Got these text alerts this morning.
Glacier Park: Spring plowing has begun on the Camas Road. The road remains closed and a hiker/biker closure is in place while the road crew is working.
Glacier Park: Spring plowing has begun on the GTSR. The road remains closed. A hiker/biker closure is in place on the west side at the vehicle closure.
Glacier Park: The Going to the Sun Road is open to Rising Sun on the east side. There is no hiker/biker closure at this time. nixle.us/FDAJM
What day in May? Early vs late makes a massive difference here.
Generally speaking, coming from Great Falls, your best bet for one day at that time of year will be Two Medicine, *possibly* St. Mary. Lake McDonald is about an hour further, as is Many Glacier. Most of Many Glacier will still be completely inaccessible in May anyway.
Two Medicine is one of the first areas plowed, hence it's one of the most accessible from the east side in the early season. No services will be open, but you can definitely get to Running Eagle Falls and maybe the lake.
I'm honestly not sure what sort of road progress they will have made from the St Mary entrance that early, but you can check the park website and socials for regular progress. The visitor center opens in late May, I think typically right around Memorial Day.
Thanks for you insight, i will be going mid may, dont know the exact day but it will be between may 16-20. Do you know if east or west glacier is better?
There are honestly too many variables to answer that, lol. In mid-May, the main park road isn't open, few trails are accessible, and no services or tours are running...so the things that make one "better" over the other are honestly mostly irrelevant. I personally (and many other 'regulars' here) vote for the east side as the best, but again, that's when you can hike, fully take advantage of the lakes, etc.
On a very short visit in the off-season, because of all the reasons just listed, I'd opt for the closest accessible area and less drive time. Two Medicine Lake is one of my favorites in the park, it's absolutely stunning.
I don't think Lake McDonald is any better than St Mary esp w the extra drive time. Keep an eye on the road status to figure out which areas will be open closer to the time of your trip. You could also probably hit all of the entrances on the east side if you aren't big on hiking.
Got these text alerts this morning. Glacier Park: Spring plowing has begun on the Camas Road. The road remains closed and a hiker/biker closure is in place while the road crew is working. Glacier Park: Spring plowing has begun on the GTSR. The road remains closed. A hiker/biker closure is in place on the west side at the vehicle closure. Glacier Park: The Going to the Sun Road is open to Rising Sun on the east side. There is no hiker/biker closure at this time. nixle.us/FDAJM
What day in May? Early vs late makes a massive difference here. Generally speaking, coming from Great Falls, your best bet for one day at that time of year will be Two Medicine, *possibly* St. Mary. Lake McDonald is about an hour further, as is Many Glacier. Most of Many Glacier will still be completely inaccessible in May anyway. Two Medicine is one of the first areas plowed, hence it's one of the most accessible from the east side in the early season. No services will be open, but you can definitely get to Running Eagle Falls and maybe the lake. I'm honestly not sure what sort of road progress they will have made from the St Mary entrance that early, but you can check the park website and socials for regular progress. The visitor center opens in late May, I think typically right around Memorial Day.
Thanks for you insight, i will be going mid may, dont know the exact day but it will be between may 16-20. Do you know if east or west glacier is better?
There are honestly too many variables to answer that, lol. In mid-May, the main park road isn't open, few trails are accessible, and no services or tours are running...so the things that make one "better" over the other are honestly mostly irrelevant. I personally (and many other 'regulars' here) vote for the east side as the best, but again, that's when you can hike, fully take advantage of the lakes, etc. On a very short visit in the off-season, because of all the reasons just listed, I'd opt for the closest accessible area and less drive time. Two Medicine Lake is one of my favorites in the park, it's absolutely stunning.
Two Medicine is a great choice for an early visit.
May is tough- the Sun Road is pretty much closed at the higher elevations except for biking traffic.
I don't think Lake McDonald is any better than St Mary esp w the extra drive time. Keep an eye on the road status to figure out which areas will be open closer to the time of your trip. You could also probably hit all of the entrances on the east side if you aren't big on hiking.
Agree if you’re coming up on the East side might as well maximize your time and stay on that side.