Two days in Glacier just isn’t long enough. We loved this place so much and as we were leaving we were already planning all of the things we would want to do if we came again.
Because we were a little surprised by the crowds the first day, we wanted to make sure we hit the trails early on our second day! We got in our car and drove to the opposite side of the park. We were shocked to find that Monday was even busier than Sunday had been!
One thing that was so special about this day was that the clouds and mist began to lift and it was like opening up an incredible present.
St. Mary Falls / Virginia Falls
The number one hike we wanted to get to on our last day was our hike to the falls. Despite all of our efforts to get there early, the trailhead was already full. We would NOT be defeated though! After a frantic moment – we decided to loop around and park in a pull-out a little before the hike and go from there.
Lucky for us we were able to get the last spot in the pull-out and it actually worked out great! It maybe added 1/4 mile to our hike but it was totally doable and it let us DO our hike so we were PUMPED!
The hike is next to Saint Mary Lake for a bit and then you go tuck back into a little canyon. St. Mary Falls is beautiful. There is this perfect little bridge crossing in front of the falls and we loved it.
After stopping for a snack, we continued our trail to Virginia Falls. The kiddos did fantastic and loved the excitement of hearing the falls before we could see them. It was a beautiful part of the park.
The Views
The views here are unbelievable. It is just heavenly and we loved them. It was actually really fun to have the contrast of the day before with the mist and clouds and then have a day with the sun shining through. It was like experiencing a completely different place – but both BEAUTIFUL!
Rocky Point
Our final hike in Glacier was to Rocky Point. The fun thing about this hike is that it is a little off the beaten path. It was far less busy than the other trails AND you get to view Lake McDonald from a different vantage point than the main Going-to-the-Sun Road. It is an easy hike with beautiful views – WIN!
This was the only hike where I was a little concerned about wildlife. As I said, it was far less busy and you are in some thick vegetation in sections. You can bet there was a whole lot of family sing-a-longs and clapping our hands!
I was leading on the path during this hike, and we were walking through some thick vegetation and I was hearing some twigs breaking and other things off to the side. My senses were a little heightened trying to distinguish what was making the noise when all of a sudden, something moves almost right beneath me!
I let out a very undignified little scream as a probably three foot snake slithered away from me. We all had a good laugh at my squeal and that was probably the highlight {if you want to call it that!} of our wildlife viewing in the park.
Wrap Up
So I guess you could say…we fell in love with this beautiful place. There is something so filling about being in nature. It fills my soul and has filled our family with wonderful memories to look back on forever.
Beautiful photos of the family. It make me really sad to see how much the glaciers have melted and receded.
It would be interesting to see what different areas of the park looked like and how much it has changed. Did you and Papa Joe make a trip here?
Very nice. I would say that the Wind River Wilderness Area north of Rock Springs might compare to the beauty of Glacier. Wind River has been compared to the New Zealand/Lord of the Rings scenery with the huge difference of it being accessible only by backpacking or horse.
Love the pics. Even Peanut looked like she was enjoying herself. 😉
What I have seen of the Wind Rivers is beautiful. It is definitely a place we should explore more. And Lydia definitely enjoyed being in this backpack a LOT more – it was a huge blessing.