Glacier NP Trip

[campingfeen]

I'm putting together our summer trip to Glacier National Park, Montana. We are coming from South Dakota on I-90 into Butte MT. Then headed north on an undetermined route/rode, I'm looking for route suggestions. I'm also looking for suggestions on campgrounds to stay at and routes from Butte. One concern I have is mountain rode's and elevation. I have a 2019 1500 short box Silverado 5.3 lt engine pulling a 30 foot 2600RB Imagine weighting approximately 9,500 lbs. loaded. I've pulled this camper with this truck all through the southern and south-west states with little issues but it appears Glacier and getting to Glacier NP I'm getting into some mountainous regions. Thought and any cautions? Any positive and productive thoughts and ideas will be appreciated.

 

[Tom Traveler]

I'm putting together our summer trip to Glacier National Park, Montana. We are coming from South Dakota on I-90 into Butte MT. Then headed north on an undetermined route/rode, I'm looking for route suggestions. I'm also looking for suggestions on campgrounds to stay at and routes from Butte. One concern I have is mountain rode's and elevation. I have a 2019 1500 short box Silverado 5.3 lt engine pulling a 30 foot 2600RB Imagine weighting approximately 9,500 lbs. loaded. I've pulled this camper with this truck all through the southern and south-west states with little issues but it appears Glacier and getting to Glacier NP I'm getting into some mountainous regions. Thought and any cautions? Any positive and productive thoughts and ideas will be appreciated.

No problem on routing. You can either take I-15 north of Butte to Highway 2 and then west to Glacier NP or stay on I-90 to Missoula and go north on Highway 93 along Flathead Lake to Kalispell and Glacier Park. I-15 to Highway 2 would be shorter and quicker but I think you might find more, and nicer, RV parks on the Missoula/Kalispell route. Roads should be good either way. The biggest pass is Homestake Pass just east of Butte, climbing to about 5,500 feet.

 

[SkipRD]

No recent experience pulling a trailer in that area, but I can recommend the KOA in West Glacier. It's one of those super-duper, award-winning KOAs (9.4 rating on rvparkreviews.com, which is amazingly high given that people there tend to be a little grumpy). And it's only a couple miles from the west entrance to Glacier NP.

Skip

 

[ajg617]

We drove up 15 through Great Falls last year because we were first staying a few nights in East Glacier before moving to West Glacier. We drove to Yellowstone from West Glacier down 93 along Flathead Lake which was a very pretty ride. It's about an hours drive between East and West Glacier via Rtes 2 and 89.

Highly recommend purchasing the Mountain Directory - https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Directory-Truckers-Motorhome-Drivers/dp/0977629015

 

[Johnww]

I recall the highest road elevation in Glacier NP is at Logan Pass at 6,650 ft so elevation is not going to be a problem, plus you can't pull your trailer on the Going to The Sun Road anyway. If you decide to follow the I-90 to Missoula route stop at the Grant Knors Historic Site in Deer Lodge, Mt. We volunteered there last summer and its an interesting place. Enjoy GNP, it's a beautiful place.

 

[tjndsa]

I'm putting together our summer trip to Glacier National Park, Montana. We are coming from South Dakota on I-90 into Butte MT. Then headed north on an undetermined route/rode, I'm looking for route suggestions. I'm also looking for suggestions on campgrounds to stay at and routes from Butte. One concern I have is mountain rode's and elevation. I have a 2019 1500 short box Silverado 5.3 lt engine pulling a 30 foot 2600RB Imagine weighting approximately 9,500 lbs. loaded. I've pulled this camper with this truck all through the southern and south-west states with little issues but it appears Glacier and getting to Glacier NP I'm getting into some mountainous regions. Thought and any cautions? Any positive and productive thoughts and ideas will be appreciated.

A little jealous! We were hoping to make it that way this summer but have decided to wait until 2025. Will be following replies to this post for information for our trip as well. Safe travels to you. Enjoy!!!

