On
this trip you’ll want to make sure to bring plenty of
film, warm clothing, and your hiking boots. The ride is
only 50 miles but there are endless numbers of places
to stop and stretch your legs as you take in views that
are breathtaking. This route covers a remote area of Montana
and if your looking for urban amenities (such as restaurants,
craft shops, etc) you will not have much luck. Because
of this we had to give the route a 3 in terms of its roadside-amenities
… it just wasn’t balanced as well as some other routes
in the Rockies. The below list of amenities are highlights
of a few the stops that standout.
Start
out at St Mary Lake and take in the incredible 4,500 ft
peaks that raise above the surface of the lake into that
“big sky” that Montana is famous for.
Perhaps
the your favorite picture will be taken from the Wild
Goose Island Turnout.
Chances are you have seen a picture taken of this
lake and island in a magazine or on a book cover.
A helpless looking little island with its few trees
sits in the middle of Wild Goose Lake and is surrounded
by giant mountain peaks.
You may want to try to time your photo for a sunrise
or sunset here.
There
are many short hiking trails (between 1 to 3
miles) at the various pullout areas such as Sun Point,
St. Mary Falls (a fantastic looking cascading mountain
waterfall), and Virginia Falls.
You
will drive along a section known as Logan Pass and notice
that next to the road are some sheer cliffs that demand
you keep track of the road despite the magnetic scenery.
A waterfall will actually come down off the
uphill side and flow down onto the river and over the
edge … don’t go with it over the edge with it!
The pass is known for its patches of wildflowers
and mountain peaks.
Shortly after this you will want to stop at the
visitor center and may even want to take a short 1.5 mile
hike on the boardwalk-covered trail to the Hidden Lake
Overlook.
The
Garden Wall is a length of rocky cliffs that rise 1,000
feet and make up part of the continental divide.
From here you will see an area that suffered from
a 1967 lightning caused forest fire that scorched the
area. After
over thirty years the area is just recovering with young
trees and shrubs.
At
the Trail of Cedars you can you can walk along an
elevated board walk through an ancient forest and
see the blanket of alpine mosses and ferns that cover
the forest floor.
Towards
the end of the route, you may want to consider staying
at the impressive Lake McDonald Lodge (602-207-6000).
This is a famous rustic looking yet prestigious
lodge that has a huge stone and log lobby complete with
large dinning room.
This is considered the “Ritz in the Rockies.”
The
end of the drive takes you into West Glacier, MT ... a
town that has a lot of tourist traps (restaruants, gift
shops, gas stations). ... A couple of tourist attractions
that you really should check out are as follows:
- Head west on Hwy 2 about 13 miles and you'll see the
"House of
Mystery" on the right ... its a place where supposedly
there is some vortex (whatever that is) that causes things
like marbles to role up hill and brooms to stand on their
own. I saw that and more with my own eyes and I can't
explain it but it was real.
- Down the road there is a place with a huge wooden maze
for humans to try to get through
- Also, the town of Whitefish has a great lake with public
beach if you want to hang out and enjoy a swim
