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Montana

Trailside Glacier: Hiking in Glacier National Park

Program No. 4863KMP

Experience Glacier National Park on expert-led hikes, traverse the historic Going-to-the-Sun Road and explore the stunning valleys of Many Glacier and Two Medicine!

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7 days

6 nights

17 meals

6B 5L 6D

Check-in, Orientation, Presentation

Kalispell

Lake McDonald Valley Interpretive Hikes, Natural History

Kalispell

Going-to-the-Sun Road, Logan Pass Hikes, Glacier Park Lodge

East Glacier Village

Two Medicine Valley Interpretive Hikes

East Glacier Village

Grinnell Valley/Swiftcurrent Valley Interpretive Hikes

East Glacier Village

Glacier National Park Farewell Hikes

Kalispell

Program Concludes

Kalispell

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At a Glance

Glacier National Park is a hiker’s paradise, with over 1 million acres of unspoiled wilderness and over 700 miles of hiking trails. Immerse yourself in the silent grandeur of the mountains as you hike spectacular trails amid soaring peaks, verdant forests, mountain meadows and turquoise lakes. Discover a wealth of natural beauty around every turn of the trail.

Activity Level

Varies by date

Varies by date. OUTDOOR SPIRITED Dates: Hiking 5-8 miles daily on rocky terrain at elevations of 3,000-7,200 feet. OUTDOOR CHALLENGING Dates: Hiking up to 7-12 miles daily on rocky terrain at elevations of 3,000-7,800 feet.

Best of all, you’ll…

Enjoy expert-led hikes on some of the most inspiring trails in Glacier National Park, where breathtaking vistas, pristine lakes and wildlife abound.
Travel the historic Going-to-the-Sun Road — a National Historic Landmark — for spectacular views of rugged peaks, vast canyons and idyllic waterfalls.
Develop a deeper understanding of this intact and wild ecosystem with trailside lessons as local flora and fauna are encountered, and learn about the geological forces that carved this magnificent landscape thousands of years ago.

General Notes

This program will be split into small groups of about 10 for daily field trips and hikes.

Featured Expert

All trip experts

Ellen Horowitz

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.”

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Ellen Horowitz View biography

Megan Chaisson View biography

Megan Chaisson hails from in Concord, Massachusetts and developed a passion for nature early on. After attending Tufts University, she left New England to explore the Rocky Mountains at Glacier National Park in Montana. Enchanted by the free great spaces, she worked as a Park Ranger with Glacier National Park and Flathead National Forest for the next ten years. After leading hikes, snowshoeing, boat trips and youth field trips, Megan is now a 7th grade Life Science teacher in Whitefish, Montana.

Al Koss View biography

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.

Suggested Reading List (7 books)

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You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.

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Trailside Glacier: Hiking in Glacier National Park

Program Number: 4863

Geology Along Going-to-the-Sun Road

by Raup, Earhart, Whipple, and Carrara

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.

Grizzly Country

by Andy Russell

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.

Wildflowers of Glacier National Park

by Shannon Fitzpatrick Kimball and Peter Lesica

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

by C.W. Guthrie

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.

Blackfeet Tales of Glacier National Park

by James Willard Schultz

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.

Glacier - A Natural History Guide

by David Rockwell

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.

Glacier National Park: Including Waterton Lakes National Park

by Becky Lomax

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.

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