Next year is going to be the worst year to visit Glacier National Park. You need to read this post for 6 reasons to skip Glacier National Park because you could be making a big mistake! Let’s Get Started.  To watch the video version of this blog click here. Or continue reading below.
Many of these happen every year but stay until the end to understand why all of these could be worse next year. As we hike to the stunning Grinnell Glacier, let’s talk about a topic that was on everyone’s mind during our trip this summer
Is it Common to See Bears in Glacier National Park? Â
Bear activity this year was a constant conversation during our trip. Hikes were closed, sightings were many and a person was bitten this year on Highline Trail. The only reason he survived was that his group were well prepared with bear spray, they had a first aid kit, a satellite communication device, and didn’t panic. Because of this Highline trail is currently closed. While we visited, Hidden Lake Overlook was closed after the overlook due to bear activity. But bears and other wildlife don’t care about your vacation plans. We saw a video of earlier in the day where a big horn sheep chased a bear across the Hidden Lake Trail with people standing by frozen at what they were witnessing. We also spent time in Many Glacier at Fishercap Lake and bears were spotted on the swiftcurrent pass trail.  And we saw bears on Route 3 near Many Glacier Hotel while driving into the park. Â
Bear encounters can lead to temporary and random closures in Glacier National Park to protect both visitors and wildlife. These closures typically happen when a bear is spotted near high-traffic areas, hiking trails, campgrounds, or other visitor locations. With over 600 grizzly bears and 300 black bears roaming Glacier National Park,, next year could be even worse. So, bears can be spotted anytime and you need to decide whether you want to hike with bears in Glacier National Park So, Â
What Should you do When you Spot a Bear?
The first thing you should always do is talk to let the bear know you are there. Stay calm and remember that most bears do not want to attack you but get your bear spray and get set to use it. Yes, you need bear spray in Glacier National Park. Pick up small children to keep them safer and make yourself look as big as possible. Do not drop your back pack and move away slowly and sideways if you have an escape route. Do not run but if the bear follows stop and stand your ground because It can be fun for them to chase. Do not climb a tree, and leave the area. Click here To learn more about bear safety from the National Park Service
Don’t go to Glacier National Park if you want to avoid crowds. We noticed a lot of people go to Logan’s Pass if they are able to get a vehicle permit which we will get to later. But many of them stop early and hike to Avalanche Lake. So you will want to ask
How Busy are the Trails in Glacier National Park?
We’re morning people. So, we were in the park before sunrise and hiking by 7am like we did here to hike to Avalanche Lake. Most of the hikes were great on the way out. We were able to experience a lot of the trails with one way traffic but there were still people hiking earlier than us that would cause opposing traffic before we turned around. But every hike except, Highline trail was out and back. So, on the way back we always hit traffic. Avalanche Lake is extremely busy and this morning was no exception. But the trails are not wide enough for two way traffic. Every step you take, there’s someone right behind you or coming the other way. You’re constantly dodging, stopping, and squeezing past hikers. But, it’s not just frustrating—it’s dangerous. Many hikers are disrespectful and just barrel on through without regard for you or your brood. On narrow trails like Highline or Grinnell Glacier, one misstep and you’re staring at a sheer drop. It’s enough to keep you on edge the entire hike. Want to enjoy some solitude and nature? Good luck with that. Their behavior can ruin your hike and it is quite dangerous as we’ll discuss next. If you get on the trails after 8 or 9am you will discover two way traffic your whole hike. Â
So, its busy on the trails but reallyÂ
How Busy is Glacier National Park? Â
So, Glacier National Park doesn’t receive the same number of people as the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, or Yellowstone but you need to understand why. Glacier National Park is accessed using Going to the Sun Road. Hidden Lake overlook which we are hiking here is at Logan’s Pass on Going to the sun road. It's the only road that cuts through the heart of the park, and it’s so narrow and winding that it doesn’t fully open until mid-summer because of snow. And when it does open, it’s chaos. But, depending on Fall weather it could close as soon as the first week of October. So, if you’re busy July, August, and September you might as well skip Glacier National Park next year. About 3 million people visit Glacier National Park each year. That is about 35,000 people per day and most of them end up on Going to the Sun road.  Which is exactly where you want to go. But, It is so busy that many people will sleep in their car at Logan’s pass just to get a parking spot.Â
Glacier National Park has limited infrastructure. The parking lots are small for the number of people that attend and most of the lots fill up by mid morning. Picture this: We sat in the fog at Logan’s pass one morning and you’ve been planning this trip for months, dreaming of that one perfect hike—only to find every parking spot at Logan’s Pass taken by 7 AM As we waited for the fog to clear this is exactly what we witnessed. we saw a steady flow of cars full of hikers who didn’t get a parking spot. Talk about sad knowing that for many of these people that day may have been their only day to hike Highline Trail or Hidden Lake overlook. Later in the day the lot at Logan’s pass was prohibited by park rangers so you couldn’t even go look for a spot. You had to drive on by and miss Highline trail and other hikes. So, to limit visitors to the park during peak season and time of day the park service installed a program that will make you skip Glacier next year if you don’t plan ahead.Â
Before we continue Every good hiking post needs a dada joke: What did the rock say to the glacier? "Stop taking me for granite!
