Travel question regarding Glacier NP and Rocky Mountain NP

Justiceiro · December 14, 2009

Hey all,

I'm planning a trip for next September, and I was wondering if some folks here could help me out with some info.

Has anyone ridden the California Zephyr from Salt Lake to Denver? If so, is it better to take it estbound or westbound.

If you arrive at Glacier NP from Seattle, by train, are there car rental services available at the train station? If not, how can I get into Kalispell?

How long a drive is it from Glacier NP to Yellowstone?

Thanks,

Ryan

Scott_Quier · December 14, 2009

Can't help with anything but the last question.....

From Kalispell to West Yellowstone MT, it's about 380 miles.

From Kalispell to Gardiner MT (the "Main" gate into Yellowstone), it's about 400 miles.

Ann McRae · December 14, 2009

Justi

Greenpea and Devbobo are the resources you need wrt the Seattle incoming train. They rented a vehicle somewhere! after drinking the bar car on the train dry - it actually had to close!

ann

greenpea · December 15, 2009

Justiceiro wrote:

Hey all,

I'm planning a trip for next September, and I was wondering if some folks here could help me out with some info.

Has anyone ridden the California Zephyr from Salt Lake to Denver? If so, is it better to take it estbound or westbound.

If you arrive at Glacier NP from Seattle, by train, are there car rental services available at the train station? If not, how can I get into Kalispell?

How long a drive is it from Glacier NP to Yellowstone?

Thanks,

Ryan

I don't know anything about the California Zephyr or the drive from Glacier to Yellowstone, but I have taken the Empire Builder from Seattle to East Glacier Park (once with devbobo). There is an Avis car rental desk at the store across the tracks from the train station in East Glacier and another car rental place a couple of miles away from the train station. I'm not sure about the other side of the park.

There are also shuttle buses thoughout the park.

Hopefully you are not planning on going any time real soon though, everything is pretty much shut down though the winter (including the train station at East Glacier Park).

Justiceiro · December 15, 2009

greenpea wrote:

I don't know anything about the California Zephyr or the drive from Glacier to Yellowstone, but I have taken the Empire Builder from Seattle to East Glacier Park (once with devbobo). There is an Avis car rental desk at the store across the tracks from the train station in East Glacier and another car rental place a couple of miles away from the train station. I'm not sure about the other side of the park.

There are also shuttle buses thoughout the park.

Hopefully you are not planning on going any time real soon though, everything is pretty much shut down though the winter (including the train station at East Glacier Park).

Thanks for the info.

I'm not planning on going on this trip until next September. I have a friend here in Germany that has always resisted visiting the US, mostly due to our politics over the last eight years, so my goal is to give her a crash course in the awesomenosity of America. I have three weeks to do this.

So what I have to consider is whether or not I take a Northern Route (Olympic NP, Glacier, and Possibly Yellowstone), or a Southern Route (Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Monument Valley), A central Route (Great Salt Lake, Arches, Rocky Mountain NP), or some combination thereof.

Renting a car and dropping it off somewhere else jacks up the price tremendously. So I was thinking about renting a car in Kalispell, as if I take the Northern route I will be flying back to New York from there. How then do I get to Kalispell from East Glacier or Whitefish. We have to start there, as a trip on the Empire Builder is a must.

Also, general suggestions. I really don't know the West well, so if you had three weeks, what would you do?

Cayuse · December 16, 2009

I've taken the Empire Builder into Whitefish and was able to get a rental there so would guess Kalispel has them available as well.

greenpea · December 16, 2009

Justiceiro wrote:

So what I have to consider is whether or not I take a Northern Route (Olympic NP, Glacier, and Possibly Yellowstone), or a Southern Route (Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Monument Valley), A central Route (Great Salt Lake, Arches, Rocky Mountain NP), or some combination thereof.

If you do the Northern Route, don't forget one of my favorites: Mount Rainier National Park.

Also, general suggestions. I really don't know the West well, so if you had three weeks, what would you do?

If I had 3 weeks, I might fly to St. Paul/Minneapolis catch the Empire Builder train there to East Glacier. Rent a car and explore the park for at least 3 or 4 days. Return the car take the train to Seattle. Rent a car and do Olympic National Park and Mount Rainier National Park. Return the car and take the Coast Starlight train to San Francisco, spend some time in the city and then drive to Yosemite National Parks.

But that's just me. I'm a big fan of trains, National Parks, and San Francisco (in no particular order).

Flying from Seattle to San Francisco would probably be than the Coast Starlight, but not as scenic.
<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">

jamesl · December 18, 2009

Sounds like a great trip, and a great time of year to visit.

Here's a few of my own links that may help:

Glacier National Park Walkthrough/Guide: http://www.langfordphotography.com/Glacier-National-Park

Colorado and Utah in early Oct: http://www.langfordphotography.com/Colorado-and-Utah

You could see an awful lot in 3 weeks.

How much driving do you want to do?

If it were me, I'd do:

Train from Seattle to East Glacier.
3 days in Glacier
1 Day Travel from Glacier to YellowStone
Spend 2 days in Yellowstone
1 Day Travel from Yellowstone to Grand Teton (fairly close)
Spend 2 days in Grand Teton
1 Day Travel from Grand Teton to Rocky Mountain Park
Spend 2 days in Rocky Mountain Park
1 Day travel along highway 72 from Estes Park to I70, then I70 through Vail and then onto Aspen
1 Day visiting Aspen, Maroon Bells (amazing), Snow Mass, etc
1 Day travel to Moab area
2 Days in Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park
1 Day travel to St George area
2 Days in Zion and Bryce National Parks
1 Day drive to Las Vegas and fly out from there

Now, that's a lot to see and a lot of driving, but you would see some absolutely amazing country.

James

Sing141 · December 18, 2009

I know nothing about the trains. A lot of info is available on the internet. http://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm For a quick trip in Glacier go west to east on the Going to the Sun Road. Fabulous scenery and some stops with side trails, etc. to more scenery. Seems to me that Glacier is more of a back country (backpack, etc.) park than Yellowstone. You can spend a week driving just the roads and highways in Yellowstone and not get tired of looking. Yellowstone -- so much to see and not enough time. Again, check out http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm for lots of info. Just outside the northeast corner of the park the drive from Cooke City to Red Lodge is sspectacular.. an overused word but fitting.

Allen Round - Sing141

scootac · January 31, 2010

Sing141 wrote:

Just outside the northeast corner of the park the drive from Cooke City to Red Lodge is sspectacular.. an overused word but fitting.

Allen Round - Sing141

Known as the Beartooth Highway, very beautiful and rugged, approx 10,000' altitude. would have to have your own vehicle, don't know of any tours that do the Beartooth though.

Travel question regarding Glacier NP and Rocky Mountain NP

Comments