MONTANA: Glacier National Park — Day 5 and Sample Itinerary
Glacier National Park Series
Day 5
Whitefish, MT
Given that our flight was in the afternoon and we did not have much time, we drove into Whitefish to explore its downtown. Whitefish was developed in 1904 after the Great Northern Railway was built through the area, and is now a resort town for snow sports in the winter and Glacier National Park in the summer. Downtown Whitefish is a mix of western and modern, yet still feels a bit more organic than a true resort town such as Whistler.
they claim to roast coffee (okay, they do it pretty well)
Having visited Montana Coffee Traders in Columbia Falls, we went to their roastery in Whitefish to pick up some beans, because, well, they were quite good.
With lunch out of the way, we returned to Glacier Park International Airport, where we were able to catch a direct flight back to San Francisco. While not as small as Canyonlands Airport, it still has only 5 gates (well, they numbered 1 to 3, but gate 1 has three doors for three aircrafts).
| Glacier Park (Kalispell) Int'l Airport → San Frnacisco Int'l Airport (9 Jul 2019) | ||
|---|---|---|
| FCA (14:28) | → | SFO (15:52) |
| 2h 39m flight time | ||
Food
| Amazing Crepes @ Whitefish, MT 123 Central Ave, Whitefish, MT 59937 |
|
|---|---|
| Review | I ordered the savory crepes, and they were pretty good! Nothing particularly special about it - it’s just good. They also had a huckleberry lemonade fizz - that was just okay and was a bit too sweet, oops. |
| Verdict: 4/5 — Crepes are delicious. | |
Sample Itinerary
You may need to shuffle around the items a bit to account for weather and crowds.
Day 1
Morning
Pick up a bag lunch in town, or prepare one the night before
Hike the Highline Trail
Lunch
Eat lunch at Logan Pass (the visitor center itself does not have food!)
Afternoon
Hike Hidden Lake Trail
Dinner
Either at Johnson’s Restaurant or Curly Bear Cafe in St. Mary’s
Lodging
Stay in East Glacier or St. Mary’s
Day 2
Breakfast
Pick up a bag lunch in town, or prepare one the night before
Morning
Reach Many Glaciers entrance by 8AM
Hike Iceberg Lake
Lunch
Have lunch at Iceberg Lake
Afternoon
Return from Iceberg Lake
If energy allows, check out the Swiftcurrent lake area - trails should be relatively light
Dinner
Either at Johnson’s Restaurant or Curly Bear Cafe in St. Mary’s
Lodging
Remain in same lodging on the east side of the park
Day 3
Breakfast
Pick up a bag lunch in town, or prepare one the night before
Morning
Hike Sun Point –> St. Mary’s Falls –> Virginia Falls Trails
Lunch
Have lunch at St. Mary’s Falls
Afternoon
Hike Avalanche Trail (Trail of the Cedars), with the option of going to Avalanche Lake
Dinner
In Columbia Falls or West Glacier. One option is Glacier Highlands Restaurant right outside the park entrance
Day 4
Morning
If there any part of the popular items above that you were not able to get to, put them here. Otherwise, have brunch in Columbia Falls (hello, Montana Coffee Traders)
Early Afternoon
Check out the Lake MacDonald area
Dinner
In Columbia Falls or West Glacier.