Glacier National Park

Just outside the western entrance of he park is the town of Whitefish which is a great western town with good accommodations, restaurants and bars. There are several lodges in the park but the Many Glacier lodge is in the best location and one I would recommend. The nearby Swiftcurrent River makes for a nice image as it goes though a small cut in the rock. The Going to the Sun Road runs through the heart of the park, along the way stop at Logan Pass and hike 1.3 miles to the overlook above Hidden Lake.

Just past MacDonald Lake a nice short hike is the Avalanche Trail. From a small wooden bridge you will get a view of a narrow gorge which the river flows through. It’s a good spot for a time exposure photo.

The view of tiny Wild Goose Island from the shore of Saint Mary Lake is one of the iconic views from the park.

On the southeast side of the park is Two Medicine Lake and there’s good views from the road above it.

Waterton National Park

Connected to Glacier National Park is Waterton Park on the Canadian side of the border. The Prince of Wales Hotel is the place to stay and has great views of Upper Waterton Lake. The nearby town of Waterton has a number of good restaurants and stores.

Take the ferry from the town of Waterton along the lake to Goat Haunt back across the US border where you can get a cool new stamp for your passport. There is a good view looking back toward the Canadian border with lots of colorful rocks visible in the shallow waters near the shore.

In early June the black bears and their cubs come out of hibernation and we saw many along the nearby Red Rock Parkway at dusk.