Montana
The Best of Glacier National Park
Program No. 21016RJ
Discover Glacier National Park as you raft Flathead River, explore alpine trails, visit pristine lakes and learn how glaciers carved this stunning landscape eons ago.
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800-454-5768
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DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Jul 8 - Jul 13, 2024
Starting at
2,649Jul 15 - Jul 20, 2024
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2,649Jul 22 - Jul 27, 2024
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2,649Jul 29 - Aug 3, 2024
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2,649Aug 5 - Aug 10, 2024
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2,649Aug 12 - Aug 17, 2024
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2,649Aug 19 - Aug 24, 2024
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2,649Aug 26 - Aug 31, 2024
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2,649Sep 2 - Sep 7, 2024
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2,649DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Jul 8 - Jul 13, 2024
Starting at
3,459Jul 15 - Jul 20, 2024
Starting at
3,459Jul 22 - Jul 27, 2024
Starting at
3,459Jul 29 - Aug 3, 2024
Starting at
3,459Aug 5 - Aug 10, 2024
Starting at
3,459Aug 12 - Aug 17, 2024
Starting at
3,459Aug 19 - Aug 24, 2024
Starting at
3,459Aug 26 - Aug 31, 2024
Starting at
3,459Sep 2 - Sep 7, 2024
Starting at
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6 days
5 nights
13 meals
5B 4L 4D
1
Check-in, Orientation, Opening Dinner
Lake McDonald in West Glacier
2
Lake McDonald Valley Hike, Glacier NP Lecture, Study Cruise
Lake McDonald in West Glacier
3
Logan Pass via Going-to-the-Sun Road, Interpretive Hike
Lake McDonald in West Glacier
4
Going-to-the-Sun Road, Interpretive Hikes, Many Glacier
Lake McDonald in West Glacier
5
Natural History, Flathead River Interpretive Float Trip
Lake McDonald in West Glacier
6
Program Concludes
Lake McDonald in West Glacier
At a Glance
From our lodging inside Glacier National Park, explore different areas of the park daily and return to relax on cool summer evenings on spectacular Lake McDonald. Experience the grandeur of Glacier National Park — so named because its dramatic landscape was carved by glaciers eons ago. Encounter the wonder and splendor within this “Crown of the Continent” during daily field trips to the Lake McDonald Valley, Logan Pass and along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Field trips are enhanced by instructors, naturalists and other experts detailing the variety of life, mammoth lakes and serrated peaks in one of nature’s greatest works of art.
Activity Level
Outdoor: No Sweat
Hiking two miles daily over varied terrain. Possible optional hikes up to five miles some days. Some stairs; getting in/out of vans, bus, and water raft. Elevations of 3,153-7,200 feet.
What You'll Learn
- Travel the historic Going-to-the-Sun Road for spectacular views of rugged peaks, vast valleys and idyllic waterfalls.
- Float down the scenic Middle Fork of the Flathead River.
- Touch the Continental Divide.
General Notes
Participants split into smaller groups of about 10 for daily field trips and hikes.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Candi Naylor
Candi Naylor is a retired elementary school teacher with 36 years of experience. Being a Montana native from Townsend, she loves to ski, hike, fish, garden, kayak, and take her two dogs, Ginger and Hoss, for walks. She spends most of her time outside no matter what season, and she especially loves Glacier National Park. She and her husband, Craig, have built a home on 10 acres – a remnant of her great grandparents’ homestead. She and Craig have recently returned from nine years in Fredericksburg, Va., where she taught elementary school and her husband was a college music professor. Both are very happy to be back in Montana!
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Candi Naylor
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Candi Naylor is a retired elementary school teacher with 36 years of experience. Being a Montana native from Townsend, she loves to ski, hike, fish, garden, kayak, and take her two dogs, Ginger and Hoss, for walks. She spends most of her time outside no matter what season, and she especially loves Glacier National Park. She and her husband, Craig, have built a home on 10 acres – a remnant of her great grandparents’ homestead. She and Craig have recently returned from nine years in Fredericksburg, Va., where she taught elementary school and her husband was a college music professor. Both are very happy to be back in Montana!
