Glacier National Park, Solo Trip

Jan 8

Jan 8 Glacier National Park | Solo Trip

Back in 2021 when I was in the depths of grad school work, I took a much needed nature break to Glacier National Park, Montana. Up until this point I had traveled several times on my own to meet up with friends when arriving at the destination, I’d spent a solo weekend in Melbourne back when I lived in Australia, but Montana was a weeklong trip and really felt like my first true solo travel experience.

Traveling as a grad student calls for a grad student budget so after landing in Kalispell I rented a car and car camped for the week! The first few nights I stayed at a nearby KOA campsite, I spent one spontaneous night at Under Canvas Glacier, and then back to stealth car camping the last few nights at the Whitefish Park and Ride.

I’m a big fan of off-season travel so I scheduled my trip for the week after labor day which was perfect in terms of weather and crowds :) The only downfall, as you can see in the photos, was the smog from wildfires that were happening further West. Since it’s been awhile since I took this trip, I don’t remember the exact itinerary. Instead of breaking down what I did each day, here’s a list of the highlights of the trip! Save for later if Glacier is on your bucket list!

Trail of the Cedars Hike
Avalanche Lake
Paddle-boarding on Lake McDonald
Highline Trail
Grinnell Glacier Trail was on my list, but closed due to wildlife (bear) sightings
Going to the Sun Road - You’ll need to take this to get to most trailheads, but I recommend taking the first day to just drive it, get familiar with the park, and stop at all the scenic overlooks along the way.
Big Bend overlook