Aug 19, 2024 - Drove to Glacier NP and Drove the Go-to-the-Sun Road

We started early in the morning and drove to Glacier NP.  From Waterton NP it is only an hour drive to Glacier NP St Mary Entrance.  We took our time passing the International Peace Park and then US Custom to get into to US.  When we got to St Mary Village, it was too early for us to check into the hotel, therefore, we went to Glacier NP St Mary Visitor Center to get my US NP Passport stamps, and checking with Rangers there for their recommendation regarding attractions and hiking trails.   The ranger we talked to told us that there are many viewpoints along the Go-to-the-Sun Road and his personal favor is the Wild Goose Island Viewpoint. 

We finally on the famous Go-to-the-Sun Road,  the St Mary Lake is on the left side of the road along with the majestic mountains as the backdrop.  No wonder people said this is the most beautiful road in US.  At the point, we already started to stop and click our cameras away.

When we got the Wild Goose Island Viewpoint, we ran into one of the famous Red Shuttle stoping nearby.  They brought a lot visitors to this viewpoint.  However, we ventured out further from the crowd and got some wonderful photos.

Next stop is Jackson Glacier Viewpoint.  We were lucky to find a parking spot , so we stopped and take some more photos.  This is the only spot along the Go-to-the-Sun Road one can spot glacier.  

Next we stop at Bird Woman Falls to take some photos on the mountains, valleys and the Bird Woman Fall.

We went thru two tunnels on the Go-to-the-Sun Road.  The first is the the East tunnel which is a short one.. The 2nd tunnel is the West Tunnel.  We stopped at the overlook area to have some photos on both sides of the tunnel and used it as backdrop. We even walked into the tunnel and found there are 2 caves for looking out from the middle of the tunnel.  In between, we passed the Logan Pass Visitor Center.  Since it is very difficult to find a parking spot there, we just drove by and tried our luck.  Surely we could not find any, therefore we continuously drove to the west.

Then we drove by the huge Lake McDonaldll on its south bank. We were able to stop by the McDonald Falls Overlook.  There is short walking trail led us to the McDonald Creek and we were able to view the falls in close distance. 

Then we came to Lake McDonald Lodge next to the Lake McDonald, we parked the car and went into this classic old hotel.  It was like the Prince of Wales Hotel having a lot of tourists just browsing around, We did the same and we also went to the back of the hotel and walked around the lake and the hotel to stretch out legs.  

The we got Apgar Visitor Center and had my NP Passport stamps.  Next we tried to go to the Apgar Village to look around, however, we could not find any parking spot, therefore we turned around and start to drive back to St Mary Village.

On out way back, we passed by the parking area for the Trail of the Cedars, luckily we found a parking spot and we took it and hiked on the Trail of the Cedars.   It is a very popular trail with boardwalk on most part of the trail, lush green of ferns and mosses growing along the forest floor, and lot of western hemlocks and red cedars.  Some of the trees in this area are estimated to be more than 500 years old. 

About half way of the trail, there is a footbridge over Avalanche Creek that provides commanding views of the lower Avalanche Gorge. At here one can enjoy a front row view of the amazing power of glacially melted water as it cascades through the narrow gorge. 

After that there is an Avalanche Lake Trail junction, however, it was too late in a day, so we just completed the Trail of the Cedars and heading back to St Mary Village. On the way, we did spot some deers next to the rest area which took us some more time for photos.

On the way we did stop by the Heavens Peak overlook.  

When we passed Logan Pass, the clouds started to come down on us quickly, for the last part of the Go-to-the-Sun before we get to the St Mary Village, it was pulling down heavily.  Luckily, the upgraded rental BMW X3 help use in this extreme weather condition.

We finally got to the St Mary Village, which is just outside of the park’s east entrance.  They gave us a room just above the check-in office which is the same building with the restaurant and shops.  It is convenient, but the setup is old and has not been updated.  It was even worst than the room we had in the Prince of Wales.  But this was the best we could do, so we just used it for sleep and planned to stay most of our time outdoor.  We just had dinner in the restaurant downstair.