Ellen Horowitz
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Ellen Horowitz is a naturalist, writer, hiking leader, and Certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide whose outdoor education career spans 40 years. Ellen teaches botany classes at Flathead Valley Community College, and she is a long-time field instructor for the Glacier Institute and Road Scholar. Her work has been recognized with numerous honors including Montana Audubon’s Educator of the Year Award, and magazine writing awards from the National Wildlife Federation. She is the author of the award-winning children’s book, “What I Saw in Glacier.”
Ashley Mason
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Ashley started her career at the North Carolina School of the Art but transferred to Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina to receive her B.S. in Geology with a minor in field biology. Ashley then came to Montana to teach for the Glacier Institute and then completed graduate work at The University of Montana – Missoula in Environmental Studies. A veteran naturalist and conservation educator Ashley is a former Ranger Naturalist for Glacier National Park. In 2012 she was voted Audubon Educator of the year.
Leila Robinson
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Leila Robinson has developed a great love of the outdoors and especially exploring it in hiking mode. Her love of travel and nature has taken her to every continent, and she is thrilled to see and experience each journey. She has been a high school and college educator in art and interdisciplinary studies and a museum program developer for over a decade. Being able to live in Glacier for over ten summers has given her an appreciation of this incredible and favorite national park.
Dave Streeter
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Dave Streeter spent seven years traveling the world designing computer systems. Then he had a flat tire in Great Falls, Mont. Some 30 years later, he is still teaching at Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell and exploring Montana’s wilds at every opportunity. He has been a favorite Road Scholar instructor for 25 years, imparting his knowledge of bears, mountain goats, wolves, weather, flowers, glaciation, winter ecology, backcountry skiing and healthy hiking. Dave also performs with the “Grin & Bear it String Clan.”
Marilyn Wood
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Marilyn is a conservation biologist who has had the opportunity to work (and play!) in two iconic landscapes – the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the Continental Divide Ecosystem. One of her favorite memories is following radioed collared grizzlies in Yellowstone in the late 1970s but balancing private land with sustaining wildlife populations is the most rewarding. Marilyn was the northwest program manager of the Montana Nature Conservancy for thirteen years. In her free time, you’ll find her hiking or horseback riding the dynamic landscapes.
Al Koss
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Al Koss has lived and worked in the Glacier Park area for over 30 years. His love for the out-of-doors and passion for hiking was well represented in his career with the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service. Al taught environmental education and is a Master Trainer for the Leave No Trace Program. His experience as a Park Naturalist has given him extensive experience and knowledge of the flora and fauna of the park. He enjoys sharing his passion for natural areas with others.
Elise Van Valkenburg
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Elise grew up in Spokane, Washington and enjoyed camping and fishing with her family. It was not until college that Elise fell in love with the Rocky Mountains and began hiking and backpacking with her husband and their goldendoodles. She is currently a middle school science teacher in Bigfork, Montana and recently earned an MS in science education. When she is not teaching, you will find her exploring the trails of Glacier National Park, the Flathead National Forest and the Bob Marshall Wilderness!
Lisa Flowers
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Lisa Flowers received her Ph.D. in Forestry & Conservation from the University of Montana while working as the Director of Conservation Education for the Boone and Crockett Club on the Rocky Mountain Front. Her work has focused on K-12 science, conservation, and wildlife education, primarily in the outdoors. She has coordinated regional and collaborative entities including Crown of the Continent Ecosystem Education Consortium, Roundtable of Crown of the Continent, and Front Range Conservation Education Consortium. When not working, Lisa can be found enjoying the outdoors.
Susan Atkinson
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Susan Atkinson is an award-winning architect and professor of environmental design at the University of Colorado Boulder. She has traveled the world researching how people design and build in response to culture and climate. Susan grew up in the Flathead Valley, learning about wildflowers, and spotting grizzlies in Glacier National Park every summer since 1980. She is an avid trail runner who loves fly fishing, spending time with her rescue dog, Clover, and reading about wolverines. She has backpacked around the world.
Lynda Saul
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Lynda Saul received the National Wetlands Award for her career protecting and restoring Montana's wetlands and streams. Now retired, she's an avid bird watcher and citizen scientist in Glacier National Park and across Montana. Lynda loves sharing her fascination about nature with others. She spends winters seeking out new birds while volunteering in Latin America and East Africa. Lynda keeps active canoeing, hiking, and cross-country skiing, and has led numerous long-distance bicycle trips over the years. She has degrees in geology and forest hydrology.