 

[Rideblue51]

A couple of years ago they required a pass to enter the park, or at least drive the Road to the Sun. The amount of passes were limited because there were sooooooo many people wanting in. Not sure if they still do that but might want to check.

 

[BlewgrsTrvls]

No problem on routing. You can either take I-15 north of Butte to Highway 2 and then west to Glacier NP or stay on I-90 to Missoula and go north on Highway 93 along Flathead Lake to Kalispell and Glacier Park. I-15 to Highway 2 would be shorter and quicker but I think you might find more, and nicer, RV parks on the Missoula/Kalispell route. Roads should be good either way. The biggest pass is Homestake Pass just east of Butte, climbing to about 5,500 feet.

I second the Flathead Lake Route. It’s beautiful and very easy driving. Regardless of grade don’t go any faster down than you went up and let the engine help you keep it slow, so keep it in a lower gear.

Make sure you have time to go to Polebridge!

 

[ajg617]

A couple of years ago they required a pass to enter the park, or at least drive the Road to the Sun. The amount of passes were limited because there were sooooooo many people wanting in. Not sure if they still do that but might want to check.

Still do and the rules changed in 2024. Used to be you could rent a kayak or boat for an hour at Apgar and get a GTSR vehicle pass. Not anymore - Apgar doesn't get you a vehicle pass. If you pay for cruise or bus tour, you can get a pass for one day. Every entrance besides GTSR requires a separate vehicle pass. 1 day pass for GTSR west to east (2023 it was 3 days), North Fork entrance, and Many Glacier between 6am and 3pm. No GTSR pass if you go east to west or in Two Medicine.

https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/vehicle-reservations.htm

 

[ajg617]

I second the Flathead Lake Route. It’s beautiful and very easy driving. Regardless of grade don’t go any faster down than you went up and let the engine help you keep it slow, so keep it in a lower gear.

Make sure you have time to go to Polebridge!

Third to both of these. Made me wish we had spent more time around Flathead Lake. Polebridge sandwiches and bear claws are wonderful.

Also if you want a great (but pricey) dinner, Summit Mountain Steakhouse in Essex - midway between East and West Glacier. Best dinner we've had in 40 years. Place looks kind of suspect from the outside but was clean and professional inside with a stellar chef and servers. First time I've eaten out where presentation and taste were key.

 

[marine6805]

A couple of years ago they required a pass to enter the park, or at least drive the Road to the Sun. The amount of passes were limited because there were sooooooo many people wanting in. Not sure if they still do that but might want to check.

In 2023 passes were required, but readily available on the government site disseminated by nearly all of the RV Parks. We got to an RV park on Friday Afternoon (late), logged into the government site later on Friday, and reserved one of the 300+ passes still available (West to East) for that Saturday. On Sunday we were rolling west again towards the end of our journey to Blaine Washington.
Many RV Parks in and around West Glacier were not even answering their phones (using voice mail to suggest a 1+ year wait for RV spaces, etc.) Don't give up, call them all until you get a real live voice answer. Our Camp Host (West Glacier RV Park) told us at 1:00 P.M. they still had 25+ sites available and to drive on in. We were just west of Great Falls on U.S. 89 and were then fed up by answering machines.
Greatest trip we ever made and it checked off a secret "Bucket List" desire.

 

[Flyman]

If you are looking for Rv parks, check out the one inColumbia Falls MT. It is a 30 min drive to West Glacier, and 40 to Kalispell or White Fish. Small town with everything you need. I know this because my daughter lives there and won’t leave! On the drive to GP can stop at Hungry Horse for Huckleberry pie and ice cream..the best! RV park is better $$.

 

[ajg617]

Many RV Parks in and around West Glacier were not even answering their phones (using voice mail to suggest a 1+ year wait for RV spaces, etc.) Don't give up, call them all until you get a real live voice answer. Our Camp Host (West Glacier RV Park)...

