Glacier National Park [Montana] Part 4

The traveler who is not in a hurry may camp out in the magnificent wilderness of the park, carrying equipment in his automobile and staying as long as he wishes in any of the free Government campgrounds, or he may carry his bed and provisions on his back. With a competent guide and a complete camping outfit the park visitor may set forth upon the trails to wander at will. On such trips one may venture far afield, explore glaciers, climb divides for extraordinary views, linger for the best fishing, or spend idle days in spots of inspirational beauty.

The Glacier Park Saddle Horse Co. provides excellent small sleeping tents and a complete outfitting of comforts for pack trips.

There are several important points to be remembered on such trips:

A Government topographic map should be procured and consulted frequently.

Extreme care should be taken about fires. No fire should be left even for a few minutes unless it is _entirely extinguished_. It should be _drenched completely with water_.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Glacier offers exceptional views to delight the photographer. While the scenic attractions are most commonly photographed, the animals, the flowers, and the picturesque Blackfeet Indians provide interesting subjects. Photographic laboratories are maintained at Many Glacier, Lake McDonald, and Glacier Park Hotels, and at Belton village. Expert information regarding exposures and settings is also available at these places.

PARK HIGHWAY SYSTEM

The Blackfeet Highway, lying along the east side of the park, is an improved highway, leading from Glacier Park Station to the Canadian line via Babb, Mont., and from the line to Waterton Lakes Park and other Canadian points via Cardston, Alberta. There is also an improved picturesque cut-off highway, which branches from this road at Kennedy Creek Junction, 4 miles north of Babb, leading around the base of Chief Mountain to Waterton Lakes Park. Improved highways lead from the Blackfeet Highway to Two Medicine Lake, the Cutbank Chalets, and Many Glacier Hotel on Swiftcurrent Lake.

The Theodore Roosevelt Highway (US 2) follows the southern boundary of the park from Glacier Park Station to Belton, a distance of 58 miles, and a trip over this highway affords views of excellent scenery.

The spectacular Going-to-the-Sun Highway, well known as one of the outstanding scenic roadways of the world, links the east and west sides of the park, crossing the Continental Divide through Logan Pa.s.s at an alt.i.tude of 6,654 feet, and connects with the Blackfeet Highway at St.

Marys Junction, a distance of 51 miles from Belton. East of the divide an improved spur road leads to Going-to-the-Sun Chalets on famous St.

Marys Lake. On the west side at Apgar, 2 miles above Belton, a narrow dirt road follows the north fork of the Flathead River to Bowman and Kintla Lakes.

HOW TO DRESS

As a rule tourists are inclined to carry too much. There are no unnecessary formalities and no need for formal clothes in Glacier Park, where guests are expected to relax from everyday affairs of living. An inexpensive and simple outfit is required--old clothes and stout shoes are the rule. These, together with toilet articles, can be wrapped into a compact bundle and put into a haversack or bag. For saddle trips, hiking, or idling, both men and women wear riding breeches for greater comfort and freedom. Golf knickers are also satisfactory. "Shorts", such as are worn by Boy Scouts, are not generally feasible in this park. Ordinary cotton khaki breeches will do, although woolen ones are preferable; lightweight woolen underwear and overshirt are advised because of rapid changes of temperature. A sweater or woolen mackinaw jacket, 1 or 2 pairs of cotton gloves, and a raincoat are generally serviceable. Waterproof slickers are furnished free with saddle horses.

Supplies and essential articles of clothing of good quality, including boots, shoes, leggings, socks, haversacks, shirts, slickers, blankets, camping equipment, and provisions, may be purchased at well-stocked commissaries at Glacier Park, Many Glacier, and Lake McDonald Hotels and at the camp store at Many Glacier campground. The Glacier Park Hotel Co., which operates these commissaries, also makes a practice of renting, at a nominal figure, riding outfits, mackinaw coats, and other overgarments. Stores carrying a similar general line of articles most useful in making park trips are located at Belton and at Glacier Park village. There is a store carrying provisions, cigars, tobacco, and fishermen's supplies at the foot of Lake McDonald.

ACCOMMODATIONS

The Glacier Park Hotel Co., under franchise from the Department of the Interior, operates the hotel and chalet system in the park and the Belton Chalets. This system includes the Glacier Park Hotel at Glacier Park Station, an imposing structure built of ma.s.sive logs, nearly as long as the Capitol at Washington, accommodating 400 guests; the Many Glacier Hotel on Swiftcurrent Lake, accommodating over 500 guests; and the Lake McDonald Hotel on Lake McDonald, with capacity for 100 guests.

The chalet groups are from 10 to 18 miles apart, but within hiking distance of one another or of the hotels, and provide excellent accommodations for trail tourists. They are located at Two Medicine, Cutbank, St. Mary, Sun Camp, Granite Park, Sperry, and Belton. In addition to these, the Glacier Park Saddle Horse Co. maintains tent camps at Red Eagle Lake, Crossley Lake, Goathaunt, and Fifty Mountain.

There are also a few hotels and camps located on the west side, in or adjacent to the park, on private lands. The National Park Service exercises no control over their rates and operations. Private tourist cabins and hotels are operated outside the park at Glacier Park Station, Belton, St. Mary, Babb, and Browning Junction.

