Best Things to Do in Glacier National Park: Going-to-the-Sun Road & Scenic Highlights

There are beautiful national parks.

And then there are places where you find yourself repeatedly saying, “Oh my goodness, look at that!”

Glacier National Park was one of those places for us.

We spent about a month in the area, which gave us plenty of opportunities to explore Glacier National Park and the surrounding countryside.

Unfortunately, our visit coincided with heavy smoke drifting into Montana from the terrible California wildfires of 2020. As photographers, that was frustrating because the smoke frequently obscured the mountain views we were hoping to capture.

But our photography problems were insignificant compared with what people and wildlife were experiencing in the fire areas.

And even with the smoke, Glacier was spectacular.

We drove the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road, explored Lake McDonald, saw waterfalls and glaciers, visited St. Mary Lake, wandered around the surrounding Montana communities and even took one rather ridiculous side trip all the way to the Canadian border.

Glacier National Park was an adventure from beginning to end.

Starting in West Glacier

Our introduction to the park began in the tiny community of West Glacier.

And tiny really is the word.

We thought it was adorable.

There was a cafe, general store, gift shop and ice cream shop, with buildings that coordinated beautifully with one another.

Then we headed through the entrance and began our journey into Glacier National Park.

Our first major destination was Lake McDonald.

Lake McDonald

Lake McDonald is enormous—long and narrow, surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery.

The photographs simply didn’t capture what we were seeing.

The water close to shore was incredibly clear. Once it became deeper, it changed into the most beautiful turquoise-blue color.

It was gorgeous.

General approved too.

He even met another dog and got to play in the lake for a while.

We quickly learned that Glacier wasn’t going to be one of those places where we drove straight from one major attraction to another.

There was too much to see along the way.

McDonald Falls and Sacred Dancing Cascade

As we continued along the road from Lake McDonald, we followed McDonald Creek and began encountering waterfalls and cascades.

One of our first stops was McDonald Falls.

Then we came to Sacred Dancing Cascade, another beautiful stretch of rushing water.

The combination of clear blue water, rocks, forest and mountains made this entire section of the park incredibly scenic.

Red Rock Point

Next came Red Rock Point.

The name made perfect sense as soon as we saw it.

The rocks really were amazingly red.

What made the scene even more striking was the contrast between those intensely colored rocks and the brilliant blue water.

Glacier National Park seemed to specialize in colors that looked almost too vivid to be real.

The Avalanche Area—and the Parking Problem

One place we really wanted to explore was the Avalanche area.

Unfortunately, so did everyone else.

We went into Glacier National Park four times during our stay and never managed to find a parking space there.

Not once.

We would have loved to explore the trail, but it simply didn’t work out for us.

It was an early lesson in just how popular some of Glacier’s best-known areas can be.

It was also an important point on Going-to-the-Sun Road during our visit because larger vehicles couldn’t continue beyond this general area.

And once we started climbing, we understood why.

Driving Going-to-the-Sun Road

We had watched videos about Glacier National Park before we arrived.

Somehow, we still weren’t prepared for Going-to-the-Sun Road.

We didn’t realize how narrow parts of it were.

And we certainly didn’t appreciate just how dramatically it climbed along the side of the mountain.

Then we started driving it.

Oh, good Lord.

If steep mountain roads bother you, there are portions of this drive that may get your attention.

The road climbs directly along the mountainside, with enormous views down into the valley.

There were a few particularly narrow curves that made us nervous.

But here’s the funny part.

We drove it four times.

Ed drove up twice.

I drove up twice.

After that initial shock, neither of us found most of the road terribly bad. There were two or three particularly narrow areas that definitely required our attention, but overall we managed it just fine.

And the scenery?

Incredible.

The Tunnel and Mountain Views

As we climbed Going-to-the-Sun Road, we passed through a fascinating tunnel carved through the mountainside.

There was a pull-off before the tunnel where you could walk back toward it.

The tunnel even had openings somewhat like little balconies where you could look out toward the surrounding mountains.

It was another reminder of what an extraordinary engineering project this road must have been.

Everywhere we looked, mountains rose around us.

We could see patches of snow and glaciers in the distance.

Meanwhile, the road continued climbing higher above the valley.

At one point, we’d gained roughly 2,000 feet from where we’d started below.

Weeping Wall

Another memorable feature along Going-to-the-Sun Road was the Weeping Wall.

Water seeped through the porous rock above us and emerged through cracks in the mountainside before flowing down toward the roadway.

After seeing so many enormous mountain vistas, it was fun to stop and notice something completely different happening right beside the road.

Triple Arches

We also passed Triple Arches, where the roadway crosses a bridge structure built between sections of rock.