We were at West Glacier RV Park (booked ahead but still plenty of sites) broken down from August 13th to 25th and there were serious forest fires out of control all around especially near Hungry Horse Reservoir which was closed to access except for the firefighting crews. Rte 2 across from West Glacier was under prep for mandatory evacuation. The KOA on Rte 2 was used for first responder staging as was another campground further on towards Columbia Falls. We had no problem getting day vehicle passes when logging in early the morning before. And the fudge at Huckleberry Patch in Hungry Horse is good too!

 

[gmitch]

Another Route

I'm putting together our summer trip to Glacier National Park, Montana. We are coming from South Dakota on I-90 into Butte MT. Then headed north on an undetermined route/rode, I'm looking for route suggestions. I'm also looking for suggestions on campgrounds to stay at and routes from Butte. One concern I have is mountain rode's and elevation. I have a 2019 1500 short box Silverado 5.3 lt engine pulling a 30 foot 2600RB Imagine weighting approximately 9,500 lbs. loaded. I've pulled this camper with this truck all through the southern and south-west states with little issues but it appears Glacier and getting to Glacier NP I'm getting into some mountainous regions. Thought and any cautions? Any positive and productive thoughts and ideas will be appreciated.

We usually stay in Deer Lodge for a night and fuel on the way to Glacier. There are at least two RV parks to choose from. We have stayed at Deer Lodge A-OK Campground and liked it as it is a little off the beaten path. The other campground is right next to I90. Fueling is important here as there are not a lot of stations along this route. The route we take is more scenic going route 12 to 141 to 83 on up to Hwy 2. We stay in the North American RV Park and Yurt Village and recommend it. It is about seven miles from the park entrance.

The key to getting a vehicle pass is to get on the website just before they open the site for reservations. If you are not able to get a pass when you try refresh you web page quickly and try again. Passes go quickly, but you stand a good chance if you start applying as they open and are persistent.

Have a great time and safe trip

 

[callagp7552]

Best route may depend on where you plan on camping. We came from the same direction as we started in Iowa. We boondocked in Billings and from there Google had us heading north. Here is the route we took: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LdGNyBKg4vqj4bzZ9 Glacier is massive so depending on the side of the park you are staying nearest may change the route you want to take.

The campground we stayed at (https://www.glaciercampground.com/) worked well for us. It had power and water at many sites, sites were nestled between trees, and was almost within walking distance to the West Glacier entrance. The mosquitos were legit though and we ended up buying a screened in porch\tent for the evenings. Hard to recommend any place since everyone camps differently but we would stay there again if we couldn't get a site in the park.

We went 2 years ago and that was our first big trip pulling with our 350 diesel. While I wasn't worried since we had the bigger truck I too was wondering what the drive out there would be like. My only puckering moment came on our way to Billings. We'd drive along these long stretches of constant incline grade and when the oil and trans temp hit a certain temp they switch for a gauge view to displaying the actual temp. Had never seen that before so I'm immediately thinking we are about to overheat, but turned out we were fine. Leaving Billings we drove up a switchback but that was probably the steepest part of the trek and you are driving 20mph. Our friends were in a class c flat towing a jeep and they made it just fine. We'd just make it to the top of the hill faster than they would so I'd say worse case you have to drive a bit slower.

We loved Glacier and I'd go back in a heartbeat! Like I mentioned earlier the park is huge. We did the iceberg lake hike which starts from the East entrance which is about 90-100 miles from our campground if you don't\can't use the going to the sun road. We found that where we stayed steered us to which parts of the park we most visited.

The going to the sun road pass is key and can be a pain point for the trip. We got ours the day they were released for the week we were staying there. The catch was they were only good for 3 days so you have pick which of your days or try to get multiple passes. Turned out that year the road opened unusually late so some of our pass days were wasted because the road wasn't open. We tried getting a pass the morning of and were unable to so I would try your best to get them in advance.

Here are some views that await you(the nature ignore the people): https://photos.app.goo.gl/szW4W24k1yT6a9f38 https://photos.app.goo.gl/GW9psjCYDiVWDKzD6

If you or anyone reading this thread has additional questions happy to share more.