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Let’s spend some time on Going to the Sun Road next and discuss
Do I Need a Permit to Drive Through Glacier National Park?
You don’t need one, but you’d better get one or plan on staying home during June, July August and at least the first week of September. If you don’t have a permit you need to enter the park before 6am or after 3pm. But, unless you are an early riser, everyone else without a vehicle permit will be driving into the park at 3pm and the parking lots are already full because those with permits are still in the park. Permits are required for Going to the Sun Road, North Fork and Many Glacier. But the permit just gets you into the park. You still have to navigate a busy going to the sun road where people show off their terrible driving skills. People will drive over the yellow line because they don’t want to hit the mountain, or they’ll crowd the yellow line because they don’t want to fall off the mountain. It’s crazy. But, if this still interests you:
How Quickly do Going to the Sun Road Tickets Sell Out in Glacier National Park? Â
We went to Glacier in July and the permits are sold for each day on recreation.gov 120 days before the permit date. So, we were on recreation.gov at the end of March by 9:55am EST with multiple devices to get vehicle permits for Going to the Sun Road and Many Glacier. But, if you are past that 120 days you might as well cancel your trip. We found a website that says they sell out in 30 minutes. That’s wrong. They sell out in about 1-5 minutes. Let’s just say it's easier getting Taylor Swift tickets. But, vehicle permits are a lot cheaper. Glacier also issues a few more permits the night before but you have to be on good internet which is lacking around the park.
We’ll discuss the leading cause of death in Glacier next and follow that up with a great reason to stay home but are you liking this walk and talk format? We share all of the national parks we’ve been to in this way to give you as much as we can for you to plan your trip. Join today, leave a comment, and join us around our virtual campfire. Ok let’s get back to the next question while we hike to St Mary’s and Virginia Falls. Â
What are the Leading Causes of Death in Glacier National Park?
You may want to skip Glacier National Park next year so you don’t die. About 300 people have died in Glacier National Park since 1910. These deaths happen in many different ways and each one affects family and friends forever. Earlier in the year a woman was swept into Virginia Creek and her body was swept over the waterfalls. Her body was found. Another visitor went into Avalanche Creek and was swept away to his death while hiking Avalanche Lake trail. On the same day a man went swimming in Lake McDonald. He went underwater and never resurfaced. But, even on going to the sun road a man died in a vehicle roll over crash. Hiking accidents occur too. There are many steep drop offs along the trail. Any slip or trip and you could be carreening over the edge. Kids should be supervised at all times in these areas. But, Did you think the leading cause of death was bear attacks. Or Mountain Lions.  It’s not. The leading cause of death is actually water similar to the examples above. Â
What do you think? Are the bears, the crowds, the permit madness, and the unpredictable closures worth it? Let us know what you think and join the conversation. Let’s move on to Iceberg Lake in Many Glacier to answer
What are Other Reasons Areas of Glacier National Park are Closed?
The park closes for other reasons and next year may be worth skipping. Weather related closures occur often. Snowfall will close Going to the Sun road and Logan’s Pass. But most of the Many Glacier area closed for construction. The park needs constant maintenance and significant projects will close portions of the park. The Swiftcurrent area closed for improvements to water systems, pedestrian safety, road and parking improvements. The construction prevents people from driving to many great hikes including Iceberg Lake, Ptarmigan Tunnel, and Swiftcurrent pass to Red Rock Falls. These closures cutoff a large popular part of Glacier National Park that includes the best place to see Moose. Imagine driving all the way to Glacier, only to find out that your favorite hikes are closed. But, with construction in full swing and bear activity on the rise, you might want to skip Glacier altogether. Without these trails other areas of the park are going to be overrun by visitors. It will be almost impossible to hike Grinnell Glacier. Â
If this list hasn’t scared you from visiting Glacier National Park, start planning your trip with this post next!
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