Last year a couple of buddies and I did a road trip which included Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. We didn't schedule nearly enough time to spend at those places so we're going back this year. (late July). I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for either park. We're going to stay 3 days in Yellowstone and 4 or 5 in Glacier, and hope to do some backcountry hiking/camping. (Basically, what are the best places to hike or camp?)

[Edited on May 21, 2008 at 10:17 PM. Reason : .]

5/21/2008 10:16:21 PM

Come up here now. I'm in Montana now.

5/21/2008 10:17:44 PM

i went last summer to glacier for 10 days in the backcountry. most amazing 10 days of my life. that place is unbelievable. my suggestion would be to go there for your entire trip. screw yellowstone, too touristy as far as national parks go.

[Edited on May 21, 2008 at 10:18 PM. Reason : k]

5/21/2008 10:18:18 PM

at yellowstone, mount washburn from dunraven pass

5/21/2008 10:18:57 PM

^^^ where are you staying? haha

^^ i agree to an extent, but I want to give Yellowstone more than one rushed day...I actually didn't like it much the first time (thought both Glacier and the badlands were better)....I'm trying to give it a chance

5/21/2008 10:21:16 PM

right now im thinking of doing (in Glacier) Swiftcurrent Pass, Hidden Lake, Iceberg Lake (again), Ptarmigan Lake/Tunnel, and Dawson's Pass

5/21/2008 10:22:39 PM

when i went we did a huge loop in the two medicine area...it was about 75-80 miles total. we started at two medicine lake and headed south all the way down into the nyack/coal creek valley, which is a true wilderness, it's not maintained at all. for about 1.5 days we were just bushwacking it through fireweed and downed trees because of avalanches and floods that had washed everything away. we definitely didn't see any people for a few days.

eventually we headed back north towards Cut Bank Pass, Dawson's Pass and Pitamakan Pass area. i'd definitely recommend that area, it is awesome. a lot of good higher altitude stuff, awesome views. i'd also recommend staying at oldman lake in that area. really sweet campsite, but it's somewhat close to two medicine lake and so it gets crowded. (relatively speaking. i think there are 4 sites)

[Edited on May 21, 2008 at 10:30 PM. Reason : ,]

5/21/2008 10:28:43 PM

I'm staying near Billings with my God-mother. I plan to make it to Glacier, Yellowstone, Big Horn, and praying I get to go to Jackson Hole!

5/22/2008 12:32:02 AM

Allot more time.

I'm out here, hitting up parks left and right, and I shit you not, I could easily spend 2-3 days in each, and these are small change, compared to those two. I've been to Arches (actually going back tomorrow ), Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, going to Canyonlands tomorrow, maybe, and a couple of state parks.

Fuck, I think I spent 6 hours just at Hoover Dam?

Get the annual pass. It's so handy.

5/22/2008 1:58:31 AM

Wrestle a grizzly.

5/22/2008 2:01:36 AM

^^ we're getting the pass. We're going to Glacier, Yellowstone, Badlands, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Glen Canyon, and Arches...so heck, if anyone has a tip for hiking/camping in ANY of those places, feel free to enlighten me!

5/22/2008 6:49:05 AM

one of the best trips of my life was a glacier/yellowstone trip

glacier was by far my favorite, because (as noted above) it's less touristy...we actually stayed in the cabins on the lake one of the nights and the sunrise on lake mcdonald was absolutely gorgeous...you have GOT to take the hike up to avalanche lake while you're there, and it's kinda cool to drive up to the continental divide (we went in july, and, of course, there was snow piled higher than i am tall)

yellowstone really IS touristy, but it DOES have some cool things - if you go, you absolutely must check out angel terrace and morning glory pool...old faithful is boring, though

take lots of pictures

5/22/2008 7:47:14 AM

We did Avalanche Lake. I thought it was just ok, but I think I'd like it more if we were hiking on a ridge instead of "down on the ground". I really liked Iceberg Lake. We went in mid-May and the ranger told us that snow would probably keep us from making it all the way. So we just ran across the snowy patching...not too safe, but well worth it! Oh, and I took many pictures

5/22/2008 4:22:21 PM

Ok, I'm having the hardest time finding a good loop trail to do in the Lamar Valley Area. I want to spend a night at a backcountry campsite, but I can't find any good trail maps for that area. Help!

6/18/2008 4:34:37 PM

i'm tellin' you man, just spend all your time in glacier.

good luck though

6/18/2008 5:11:30 PM

well, i wouldnt mind seeing a wolfpack in yellowstone

6/18/2008 5:49:30 PM