Safe travels,
Pete

 

[lorend]

I'm putting together our summer trip to Glacier National Park, Montana. We are coming from South Dakota on I-90 into Butte MT. Then headed north on an undetermined route/rode, I'm looking for route suggestions. I'm also looking for suggestions on campgrounds to stay at and routes from Butte. One concern I have is mountain rode's and elevation. I have a 2019 1500 short box Silverado 5.3 lt engine pulling a 30 foot 2600RB Imagine weighting approximately 9,500 lbs. loaded. I've pulled this camper with this truck all through the southern and south-west states with little issues but it appears Glacier and getting to Glacier NP I'm getting into some mountainous regions. Thought and any cautions? Any positive and productive thoughts and ideas will be appreciated.

The East side of Glacier usually does not have as many visitors but it also has fewer campgrounds. A lot of people would think that the West side is the more scenic of the two. Also have to ask if that is a misprint on the weight of your 2600rb. The listed GVWR is only 7850. I think you will notice the elevation and the hills in MT but you should be ok, just watch the speed on some of the downhills.

 

[ajg617]

The East side of Glacier usually does not have as many visitors but it also has fewer campgrounds. A lot of people would think that the West side is the more scenic of the two. Also have to ask if that is a misprint on the weight of your 2600rb. The listed GVWR is only 7850. I think you will notice the elevation and the hills in MT but you should be ok, just watch the speed on some of the downhills.

We were there last August. Three nights in East, a week in west (more because of breakdown). By far the East side is the most scenic and the most sparse of anything - it is Blackfeet nation. The KOA there isn't bad - I've seen much nicer but also much worse. But the scenery is beautiful. West side, IMHO, is touristy. If I went back, it would be to the East side with maybe a couple of day trips to the west side.

 

[dually mike]

A little jealous! We were hoping to make it that way this summer but have decided to wait until 2025. Will be following replies to this post for information for our trip as well. Safe travels to you. Enjoy!!!

Not to hijack the thread, but I notice you are from NC. Did you map out a route north? I am considering doing a trip out there also in 2025 or 26. I would like to know what everyone does to get around Chicago. Coming from East PA, google maps takes me right up 90 or 94. Being around New York, Philly, Baltimore and DC I know how bad those get. Doesn't seem to be a way around Chicago.

 

[BlewgrsTrvls]

Not to hijack the thread, but I notice you are from NC. Did you map out a route north? I am considering doing a trip out there also in 2025 or 26. I would like to know what everyone does to get around Chicago. Coming from East PA, google maps takes me right up 90 or 94. Being around New York, Philly, Baltimore and DC I know how bad those get. Doesn't seem to be a way around Chicago.

You could consider I-70/76 to Indianapolis, then I-74 to Davenport to I-80. From there shoot north where ever you’d like.

I-80 across Nebraska has some interesting stops including the Great Platte River Archway Museum that goes over the interstate. You could peel off I-80 to Scottsbluff to see the National Monument. From there I-25 up into MT, ultimately in Helena you decide if you want to go east or west gate of GNP.

 

[ajg617]

Not to hijack the thread, but I notice you are from NC. Did you map out a route north? I am considering doing a trip out there also in 2025 or 26. I would like to know what everyone does to get around Chicago. Coming from East PA, google maps takes me right up 90 or 94. Being around New York, Philly, Baltimore and DC I know how bad those get. Doesn't seem to be a way around Chicago.

We returned from Glacier/Yellowstone to NC last season to visit our daughter - stayed in Cheyenne and North Platte before heading south on KS-81 via Salina to pick up I-70. Then KC, StL, Nashville and east to NC. But we also drove back from MT the year before to NC via Scottsbluff, North Platte, Topeka, KC, etc. Have also routed through Indianapolis up 74 to Des Moines to avoid Chicago. I think you have a number of options to bypass it.