Glacier National Park: Untouched Beauty

There are few national parks that can compare to Glacier in the northwest corner of Montana. With 13 campgrounds and over 700 miles of hiking trails, there’s no shortage of natural beauty at your fingertips.

Glacier has the same feel as New Zealand – untouched, massive, overwhelming natural beauty everywhere. From huge peaks to endless rivers, from glacier lakes to, of course, glaciers, it's hard to choose where to begin. The park is accessible to everyone, with strenuous hikes as well as short, easy walks around the magical lakes with mountainous reflections.

I highly suggest Grinnell Glacier as a see-it-all hike. You begin at the Many Glacier Hotel and can either take a short ferry across the Swift Current Lake, then get out and walk for 5 minutes to the next ferry across Lake Josephine, or you can take the flat 2-mile walk along both lakes.

The Grinnell Glacier Trail ascends up amazing mountains with views the entire hike. You’ll see glacier waterfalls spilling from one glacier lake into the next, wildflowers everywhere (in the spring) and wildlife (if you're lucky) that range from grizzly bears to mountain goats before reaching the actual glacier. It's a steep 6-mile hike with a 1600-ft gain in elevation.

You can fly into Kalispell, Montana, just outside of Glacier Nat'l Park, and rent a car right there at the world's smallest airport. Drive through Going Into The Sun Road once in Glacier Park, and don't forget to bring your bear spray!