By this point, we were paying almost as much attention to the construction of Going-to-the-Sun Road as we were to the landscape.

Someone had to figure out how to build a road through all of this.

Driving it was nerve-racking enough.

We couldn’t imagine building it.

Snow and Glaciers Beside the Road

Then came one of those moments that reminded us how far from home we’d traveled.

Snow!

We were looking at snow and ice right beside the road.

For travelers accustomed to seeing mountains only from a distance, being surrounded by this kind of alpine landscape was exciting.

We couldn’t stop looking around.

Logan Pass

Eventually we reached the Logan Pass area.

There were several hikes accessible from the visitor center, and we really wanted to do one.

Unfortunately, we encountered the same problem we’d had at Avalanche.

Parking.

We drove into the Logan Pass parking area several times during our visits to Glacier and never managed to find a space.

So we missed those hikes.

It was disappointing, but there was so much else to see that it certainly didn’t ruin our visit.

Lunch Creek

Near Logan Pass, we stopped to see Lunch Creek.

Water cascaded down the mountainside through the rocks, creating another beautiful little waterfall area.

Glacier had a seemingly endless supply of moving water.

Rivers, creeks, cascades and waterfalls appeared everywhere.

Jackson Glacier

One Glacier attraction we could enjoy without fighting for a parking spot was Jackson Glacier.

We viewed it from an overlook along the road.

There was an informational display there explaining the history of glaciers within the park.

Seeing an actual glacier in the mountains gave us a much better appreciation for how Glacier National Park earned its name.

St. Mary Lake and Wild Goose Island

Another spectacular stop was St. Mary Lake.

The lake itself was beautiful, surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery.

But one little feature makes this view especially memorable:

Wild Goose Island.

The tiny island sits out in the lake surrounded by an enormous landscape.

It’s one of those places where the scale of everything around you becomes difficult to comprehend.

Mountains, lake, sky and one tiny island.

Absolutely beautiful.

During our 2020 visit, pandemic-related restrictions prevented us from continuing all the way through the eastern side of the park, so we traveled as far as the Rising Sun area before turning around.

That meant another trip back across Going-to-the-Sun Road.

By then, we were practically becoming professionals.

General’s Fifth Birthday Hike

Our Glacier-area adventure wasn’t entirely about the national park.

General turned five years old while we were in Montana.

Since he loved hiking, we decided the perfect birthday celebration would be taking him for one.

We chose McGinnis Creek Road, which ended up becoming one of our favorite places in the area.

Once we reached the top of the hill, we could actually look down and see the campground where our trailer was parked.

That was pretty neat.

General got his hike.

And, naturally, he got birthday presents too.

The Mysterious Deck of Cards

Something else happened on that hike that still makes us laugh.

Ed and I had recently been talking about how we wished we had a deck of cards in the RV.

There were times when we camped somewhere with poor internet service and thought it would be nice to sit down and play cards.

Then, while hiking along McGinnis Creek Road…

We found a deck of cards lying on the ground.

Well, okay then.

Ask and you shall receive, apparently.

Exploring Columbia Falls

We also spent time in Columbia Falls, which we really liked.

It was the kind of small town where we immediately felt comfortable.

One building particularly caught our attention because of its beautiful murals.

The front was painted to resemble the E.H. Snyder Drugstore, while the side featured a wonderful forest scene.

Then we discovered something that made us like it even more.

It was the Masonic Lodge.

The most beautifully painted building we’d noticed in town turned out to be the lodge.

We thought that was pretty awesome.

The Flathead River

General also discovered another favorite Montana attraction:

The Flathead River.

The water was crystal clear and incredibly cold.

We spent time near the confluence of the North Fork and Middle Fork, where General could enjoy the river while we relaxed nearby.

We watched locals enjoying the water and could easily understand why.

If we lived in that area, we’d probably spend plenty of time kayaking and hanging out beside the river too.

We even spent some time watching a butterfly eat.

One of the things we love about slow travel is having time for moments like that.

Not everything needs to be a major tourist attraction.

Our Ridiculous Trip to the Canadian Border

And then there was our surprise adventure.

We decided to drive to one of the most remote Canadian border crossings we could find in northwestern Montana.

That involved driving roughly 45 miles on a rough dirt road.

Why?

Apparently because we’re crazy.

When we finally arrived, the border crossing was closed.

There was a gate.

A ditch.

And a border marker.

That was about it.

We’d just driven all that way to look at a ditch separating the United States and Canada.

Naturally, we thought this was hilarious.

Then two guys from Texas showed up.

Suddenly we felt better.

Apparently we weren’t the only people crazy enough to drive 45 miles down a bad dirt road just to say we’d been there.

Standing at the U.S.–Canada Border

There was a cleared strip marking the international border, along with markers identifying the United States on one side and Canada on the other.

