Sitting on the northernmost edge of Montana, travelers will find more than 700 miles of trails, 25 glaciers and many species of North America’s iconic wildlife roaming at Glacier National Park. Named for the approximately 150 glaciers it once contained, this park’s special history includes its designation as a national park six years before the creation of the National Park Service.
Full of mountains, lakes, waterfalls and wildlife such as wolves, bears and mountain lions, Glacier is more than just a vacation destination; it’s an adventure. Here’s a guide to discovering this remarkable, expansive and pristine park.
Getting to Glacier National Park
- Drive 30 minutes northeast from Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell, Montana
- Drive 2 hours, 20 minutes north from Missoula International Airport in Montana
In addition to spanning the northwest corner of Montana, Glacier National Park crosses the border into British Columbia, Canada, making it one of only a handful of national parks the two countries share. Though considered remote, Glacier can easily be accessed from two nearby Montana cities with major airports: Missoula and Kalispell. If you’re flying into Kalispell, consider driving south for a 50-minute round-trip detour to Flathead Lake, which was carved out by glaciers and has the largest surface area of any natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi in the contiguous U.S.