The Crown of the Continent: Glacier National Park 2024

After the bubbling cauldrons and geysers of Yellowstone, our Summer 2024 Road Trip took us north to the "Crown of the Continent", Glacier National Park. If Yellowstone is a land of fire and water, Glacier is a cathedral of rock and ice.

The Ultimate Alpine Drive

The centerpiece of our visit was the legendary Going-to-the-Sun Road. This 50-mile engineering marvel is the only road that crosses the heart of the park, and "amazing" doesn't even begin to describe it. As we wound our way along the cliffs, it felt like we were driving through a movie set. The waterfalls were everywhere! We saw Bird Woman Falls plunging hundreds of feet in the distance and drove right alongside the Weeping Wall, where water cascades directly onto the pavement from the rock face. We found ourselves pulling over at almost every turnout; the views of the U-shaped glacial valleys were so vast we just had to keep stopping for photos.

July Snowballs at Logan Pass

When we reached Logan Pass, the highest point of the road at 6,646 feet, we were shocked. Even though it was late July 2024, the Continental Divide was still holding onto winter. There were huge snow mounds piled high around the visitor center. The kids couldn't believe they were playing in the snow in the middle of summer! While the snow made for incredible pictures, it also meant that many of the high-altitude trails, like the one to Hidden Lake Overlook, were still a bit too rugged for the little ones to navigate safely. We spent our time exploring the boardwalks and marveling at the peaks like Clements Mountain that towered over us.

Lunch with a View at Lake McDonald

After the intensity of the mountain pass, we headed down to the western side of the park to Lake McDonald. This is the park’s largest lake, and it’s famous for its crystal-clear water and the millions of multi-colored pebbles that line the shore. We found a perfect spot near the water to set up lunch and simply soak in the scenery. The lake acts like a giant mirror for the surrounding mountains, and it provided a much-needed moment of serenity. It was the perfect place for the kids to skip stones while we took in the fresh mountain air.

We’ll Be Back

Our visit was a "sampler platter" of what Glacier has to offer. While the kids were a bit too small for the long treks into the backcountry this year, we’ve already made a pact to return. Next time, we’ll hit those trails we missed, but for 2024, the "Sun Road" was more than enough to leave us in awe.