Rob Quist
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Rob Quist is an artist, musician, and public figure. Known for his versatile talents, he is a celebrated singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and vocalist. His connection to Montana is evident in the theme of his music. He draws inspiration from the state's rich landscapes and the experiences of its residents. His influence extends into Montana's cultural and political spheres. Quist's legacy is characterized by his commitment to preserving Montana's musical heritage and his contributions to the artistic and social tapestry of the region.
Richard Moore
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Rick Moore is a forester with a distinct interest in forest ecology, wild and prescribed fire effects, and plant identification. He has much experience in the Rocky Mountain West, having lived and practiced forestry in five different states. He has also hiked in many of the national parks and Forest Service wilderness areas, preferring those located in the higher elevations. Rick has degrees in forestry and outdoor recreation. His interests include hiking, rafting, fishing, exploring, and photography.
Lori Ortley
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Lori Ortley, an enthusiast of Glacier National Park, was raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where she graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a B.S. in biology and a minor in earth science, certified to teach 7th through 12th grades. She taught at Flathead High School for 18 years before retiring in 2019. Her students participated in Glacier National Park’s Citizens Science program. After retiring from teaching in 2019, Lori transitioned to work as a field instructor with Road Scholar.
Suggested Reading List
(7 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
The Best of Glacier National Park
Program Number: 21016
Glacier - A Natural History Guide
Author and naturalist David Rockwell presents in-depth descriptions of the geology, history, flora, and fauna of the park. He explains the park's evolution from the erosion of Siberian mountains more than a billion years ago to the glaciers that gave Glacier National Park its distinctive landscape. He examines the park's great predators-grizzly bears, mountain lions, and wolves-and their complex relationship with their prey. The result is a fascinating and intimate portrait of one of the world's last wild places.
Blackfeet Tales of Glacier National Park
The author writes a series of diary entries as his Blackfoot friends tell stories in the lodge or around the fire at the end of the day. He has managed to keep the compelling style of his original material, told by talented story tellers. The stories run the gamut from tribal history to legend and myth and convey something of Blackfoot culture, daily life, and beliefs.
Grizzly Country
The grizzly bear has always inspired awe in man, but the animal's true nature and character has long been shrouded in myth. Few people know grizzlies as Andy Russell does, and in Grizzly Country he shares stories from a lifetime of experience observing them, first as hunter, then as cameraman. In wonderfully engaging prose, he reveals the life cycle of this remarkable creature.
Moon Glacier National Park: Including Waterton Lakes National Park
Writer, editor, and avid outdoorswoman Becky Lomax offers an insider’s perspective on Glacier National Park. From hiking through multi-color meadows filled with wildflowers to observing the Sperry Glacier, a victim of global warming that will vanish in less than two decades, Lomax knows the best ways to enjoy the park’s one million acres of wilderness. She also includes unique trip strategies for travelers with specific interests and restrictions, including a Wildlife-Watching tour and a whirlwind One Day in Glacier tour. Whether it’s biking up Going-to-the-Sun Road or watching a grizzly forage in huckleberries, Moon Glacier National Park gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience.
Wildflowers of Glacier National Park
Wildflowers of Glacier National park and Surrounding Areas is a user-friendly guide featuring over 300 of Glacier National Park's most common plant species. From wildflowers to trees to grasses and sedges, this book features beautiful photographs, detailed descriptions, notes on habitat and fun facts for each plant. It's a perfect plant reference for anyone with an interest in the natural history and splendor of Glacier National Park.
The index lists plants both by their common and scientific names.
Going-to-the-Sun Road: Glacier National Park's Highway to the Sky
Traveling Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road is an experience like no other. Laborers toiled for nearly 20 years to complete the 50-mile road that winds an impossible route through the heart of Glacier. One of the most scenic highways in the world, this marvel of engineering set the standard for all national parks. C. W. Guthrie tells the intriguing tale of the history and the construction of the epic Going-to-the-Sun Road. Includes more than 60 black-and-white historic and color photographs, maps.
Geology Along Going-to-the-Sun Road
With this colorful and lively guide, Glacier National Park visitors can tour the fascinating geologic events that created the park's majestic scenery. Complete with an easy-to-read map that offers a three-dimensional perspective on the area's geology, Geology Along Going-to-the-Sun Road gives lay readers and geologists alike a glimpse into Glacier's unique geologic summary.