How does spending fall in Glacier National Park and Waterton National Park sound to you? These two parks make up the first International Peace Park. Glacier is located in Montana and Waterton is located in Alberta, Canada and the parks combined to make up the international peace park as a symbol of how Canada and the USA get along and support each other. One of these parks has a hike that was on National Geographic’s most thrilling hikes in the world list! Read on to find out all about our adventures in the first International Peace Park.
These two parks are indescribably beautiful and fall is the optimal time to visit them. The crowds in both parks are smaller in the fall after school is back in session and the summer crowds have faded. The leaves are changing, the wildlife is out foraging for their winter storage and the absolute beauty of the park will leave you wanting more. Fall weather tends to be perfect but you will definitely want to check prior to your trip to make sure there isn’t an early snowfall closing areas of the park.
In 202 GNP had about 1.7 million visitors and the 2021 numbers are already estimated to be much higher. If you are planning a trip to GNP there are several places to stay and camp. Going-to-the-Sun-Road will take you the 50 miles around the park so you can access both the West and East side of Glacier. However, please make sure to check the GNP website because The Going to the Sun Road often closes in early October and may not fully open until late June or early July depending on snowfall. (This year it opened on June 25) Your lodging will depend on if you enter on the East or West side of Glacier and if the Going-to-the-Sun-Road is open. We entered on the East side (most popular) and I will be concentrating on the East side of GNP for this blog.
There are several hotels inside GNP, we stayed at the St. Mary’s Lodge. Rooms range from $200-$300 per night and they are rustic and Wi-Fi is spotty. There are several other hotels as well and they all tend to fill up quickly so reservations are highly suggested. There are several campgrounds in GNP and they are first come first serve with the exception of the campsites at Fish Creek and Many Glacier where individual reservations can be made via recreation.gov. ***Several campgrounds have closed due to staffing limitations so please check before you go.
Both GNP and Waterton are must see parks even if you do not hike. There is so much to see and do including hiking, biking, camping, fishing, boating, swimming, searching safely for wildlife and simply enjoying the beauty of the parks.
On our trip to we saw so much wildlife from ground squirrels, marmots, deer, bighorn sheep, black bears and grizzly bears. Our favorite hikes were on every lists top 10 list and include:
1.Highline Trail.This trail is epic.It is 11.8 miles with an elevation gain of 1950 feet.You start the hike at Logan’s Pass.Parking is limited so get there before 7 am to increase your chances.Visit the Logan Pass visitor’s center before/after your hike.This hike starts by having you traverse across a ledge while holding onto a steel cable as you view the Going-to-the-Sun-Road hundreds of feet below you in a sheer drop off.This hike is filled with incredible views and the Granite Park Chalet.The Chalet is located at about mile 7.5 and it’s a great place for lunch.If you want to stay in the backcountry the Chalet also has 12 guestrooms with 2 to 6 bunks in each room.There are no amenities including no electricity at the Chalet.The Chalet does serve snacks, bottled water, and has propane stove to cook your own meals.
Reservations are suggested. This hike is often called the Highline Loop Trail but it is not a loop. You start and stop at different points so as you will continue past the Chalet you will travel through a portion of the park that was devastated by the 2003 Trapper Creek Fire. At mile 11.2 you will reach the bottom of the descent where you will turn left and walk another ½ mile, cross a footbridge and walk another 1/10 of a mile to the trailhead. This hike is #1 on every hiking list I have seen. It is rated as difficult but it is worth every step.
2. Our 2nd hike was to Iceberg Lake and our third hike was to the Ptarmigan Lake and Tunnel. The trailhead for both hikes is located behind the Swiftcurrent Inn. You take the trail until you see the markers for Iceberg Lake to the Left and Ptarmigan to the right. We did Iceberg Lake first. It is a 9.6 mile hike with 1210’ of elevation gain, with incredible views of the Lake and a Glacier. We even saw the glacier calve and you will see huge pieces of ice floating in the water even during the summer. You can swim in the lake if you like icy cold water!!
To do Ptarmigan you follow the same hike but turn right to head to Ptarmigan Lake. Please pay close attention to trail markers so you follow Ptarmigan. Beyond the junction there will be about a 400-foot ascent over the next 6/10 of a mile. Once this ascent is complete the saddle of the Tunnel and the Ptarmigan Wall will become even more dramatic. At roughly 4.3 miles from the trailhead you will reach the Lake. You can take a short side trail down to the Lake and it is a great place to stop for lunch. To continue on to the Tunnel it is a steep 600-foot climb in a mile. It looks impressive (and hard) from the Lake. You have the option of staying at the Lake to enjoy lunch and return to the trailhead or continue on to the tunnel for some incredible views.
Please note that GNP is bear country and both Iceberg Lake and Ptarmigan are known for Grizzly activity. The highline trail is also in bear country but Iceberg and Ptarmigan are less traveled so it is important to make noise, travel in a group if you can and definitely carry bear spray. Please check with a ranger as these trails may close due to bear activity at various times throughout the year.
After hiking in Glacier we made the tough decision to stick to our plans and travel 30 miles up to Alberta, Canada and into Waterton National Park. You will need your passport and vaccination card to enter into Canada. Our decision to go to Waterton was one of the best decisions we ever made.
Waterton has similar accommodations as GNP with several hotels and campgrounds. We stayed at the Glacier Suites. Again, prices range from $180-$300 depending on dates/rooms. There is plenty of camping near Waterton but spaces fill quickly even in the backcountry. You will need a valid camping permit and Parks Canada Pass to camp. You will also need a fire permit for each night you have a fire. Waterton is windy so make sure you have sturdy camping equipment.
The absolute highlight of our entire trip came when we did one of National Geographic’s most thrilling hikes in the world! Crypt Lake.
To get to the trailhead you have to take a 15 minute boat ride from Waterton Marina. The ticket booth opens at 8 am and it says the first boat leaves at 9. However, we arrived early and our boat left at about 8:15 and they run up until about 9:30 am. Since we were on the first boat over we were some of the first hikers off the boat and we didn’t have hikers in front of us. For faster hikers this is a bonus so you don’t get stuck behind slower hikers. I am not the fastest hiker but it was nice to have the trails to ourselves for at least a portion of the hike.
The hike begins in the forest and leads uphill with an easy slope. As you continue on you will see waterfalls, you will cross water and at the 5 km mark you will start the switchbacks up to the Lake. Once you complete this section you will come to the portion of the trail that makes it thrilling. You will cross a small ledge about a meter wide that is over a cliff, we saw several people here who were panicked and scared to go on. The trail here is only wide enough for one-way traffic so you may spend time here waiting for hikers to come/go from the opposite direction. Once you pass this ledge area you will come to a tunnel. Taller hikers with backpacks may need to remove their packs and carry them in front. Upon exiting the narrow tunnel you will be on another narrow ledge with a fixed cable, so you have something to hold onto, as you traverse the ledge. The views here are incredible as you are hundreds of meters above the canyon bottom. Once you complete this portion you are only a couple hundred easy meters from the Lake. The Lake itself is beautiful, cold and swimmable if you like cold water! If you are there early you have plenty of time to enjoy the lake, have lunch, swim or take a nap. Just remember you have to take the boat back to the marina and the last boat leaves Crypt Lake at 5:30 pm.
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