great little town with lots of stuff to do. Hidden Moose Lodge is where we slept, great family owned place. After GNP we rode route 2 east all the way to Mackinaw City, Michigan, fun road, lots to see and experience. Good luck.
 
  #5  
Old 11-15-2016, 09:24 AM
woodman's Avatar
woodman
woodman is offline
Ultimate HDF Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Washington
Posts: 7,373
Likes: 0
Received 363 Likes on 361 Posts
Default

Great park.
Going to the Sun .
 
  #6  
Old 11-15-2016, 10:24 AM
FlyingSkeet's Avatar
FlyingSkeet
FlyingSkeet is offline
Road Captain
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: NorCal
Posts: 511
Received 85 Likes on 61 Posts
Default

Whitefish great place to stay! Night life, micro brewery's, they were finishing building a up-scale hotel down town.
 
  #7  
Old 11-15-2016, 10:55 AM
Architect's Avatar
Architect
Architect is offline
Seasoned HDF Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Long Island, New York
Posts: 7,759
Received 4,923 Likes on 2,565 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by FlyingSkeet
Whitefish great place to stay! Night life, micro brewery's, they were finishing building a up-scale hotel down town.
Brewery, yes find the time and maybe a taxi:

http://www.greatnorthernbrewing.com/
 
  #8  
Old 11-15-2016, 01:28 PM
dh_meyer's Avatar
dh_meyer
dh_meyer is offline
Road Captain
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: MN
Posts: 550
Received 92 Likes on 59 Posts
Default

Hope some of my Glacier/Yellowstone/Sturgis trip report helps:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_...GhWdVo4MThVODA



And dont miss the slideshow, with tunes :

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_...m1pQUV1QTEtams
 
The following 5 users liked this post by dh_meyer:
Brit Biker (12-16-2016), Gloria Randall Smith (05-31-2017), jaapkroes (01-12-2017), Midnight Blue Rider (06-15-2017), uplandpinter (12-05-2016)
  #9  
Old 11-15-2016, 01:56 PM
son of the hounds's Avatar
son of the hounds
son of the hounds is offline
Grand HDF Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Idaho Panhandle
Posts: 4,711
Received 2,515 Likes on 1,302 Posts
Default

I prefer riding up Glacier's West side, going West to East as you are on the view side most of the way. It is the same reason I prefer Beartooth from the East side. Stop and take photos of the hairpins. There will be traffic, but it is about the view, not a race. Someone said go early. To this we agree, most "Tourist" don't get to the entrance before 10:00AM. This is true of most Western parks, Utah, Wyoming, Montana all get busy by 11:00.

If you decide to take that route, I concur that 93 from Arco to Kallispell is a nice way to connect the dots, but there are others as well depending on how many days and miles you are leaving yourself. But don't worry, once you ride it....you'll be back. Just be warned, that ID 28, Sacajewea Byway is boring. It is worth going to Butte City and taking 93 through Challis and North.
 
The following users liked this post:
Gloria Randall Smith (05-31-2017)
  #10  
Old 11-15-2016, 03:58 PM
skeetz's Avatar
skeetz
skeetz is offline
Cruiser
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Hamilton,Ontario
Posts: 234
Received 27 Likes on 23 Posts
Default

On the East side of GNP, west of Babb is Many Glacier Hotel. Great place for picnic lunch and if you have the $$ a good place to eat n stay. I went from Kalispell over the Going to the Sun road, had lunch at Many then over the Sun road back to Kalispell in time for dinner.
I agree with Son of the Hound, going from west to east has the better views and the easier access to most overlooks.
 
The following users liked this post:
Gloria Randall Smith (05-31-2017)


Quick Reply: Glacier Nat. Park



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:21 AM.