RATES

The Glacier Park, Many Glacier, and Lake McDonald Hotels are open from June 15 to September 15. The American-plan rates range from $6.50 a day for a room, without bath, to $14 a day for de luxe accommodations for one. Rooms may also be obtained on the European plan. Breakfast and lunch cost $1 each; dinner, $1.50. Children under 8 are charged half rates, and a discount of 10 percent is allowed for stays of a week or longer at any one hotel. Cabins are obtainable at Lake McDonald Hotel at a rate of $5 each, American plan, for 3 persons in 1 room; 2 persons in room, $5.50 each; 1 person, $6.50.

Chalets operated during 1937 will be open from June 15 to September 15, except Sperry and Granite Park, which will open July I and close September 1. Minimum rates are computed on a basis of $4.50 a day per person, special accommodations ranging as high as $7.50. A 10-percent discount is allowed for stays of a week or more at any one chalet group. Tent camp rates are $5 per day, per person, American plan.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Hileman photo._ HOUSEKEEPING CABINS AT MANY GLACIER CAMPGROUNDS]

The Swiftcurrent auto cabins are located a little more than a mile from Many Glacier Hotel. Here a 2-room cabin for 1 or 2 persons costs $2.50 a day; 3 or 4 persons in a 3-room cabin, $4 a day. Blankets and linen may be rented by the day. The 10 percent discount given at the hotels and chalets also applies to the housekeeping cabins.

SADDLE-HORSE TRIPS

Glacier National Park has the distinction of being the foremost trail park. More saddle horses are used than in any other park or like recreational region in this country. The Glacier Park Saddle Horse Co.

has available during the season about 800 saddle animals. There are nearly 900 miles of trails in this park.

At Glacier Park, Many Glacier, and Lake McDonald Hotels, Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, and Goathaunt Tent Camp, horses may be engaged or released for trips in the park, including camping trips.

At Two Medicine Chalets horses may be engaged or released for local rides only.

A wonderful 3-day excursion is afforded by the Logan Pa.s.s Triangle trip. This trip may be started at either the Many Glacier Hotel and Chalets or Going-to-the-Sun Chalets. Beginning at Many Glacier Hotel, the first day's route follows up Swiftcurrent Pa.s.s to Granite Park Chalets, where luncheon is served and the overnight stop made. The second day the Garden Wall Trail to Logan Pa.s.s is followed, with a box luncheon on the way, and Going-to-the-Sun Chalets is reached in late afternoon in time for dinner. The return to Many Glacier Hotel is made the third day via Piegan Pa.s.s, Grinnell Lake, and Josephine Lake.

The South Circle trip requires 5 days to complete and may be started either from Many Glacier, Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, or Lake McDonald Hotel on Lake McDonald. Three of the princ.i.p.al pa.s.ses are traversed--Swiftcurrent, Gunsight, and Piegan. The North Circle trip is also a 5-day tour via tent camps, crossing Swiftcurrent Pa.s.s, Indian Pa.s.s, and Ptarmigan Wall. The trip starts from Many Glacier Hotel, Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, or Lake McDonald Hotel.

There is a 4-day inside trail trip from Glacier Park Hotel via Two Medicine, Cut Bank, and Red Eagle to Sun Camp.

Many delightful specially scheduled trips of 1 and 2 days' duration are also available.

Information about saddle-horse trips may be obtained at any of the hotels or other points of concentration. Practically any type of trip desired can be arranged, from short excursions to special points of interest, such as the half-day trip from Glacier Park Hotel to Forty-Mile Creek for $3.50, to pack trips of unlimited duration; the larger the party, the cheaper the rates. For minimum parties of 3 persons, the average rate for 1-day trips is $5 or $6. For parties of 3 or more, the all-expense Fifty Mountain Trail trip of 3 days is $28.50; the 5-day North Circle trip, $50.50. These are specifically mentioned merely to give an idea of the cost; many other fine trips are available at rates computed on a similar basis.

Special arrangements can be made for private camping parties making a trip of 10 days or more at rates amounting to $11 a day each for groups of 7 or more; $12 a day each for 6 persons; $13 for 5; $15 for 4; $16 for 3; $18 for 2; and $27 for 1 person. A guide and cook, are furnished for a party of one or more persons, and extra helpers are added, if the number of persons require it. Private trips of less than 10 days may also be arranged.

Experienced riders may rent horses for use on the floor of the valleys at $1 an hour, $3 for 4 hours, and $5 for 8 hours.

ALL-EXPENSE TOURS BY BUS

The Glacier Park Transport Co. and the Glacier Park Hotel Co. have jointly arranged some very attractive all-expense tours of 1, 2, 3, and 4 days' duration. These trips are priced reasonably and include auto fare, meals, and hotel lodgings. The trips begin at Glacier Park Station for west-bound pa.s.sengers and at Belton for east-bound pa.s.sengers and are made daily during the season.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Grant photo._ RESTING AT THE SOUTH PORTAL OF THE TUNNEL ON PTARMIGAN WALL TRAIL]

_Trip No. 1._--Logan Pa.s.s Detour.--Glacier Park Hotel to Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, Lake McDonald Hotel, and Belton, Mont. Leave Glacier Park Hotel at 2:30 p.m.; arrive Belton the next day, 2:05 p.m. All-expense rate, $15.50.