And yes, at one point Ed realized he was technically standing in Canada.

Uh-oh.

It was the farthest north we’d traveled up to that point, and although there wasn’t exactly a bustling tourist attraction waiting for us, the trip became one of those wonderfully ridiculous memories we still associate with Montana.

The drive also showed us just how much recreation was tucked into this remote part of the state.

We passed National Forest access points, trails, river access and other areas that were clearly being used.

Apparently Montanans were much less bothered by those rough roads than we were.

Our hats were off to them.

RV Life Strikes Again

Of course, our month in Montana couldn’t be entirely waterfalls, glaciers and scenic drives.

We also had a problem with our travel trailer.

We’d been getting rodents inside and couldn’t figure out where they were coming from.

Eventually Ed crawled underneath our used Keystone Bullet and discovered something we hadn’t noticed when we’d bought it.

A previous owner had apparently cut large sections of the plastic underbelly material to access something beneath the trailer.

Instead of properly restoring it afterward, the cuts had essentially been taped back together.

By the time we discovered the problem, some of that repair had failed.

And we were sitting in the Montana wilderness.

Wonderful.

The Field Repair

Ed did what RVers frequently have to do.

He improvised.

He drilled matching holes along the separated sections and used heavy-duty zip ties almost like stitches to pull the material back together.

Once everything was tightened, he covered the repair with Gorilla Tape as well as he could.

Was it a glamorous RV repair?

No.

Did it get us through?

That’s what mattered.

And it taught us something we’d never considered before.

A Lesson for Anyone Buying a Used RV

If you’re buying a used travel trailer, look underneath it.

Really look.

Crawl underneath if you’re able to do so safely and inspect the underbelly.

We were inexperienced when we bought ours and never thought to check for something like this.

After finding those old cuts and repairs, we knew better.

That’s one of the reasons we’ve always shared our RV mistakes along with the beautiful travel footage.

If something we learned the hard way can keep somebody else from making the same mistake, at least something good came out of it.

What We Loved Most About Glacier National Park

Our Glacier experience was about much more than one attraction, but several places really stood out:

• Going-to-the-Sun Road
• Lake McDonald
• McDonald Falls
• Sacred Dancing Cascade
• Red Rock Point
• Weeping Wall
• Triple Arches
• Logan Pass scenery
• Lunch Creek
• Jackson Glacier
• St. Mary Lake
• Wild Goose Island
• The surrounding mountain scenery
• Flathead River
• Exploring the communities around the park

And then there were all the little unexpected moments that weren’t on any sightseeing itinerary.

General’s birthday hike.

Finding the deck of cards.

Watching a butterfly.

Driving 45 miles to look at a ditch at the Canadian border.

Repairing the bottom of our trailer with zip ties and Gorilla Tape.

That’s RV travel.

Tips From Our Glacier National Park Visit

If you’re planning your own Glacier adventure, there are a few things we’d suggest based on our experience.

Give yourself more than one day. There is far too much to see to rush through the park.

Expect parking to be difficult at popular areas. We tried repeatedly to park at Avalanche and Logan Pass and never succeeded during our visit.

Research Going-to-the-Sun Road before you arrive. We hadn’t fully appreciated how narrow and steep portions of it would be. Check current vehicle restrictions, road conditions and access requirements before your trip.

Allow plenty of time for the drive. Going-to-the-Sun Road isn’t something we’d want to rush.

Stop at the smaller overlooks. Some of our favorite views came from simply pulling over along the way.

Be prepared for changing conditions. Wildfire smoke significantly affected visibility during our visit, and mountain conditions can change.

Check current park restrictions. Our visit occurred during the unusual circumstances of 2020, so some of the closures and access limitations we experienced were specific to that time.

Is Glacier National Park Worth Visiting?

Absolutely.

Despite the wildfire smoke, the parking frustrations and the occasional white-knuckle moment on Going-to-the-Sun Road, we loved our time around Glacier National Park.

The turquoise water of Lake McDonald.

The waterfalls.

The glaciers.

The mountains.

St. Mary Lake.

The engineering marvel of a road carved into the side of those enormous mountains.

It’s a magnificent part of the country.

And staying for nearly a month allowed us to do something we particularly enjoy:

We didn’t just visit the national park.

We experienced the surrounding area.

We found rivers where General could play. We explored Columbia Falls. We wandered down back roads. We celebrated a birthday. We visited the Canadian border.

And yes, we even repaired our RV in the middle of it all.

That’s what makes these trips memorable for us.

The famous attractions are wonderful.

But it’s everything that happens between them that turns a destination into an adventure.

We’ll see you down the road…and Over the Hills.

Continue the Journey

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