• About
  • Blog
  • Working together
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

North America, Travel
/
August 3, 2016

Falling in love with Glacier National Park

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share

Before I made my way to Glacier National Park, the oooh’s and ahhh’s and expressed envy from those whom I told about my travels made it clear that I was in for a treat.

Since first setting foot in a national park in 2009, I have yet to find one I didn’t love. But my affection has always been for something different as it is already my experience that all the parks have something uniquely beautiful to offer. Glacier National Park is no exception. The hiking, over 700 miles of it, takes you through waterfalls and cliffs, lush forests and vast plains. The wildlife is everywhere, so it’s always great to be prepared. The diversity of the park, even if just from East to West is so great that it almost feels like you are in two different parks. No photograph can ever do it justice. This was an undiscovered park for me and I was lucky enough to meet some awesome people along the way to show me all the wonderful it had to offer.

Road trip thru Glacier National Park. GirlGoneTravel.com

With Glacier National Park, I have a total of 9 national parks visited on my list!

When in comes to falling in love with Glacier, I believe it must’ve been around the time my girlfriend Nicole and I, set out on a horseback ride with Swan Mountain Outfitters, through the trails of West Glacier’s forests and meadows. We were nervous about the 2-hour ride, but the serenity of the trails and the gorgeous views put us at ease fairly quickly. Plus, we were both paired with great horses and by the end of the first hour I was feeling really comfortable and relax riding Copenhagen, my buddy. Horseback riding was so much fun, complimented only by the Mexican food truck parked right outside the outfitters center when we exited!

Horseback riding in Glacier. GirlGoneTravel.com Horseback riding in Glacier. GirlGoneTravel.com Horseback riding in Glacier. GirlGoneTravel.com

I definitely felt a tug at my heart-strings when we went on a hike through the park with Dre, from Glacier Guides. We met Dre early in the morning and ignored the threat of rain to venture into the woods, past rumbling creeks and beautiful waterfalls. Dre is so full of knowledge and has tons of stories to share that it made the 4.5 mile hike seem like a breeze. We sat on a log near along avalanche lake and had our lunch, and I couldn’t wait to get back there with my kids. By the time we made our way back the crowds were just arriving, and we high-fived each other at having had the chance to enjoy the experience before then.

Hiking in Glacier. GirlGoneTravel.com

My girl, Nicole, looking sexy and badass.

Hiking in Glacier. GirlGoneTravel.com Hiking in Glacier. GirlGoneTravel.com

Watch out! These little critters will eat your lunch! Please, do not feed the animals in the park.

Hiking in Glacier. GirlGoneTravel.com Hiking in Glacier. GirlGoneTravel.com Hiking in Glacier. GirlGoneTravel.com Hiking in Glacier. GirlGoneTravel.com

Dre, doing her thing. Best guide ever.

Hiking in Glacier. GirlGoneTravel.com

After our hike, and despite the weather, we continued our day with Glacier Guides for a fun afternoon riding the rapids!

Glacier Guides experience. GirlGoneTravel.com

By the time we made our way to East Glacier towards the end of our road trip, the weather was full-on rainy and windy, but the thing about traveling with friends and people you love is that it doesn’t damper things at all. We still enjoyed driving through this side of the park, which is flatter and less lush than the West side, but still beautiful. And we even got to see a few big horn sheep!

West Glacier road trip. GirGoneTravel.com West Glacier road trip. GirGoneTravel.comWest Glacier road trip. GirGoneTravel.com West Glacier road trip. GirGoneTravel.com

West Glacier road trip. GirGoneTravel.com

We still had so much fun despite the wind and rain!

