AT LAST: a blog post that isn’t about China. I know, I was getting sick of them too. This one, oddly enough, is about America. Weird, right? It’s not stereotypical America, though–rather, it’s my favorite place in all of America: Glacier National Park.

Glacier National Park is located in Montana, very close to the Canadian border. It’s not as popular as some of the other parks in the Western U.S. States–Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Sequoia, and so on. It’s a shame, because this place truly is a gem. I visited for 4 days back in 2011, but it’s still very high on my current list of places to see in America. And, all in good reason:

The Wildlife

The wildlife was cute, yes, but above all else, these animals were friendly. Big-horned sheep hiked with us for twenty minutes at a time, while beavers glanced curiously at us before scurrying off to do other beaver things. Because not many tourists visit this park, the wildlife still isn’t quite used to us odd-looking humans.

The Back Country

While we were there, my brother and I went on a 10-mile hike through Siyeh Pass and onto Sunrift Gorge. This was the first real hike I’d ever completed, and it was astounding. This hike is the reason why I’m so enamored with mountains to this very day.

We started off on the side of the road–the only road that runs through the entire park. Slowly, we made our way through pine forests, a flower-filled valley, trickling creeks, increasingly elevated gravel, and, eventually, to the top of Siyeh Pass.

And then, we headed down. Down, down, down. We were lucky enough to rest our eyes upon this incredible view for more than two hours.

During this hike, we saw less than twenty people. Because there’s only one road that runs through Glacier, this park is a back country hiker’s playground. You could get lost for weeks on these trails with nothing but a tent, some food, some water, and the vast array of mountains. If you like hiking and you like getting away from the crowds, this park is the place for you.

The Touristy Attractions are Great, Too!

It’s not too often that I recommend travelers visit touristy things…but at Glacier, it’s different. You can do touristy things and not be swallowed by a crowd. The entire amount of visitors that Glacier sees each year is probably equivalent to some tiny, tiny Chinese city. The touristy attractions here are stunning, too, meaning that if long hikes and camping aren’t your thing, this destination will amaze you just the same.

NO SALES TAX?

This is one of the things that excited me the most about Glacier: there’s no sales tax in the state of Montana! Coming from Illinois where taxes are a pain in my parent’s arse’s (especially near Chicago), this was a wonderful breath of fresh air, and this makes Glacier an affordable choice for budget travelers.

Go….QUICK!

Glacier sees around 2 million visitors every year, compared to Yellowstone’s 3 million and Yosemite’s 4 million. This number is rising, meaning that someday, there may be more roads that go through the park, leading to fewer empty trails, more tourists, and a park that may not be the same  breath of fresh air that I visited in 2011. On your next trip out West, make sure to include Glacier on your list of parks to hike!

Helpful Things to Know When Visiting

• There is an Amtrak station on the east side of the park! Other than driving, this is the best way to access the park and likely the cheapest option–there is a free shuttle that runs daily along Going-to-the-Sun Road, meaning Glacier can easily be visited without a car.
• The nearest airport is in Kallispell, Montana, but since it’s a smaller city, flights are likely to be more expensive than driving or taking a train.
• My family flew into Calgary, Canada and rented a car to drive down to Glacier, and afterwards, we headed back up to Banff and a few other parks in British Colombia. This was a great way to do it, but if I were a student paying for my own trip at the time, it would have been too pricey.
• There are bears in the park, so you have to be a bit careful. But, usually, trails are marked closed if there is eminent bear danger in the area.
• Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed for a large portion of the year due to snow, making Glacier difficult to visit in the fall and the spring. But, if you happen to have some free time for a visit in July or August (or in the winter months for skiing), it’s well worth the trip.

I’m hoping to make a visit out here this August or some other time in the next few years. I need to spend some more time in these mountains. See you soon, Glacier!