PSA: Why You Need to Go to Glacier National Park

In 2009, I embarked on an epic solo road trip from Missouri to Colorado, Oregon, Idaho, and finally Montana. While I visited many places, got back in touch with old family and friends, and put an entire oil-change-worth of miles on my little Honda Accord, the highlight of the trip was most definitely the two days I spent in Glacier National Park.

So, here are just a few of the reasons you need to visit.

1. ANIMALS!!!

Above: Mountain goats, and a white-tailed deer in velvet (which would NOT get off the dang trail and out of my way, but whatevs, it was cool). There are also lots of wolves and bears which, alas, I did not see - though I had a close call with a grizzly bear anyway. 

It's not smart to hike in bear country alone, so I started asking random strangers if they minded me hiking a little ways behind them. Creepy? Probably. Worth the weird looks? Of course. It wasn't too difficult to find people willing to oblige me, including a cute middle-aged couple, so I gave them a 5-minute head start and then trundled off after them. 

Not two minutes later, they returned with the news that there was a mother bear with her cubs on the trail, and that we'd all better get the heck out of there. 

I hope that scary bears won't dissuade you from visiting. Buy some bear spray. Don't hike alone. Heck, even if you never leave the main road, the park is still a treat for the senses. Just be sure, when you're getting all tucked in to your tent at one of the campsites, not to go to sleep covered in peanut butter, popcorn, and candy bar wrappers.

If mammals aren't your thing, there are also tons of birds and fish and bugs and stuff. :-)

Oh and oh...also because awesome (though somewhat sad) Nature stuff like THIS happens there.

2. The most amazing scenery I have ever seen

All of these pics were taken by me on the famous Going to the Sun Road. Scary and always under construction (for good reason, as it gets ruined every winter by the weather), it takes you from the river to the Continental Divide in a few breathtaking miles of pavement.

OK, I may or may not have a thing for taking pics of my car in cool places. :-)

3. Because if you don't feel like driving to "way the heck over there in northern Montana", you can take the train right to Glacier's front door from Seattle, Milwaukee, Chicago, or Minneapolis, via the Empire Builder route.

Photos from Amtrak.com

Click here to visit Amtrak's Empire Builder website.

4. Because Glacier's glaciers are melting and you're running out of time to see them. 

True story. Click here.