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Glacier National Park lives up to its name, glaciers and waterfalls right next to the road, craggy peaks, aquamarine streams, clear lakes, alpine meadows strewn with wildflowers are spectacular scenery. Kids will enjoy putting one foot on either side of the Continental Divide, canoeing or river rafting, hiking in lush forests, and skipping stones on Lake McDonald. |
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The full name of the park is Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, and it spans the Canada – U.S. border. It's less than a day's drive to Waterton Lakes National Park and well worth a visit. |
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Tip: At the turn of the 20th century, visitors to Glacier National Park arrived by train (and stagecoach). Today, riding the Amtrak train to Glacier is still a great way to go, with two convenient stops, West Glacier (inside the park) or Whitefish (outside the park). We stayed in Whitefish, 30 min. from the park and easy driving with a rental car. |
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Tips for enjoying Glacier National Park |
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Drinking water – Even on a short hike, bring water bottles with you. In the mountain air, it's easy to get dehydrated, so drink plenty of water. The streams in Glacier look pristine, but don't drink from the streams. |
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Footwear – Don't short-change yourself. Make sure everyone has comfortable shoes. Flip flops and plastic sandals are okay on boardwalks or playing by the lake, but not on dirt trails. Closed toed shoes are best, especially on Logan Pass where parts of the trail may be covered with snow. |
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Changeable weather – The weather is Glacier can be warm and sunny one minute, cold and cloudy the next, especially on the mountain passes. If you’re out hiking bring a sweatshirt and windbreaker along in a backpack, the kids can always take off layers if it warms up. |
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Don’t feed the animals – The red squirrels know they're cute, and will even pose for you, but don't feed them. At lunch time, chubby marmots (they look like furry slippers) will magically appear from the shade in the rocks, but don't share your lunch. Chips and snacks are bad for many of the animals here – feed them people food and they can end up dead. |
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Bears – The bears in Glacier National Park are wild, but are conditioned to people. If you leave food in a cooler or in your car, the bears figure you brought it for them! |
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Don't get close to bears for a cute photo. A mother bear that thinks her cub is threatened is a dangerous animal and all you have to do is stand between a mama and her cub to be on her bad list. |
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Kid's guide to wildlife, glaciers, lakes, hikes, flowers, trees in Glacier National Park. Info and photos about mountain goats, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, beavers, marmots, bald eagles, and where to locate the wildlife - very handy. (Picture - Activity book)
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Explore Glacier National Park with Ranger Red Fox – mighty mountains, lakes and glaciers, wonderful wildlife, mini-field guide, leaf tracker, map. Fun for younger kids. (Picture book)
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Fabulous photos of young animals in Glacier National Park – bighorn lambs in the snow, black bear cub up the tree, an otter family, mountain goat mom and her kid in the sunshine, foxes playing, moose calf at the lake, and more. This is a gem. (Picture book)
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Fun facts about
these fascinating animals you'll see in Glacier National
Park. A moose is really just the largest deer, elk make lots of
squealing noises, bears have no natural predators. Also, how to identify moose, mule deer, elk and bear
tracks. (Picture books)
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Guide to easy hikes in Glacier National Park (and Waterton Lakes), ideal for families. Maps, concise trail descriptions, mountain hiking tips, trail difficulty, and what you'll see along the way. (Guidebook)
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More children's books on other Montana pages |
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