Where we stayed

We started our road trip with a stay in the historic Lake McDonald Lodge, built in 1913 and located right on the edge of Lake McDonald, the largest lake in Glacier National Park. It’s proximity to the Going-to-the-Sun road makes this a popular destination for hikers and bikers as well. The large wood burning fireplace in the main lobby, as well as the wonderful food at the in-house restaurant and their super cozy rooms made staying inside on a chilly cold day delightful. Summer is an incredibly busy time for them as they are a seasonal resort, but I think I prefer the cooler season for how cozy and non-crowded it is. I recommend taking a boat ride on Lake McDonald on a sunny day. The views are like no other.

Lake McDonald. Glacier National Park. GirlGoneTravel.com

Closer to Flathead Lake, we stayed in the more contemporary Meadow Lake Resort, which caters to mostly to those who enjoy the golfing in the summer and skiing in the winter. It’s about 19 miles or so outside of Glacier National Park, with easy access to all the nearby Columbia Falls has to offer. It has a wonderful in-house spa, bar, and restaurant as well.

To see more of my adventures to Glacier National Park, check out my video on YouTube! Thanks to Nicole of Glacier Country Tourism for going on this impromptu girlfriends road trip! We had such a blast! (Nicole, I would travel with you anywhere!).

In partnership with Expedia. To see more on how Expedia is showing the love to our national parks, visit #ExpediaLovesParks on Twitter and Instagram.

Related

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share
Pin this Post
Share this Post
Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

You May Also Like...

Christmas Tree Hunting in Long Island, NY

December 12, 2008

Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights, NY

December 10, 2008

Winter afternoon in the Bronx Zoo, NY

December 16, 2008
2 Comments
  • topochinesvino
    August 16, 2016

    Love this site! I found you on WordPress and have been reading your travel adventures. Great stuff! Check out our California wine country blog and follow us if you like what you see: topochinesvino.com

    Reply
    • caincarol
      topochinesvino
      August 17, 2016

      Thank you for stopping by! Will definitely check it out : )

      Reply

Leave a Reply to topochinesvino Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
Nature finds for weekend fun in New Jersey
Next Post
Overcoming the Unexpected in Travel

Categories

  • Asia5 Post(s)
  • Caribbean17 Post(s)
  • Central America4 Post(s)
  • Europe54 Post(s)
  • North America318 Post(s)
  • Oceana1 Post(s)

About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

Contact

  • caincarol@gmail.com

Follow @girlgonetravel

Things that make me happy: the sound of rain on th Things that make me happy: the sound of rain on the metal roof. So calming. 

#countryliving #fingerlakes #newyork
A moment in this little life I’ve created and lo A moment in this little life I’ve created and love so much. 

#fingerlakes #newyork #lakelife
Today’s morning was fueled by one of our fave sp Today’s morning was fueled by one of our fave spots in Geneva, NY - @monacoscoffee. We found this spot a few years ago, before we moved to the area full time while at a rental nearby and immediately fell in love with its community and cozy vibe, and delicious coffee. 

It’s even cuter than when we first visited while all the reasons we love it remain. Always worth a stop when in Geneva. 

#fingerlakes #newyork #genevany #coffeelover #coffeeshop
Sunsets and wildflowers. ❤️ #fingerlakes #new Sunsets and wildflowers. ❤️

#fingerlakes #newyork #summer #flxsummer
About last night. 🥹 Thank you to our family who About last night. 🥹 Thank you to our family who traveled from as far as WI and Ithaca to be here to celebrate our baby boy’s graduation last night. Congratulations @liamcain._ for all your special awards received for all the hard work you’ve done these past 4 years, your advocacy, your spirit, and your beautiful soul. We can’t wait to see what you do next!

We love you to the moon and beyond!

Congratulations to Class of 2025!!!! 🎉🥳
Another Finger Lakes coffee shop to add to your li Another Finger Lakes coffee shop to add to your list: @roastandtoastcafe_bar in Auburn, NY. 

Love their coffee, their vibe, and their selection of toasts! 

Cafe by day, cocktail bar by night!

#coffeeshop #auburnny #fingerlakes #coffeelover

Copyright © 2025 Girl Gone Travel | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice