Montana Magic / Glacier Park
ZZ-BKT06

Glacier Park Alpiner  /  Glacier Park   /  Big Sky Classic

Our plans for the coming year reflect our passion for the magic of Montana. Our 7-day Glacier Alpiner and 9-day Glacier Park Rambler return for a 17th season. Another component of our Montana Magic program, the Big Sky classic, is a western adventure to its core and in so many ways symbolizes the excitement of bicycle touring in the Rockies.

Glacier Park Alpiner  /  Glacier Park Rambler   /  Big Sky Classic

Itinerary

The Glacier Park Alpiner assembles in Kalispell and we'll head for Glacier early-morning of Day 1. Before long, Glacier's snowclad peaks are visible as we enter the park at West Glacier and ultimately ride along the shores of Lake McDonald to our overnight at the Lake McDonald Lodge.

The logistics of this first day present some intriguing mid-day options while we await the 4 p.m. opening of the road to Lake McDonald for cyclists. Among those choices are a half-day of whitewater rafting on the Flathead River and a great cycling option along the beautiful quiet road toward the Polebridge region of Glacier.

With that relatively gentle first day behind us, it's on to one of the most exciting cyclotouring experiences to be found in North America — the challenge of spectacular Going-to-the-Sun Highway and its summit at Logan Pass (6,640'). How can we describe the experience of Going-to-the-Sun? The awesome glacial snowfields, tumbling waterfalls, the Hanging Gardens, the spectacular vistas that unfold at every switchback as we climb higher and higher. We promise some sweat, but the beauty is well worth it. As a reward for that effort, we can look forward to a long downhill to St. Mary and then on to Many Glacier on the Park's wild eastern slope. We'll spend the evening in the historic Many Glacier Hotel, set magnificently on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake in the shadow of Grinnell Glacier.

On Day 3, we'll cross the border into Canada for a visit to Waterton Park. We'll spend the evening at the Prince of Wales Hotel, standing regally at the north end of Waterton Lake above the Waterton Townsite and overlooking the world's longest unguarded frontier.

We'll return to Montana on Day 4 — one of the most intriguing days that we offer on any tour. We'll climb from the Waterton Valley, trace the course of the Belly River and ride in the shadow of mystical Chief Mountain. We'll continue along the sparsely traveled eastern perimeter of Glacier beyond St. Mary Lake to the Triple Divide separating waters that flow to the Atlantic, Pacific and Hudson Bay. Our last climb on this very special day crests atop Looking Glass Hill with its breathtaking vista of Two Medicine Lakes. And what a way to end this day — an exhilarating 8-mile descent into East Glacier where we'll spend the next two evenings at the grand Glacier Park Lodge.

We'll remain in the East Glacier area on Day 5 with a wide array of activities available on this layover day. Among those choices are some excellent hiking opportunities in the Two Medicine region, ranging from the ambitious challenges of Dawson Pass and Scenic Point to the relaxing boat ride across the lake and leisurely return hike along the shoreline. And for those who prefer a more literal interpretation of this "rest" day, the pool at the Glacier Lodge is an inviting alternative.

It's back on the road early-morning of Day 6 for a relatively gentle return to the Continental Divide atop Marias Pass. We'll ride to the southern tip of Lake McDonald and a final evening on its shores at the Apgar Village Inn, and then return to Kalispell by mid-afternoon of the final day.

Glacier Park Alpiner  /  Glacier Park    /  Big Sky Classic  /  Top
 

Itinerary

We have been cycling and hiking in Glacier and Waterton Parks for the past 22 seasons in the context of the region‘s most comprehensive and adventurous program. But as our activities have grown over the years, so also has our awareness of how much remains for us to experience in Glacier/ Waterton. The Glacier Park/Waterton Lakes Adventure is merely the next progression in our commitment to create and offer the ultimate, total experience.

In the context of this 8-day adventure, we’ll cycle through the heart of Glacier to the Continental Divide atop Logan Pass on Going-to-the-Sun Road, and then to Waterton and beyond. We’ll raft the whitewater of the Flathead and hike to the glaciers above Many Glacier. In Waterton, we’ll hike to Crypt Lake, a trek that many believe to be the finest of all Canadian Rocky Mountain day hikes.

We’ll assemble in beautiful Whitefish, on the shores of Whitefish Lake, and ride to Glacier on Day 1. Mid-day, we’ll experience the excitement of whitewater, Montana-style, as we explore the Flathead River Canyon in the context of a half-day raft trip. It’s then back on the bikes for a gentle 10-mile ride along the shores of Lake McDonald to the Lake McDonald Lodge.

One of North America’s premier alpine cycling experiences is ours on Day 2 as we challenge “Going-to-the-Sun” atop Logan Pass at the Continental Divide. We’ll continue on to Many Glacier where we’ll spend the next two overnights at the Many Glacier Hotel. Day 3 is dedicated to hiking at Many Glacier and we’ll choose between two spectacular options—Iceberg Lake and Grinnell Glacier.

We’ll ride from Many Glacier Valley early-morning of Day 4 and cross into Canada along the Chief Mountain Road—one of our all-time favorite cycling roads. The next two overnights are planned for the magnificent Prince of Wales Hotel, perched high on a hill overlooking Waterton Lake.

Day 5 may be a layover day, but it is anything other than a rest day. An early morning boat launch will transport our group across Waterton Lake to the Crypt Lake trailhead, and we’ll spend the better part of the day engaged in this extraordinary 11-mile round trip trek to one of Canada’s most magnificent alpine lakes.

The adventure continues on Day 6 as we ride north from Waterton into the historic Crowsnest Pass region. We’ll overnight in Blairmore and then crest Crowsnest Pass early the following morning as we cross into British Columbia. It’s on to Eureka that evening prior to our return to Whitefish through the Flathead Forest on our final day.

Total Cycling Mileage — 353 Total Hiking Mileage — 19

Glacier Park Alpiner  /  Glacier Park    /  Big Sky Classic  /  Top

Itinerary

If your image of the West is one of majestic, snow-capped mountains, crystalline glacial lakes, cascading streams, secluded valleys, and a vastness that will expand the spirit and soul of all who behold it, the Big Sky Country of Montana is the embodiment of the West.

In our Big Sky Classic, we believe that we have captured the magic of Montana, and we've blended this magic with the fascination and excitement of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks to create an extraordinary western adventure experience.

In the course of this Classic Adventure, we'll explore Grand Teton and Yellowstone and then leave the parks for the solitude of the Big Sky Country of Montana. The Montana that we'll visit during the final six days of Big Sky is a land that is extraordinarily rich, not only in its unparalleled natural beauty, but also in its history and culture. In many ways, the story of the settlement of Montana is the story of settlement of the entire Rocky Mountain West. The hunger for precious metals and the booms and busts that attended their discovery; the inevitable conflicts triggered by the incursions of settlers onto sacred Indian lands; the emergence of the cattle industry and the cattle barons and cowboys who were the players in that saga — this legacy of Montana is ours to experience.

Our program assembles in Jackson Hole and we'll cycle in the shadow of the Tetons on Day 1 into Grand Teton Park and on to Jackson Lake and an overnight at the grand Jackson Lake Lodge. Day 2, a layover day, is anything but a rest day because we're hiking to Lake Solitude, the quintessential day hike in all of the Tetons (14 miles).

On Day 3, we'll cycle north through Grand Teton along Jackson Lake to the South Entrance of Yellowstone. We'll continue to Grant Village prior to an encounter with Craig Pass. From the Craig summit (8,262') at the Continental Divide, it's downhill to Old Faithful and a night at the Old Faithful Inn.

Early morning of Day 4, we'll cycle along the Firehole River to Madison, trace the Gibbon River beyond Gibbon Falls to the Norris Geyser Basin, and then ride across the park to Canyon Village. Following an overnight at Canyon, we'll spend much of the next morning exploring the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone as we cycle along both the north and south rims. Late in the day, we'll ride along the Madison River through the park's west gate for an evening in West Yellowstone.

The massive Madison Canyon earthquake of 1959 profoundly altered the appearance of portions of the Yellowstone Country. On our way to Ennis on Day 6, we'll visit the Earthquake Interpretive Center and ride the shores of Quake Lake, a creation of that cataclysmic event. We'll climb from Ennis the following morning and then descend into the historic mining town of Virginia City. The downhill continues as we approach the Beaverhead River enroute to our overnight in Dillon.

A "hole" was the term used by early settlers to designate a valley, and much of our next two days belong to the magnificence of Montana's Big Hole. The Big Hole, ringed by the Pioneer Mountains to the east and the Bitterroots to the west, is the heart of Montana's cattle country. Two moderate passes, Badger (6,760') and Big Hole (7,360'), mark our journey to Jackson and an overnight at the Jackson Hot Springs Lodge with the promise of a long, leisurely soak in the natural hot springs at the lodge. A side trip to Bannack State Park, site of Montana's first territorial capital, is a great option on this day.

Day 9 is one of the most extraordinary days in our total program. Following a short ride to Wisdom, we'll turn west toward the towering Bitterroots. Shortly before entering the Beaverhead Forest, we'll visit the Big Hole Battlefield National Monument, site in 1877 of one of the major conflicts in the sad saga of the government's conquest and removal of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce. From the battlefield, we'll begin a long gradual climb to the Continental Divide atop Chief Joseph Pass (7,264'), followed by a rapid descent to Lost Trail Pass astride the Montana/Idaho border. The downhill continues into the Bitterroot Valley to Hamilton, nestled in the heart of the valley in the shadow of the magnificent snowclad Bitterroot peaks. We'll spend our final evening in Hamilton and then continue downstream along the Bitterroot River the following morning to Missoula, where our tour concludes.

Glacier Park Alpiner  /  Glacier Park    /  Big Sky Classic  /  Top