I am looking for info about Glacier National Park...

**Refreshing** · 03-08-2014, 14:16

My wife REALLY wants to go to GNP and she even planned a bunch of hikes! This is amazing for me because she usually prefers hotels, so if she is willing to sleep under the stars I will go wherever the heck she wants!

The problem is that we can't figure out the rules of camping and backpacking. We read that you must submit your requests to reserve a backcountry campsite and then they will be raffled off in May. But what if we want to go this April?

We wanted to hike the loop up to Pitamaken Pass that starts by Two Medicine but if we can't camp for a few of the nights then our cheap trip will become very expensive.

Thanks for any info!

**Mrprez** · 03-08-2014, 14:20

You can get walk in permits. But, the Apgar permit office isn't open until May. Not sure where you'd have to go to get a permit.

Look here for campground status.

http://home.nps.gov/applications/gla...escgstatus.cfm

**Refreshing** · 03-08-2014, 14:42

Thanks MrPrez! I assume that the numbers under the dates are the available tent pads?

**Fronkey** · 03-08-2014, 14:44

Send renegade pilgrim a PM. She has a lot of info on the park and could help you out. I'll be there this July and plan on reserving my permit ahead of time so I can get on the trail faster.
Have a fun trip and if you go there before July then please send me a PM when you get back letting me know the snow conditions.

Fronkey

**Nodust** · 03-08-2014, 14:54

Not sure how much will be open in April. I've been studying the Glacier and Yellowstone site hard the last few months. We are planning a trip to both this summer. You can put in to reserve campsites for back country. You can also walk up and get one if it is open. I thing they keep half the spots not reserved for walk ups. The earlier in the season the better chance you have of getting the spot you want. In April you will have to snowshoe or ski I would imagine. The Going to the Sun road normally opens in mid June I think.

There are also front country tent sites available. We will most likely use this as Mrs Dust isn't going to hike in more than a few miles. We will try to stay at a couple of backcountry sites but aren't putting in for reservations yet. I don't have exact dates I can get off work nailed down yet.

**Mrprez** · 03-08-2014, 15:15

Originally Posted by Refreshing

Thanks MrPrez! I assume that the numbers under the dates are the available tent pads?

That is the number of sites for reservations. I don't think that includes sites available for walk ins. We hiked down from the pass to the Lake. It was a killer going down. Didn't think we'd ever make it down to the bottom.

**Refreshing** · 03-08-2014, 19:48

Originally Posted by Mrprez

That is the number of sites for reservations. I don't think that includes sites available for walk ins. We hiked down from the pass to the Lake. It was a killer going down. Didn't think we'd ever make it down to the bottom.

Thanks! And we both like a good challenge so we are excited for the future hike!

Originally Posted by Fronkey

...if you go there before July then please send me a PM when you get back letting me know the snow conditions.

Will do Fronkey, and thank you.

**gdbaskin** · 03-08-2014, 20:18

It's great that you want to visit GNP. It's one of the truly great places in the world. That said I would urge you to rethink the time of your trip. I live in south west Montana, and it has been a big snow year, and we often get big spring storms in April. There will be very little hiking without snowshoes that time of year, and avalanche danger may well be extreme. In addition most park facilities will be closed still and the many great things to do such as rafting, fishing and backcountry camping will be impossible or very difficult. July or August would be great. If you want to escape the crowds consider Sept or early October. All this said, it is such a magnificent place you will love it whenever. I don't mean to discourage you, but want you to know what you are in for.

**Refreshing** · 03-08-2014, 23:35

Originally Posted by gdbaskin

It's great that you want to visit GNP. It's one of the truly great places in the world. That said I would urge you to rethink the time of your trip. I live in south west Montana, and it has been a big snow year, and we often get big spring storms in April. There will be very little hiking without snowshoes that time of year, and avalanche danger may well be extreme. In addition most park facilities will be closed still and the many great things to do such as rafting, fishing and backcountry camping will be impossible or very difficult. July or August would be great. If you want to escape the crowds consider Sept or early October. All this said, it is such a magnificent place you will love it whenever. I don't mean to discourage you, but want you to know what you are in for.

I appreciate your post very much! I now know my wife is not ready for GNP in April and that was one of the main questions I was trying to answer. It looks like we have to go back to the drawing board for this trip.

**renegadepilgrim** · 03-10-2014, 11:49

I'm in Big Sky right now...and it's going to dump about a foot or two of snow in the next 24 hours according to the barista I was just talking to. Hoping our drive back to Missoula today is not too bad!

Yeah, GNP in April is not my idea of a good time! I don't even think the park opens until May or June...and even then, the backcountry is going to be *** deep in snow still.

We went in August last year and there were still parts of the trail with snow fields we had to cross. That was on the Bowman-Kintla horseshoe (I highly recommend that trail!) in the upper NW part of the park.

If GNP doesn't work out for you to try walk-in permits (I will NEVER do that again. There was a line at 6a and very few options), always consider "The Bob" instead. It's a wilderness area southeast of GNP and there are some amazing trails around there too. That was our back-up plan last summer.