Montana
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Yellowstone National Park, part V: Canyon to Mammoth
We’re finally here. After six months of thinking about writing these posts, being overwhelmed by the thought of writing them, procrastinating writing them, sorting through thousands of photos, and finally actually sitting down and writing them, I’ve made it to the end. And I’ve saved the best for last, because this post will begin at… Continue reading
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A comprehensive guide to visiting Yellowstone National Park
I grew up visiting Yellowstone National Park at least once per year, so when I say I’ve been to the park dozens of times, I’m not exaggerating. In another life, I probably would have been a good park ranger or tour guide; I can identify many of the hot springs and geysers by name, recite… Continue reading
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Driving the Beartooth Highway
In my opinion, no trip to Yellowstone National Park is complete without a drive over the Beartooth Highway. This scenic byway – US Highway 212 – connects the northeast (Cooke City) entrance of Yellowstone to the town of Red Lodge, Montana. Between these two destinations lies the Beartooth Mountains, a rugged range that sits atop… Continue reading
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A guide to visiting Yellowstone National Park in the winter
I’m in the process of doing a complete overhaul of my old Yellowstone National Park posts because, well, they’re old and in dire need of an update. Given my many visits to the park over the years, it’s a large undertaking. We’re also headed back to Yellowstone this coming summer, so I’m going to wait… Continue reading
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A winter snowcoach adventure in Yellowstone National Park
As mentioned in a couple previous posts, this past Christmas we eschewed traditional gift-giving in favor of travel. Specifically, an overnight trip into the heart of Yellowstone National Park. Despite visiting many times, a winter overnight was something we’d never done, largely due to the expense. Only the northernmost road in Yellowstone remains open to… Continue reading
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The best views in Glacier National Park: Sperry Glacier and Lincoln Peak
Well. It’s been a long time coming, but we’ve finally reached the conclusion of my Glacier National Park series. And boy did we ever save the best for last. I’m so glad we were able to end our trip at Sperry Chalet. It was a wonderful place to stay, and it afforded us the opportunity… Continue reading
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Two nights in the backcountry at Glacier National Park’s historic Sperry Chalet
On August 10, 2017, a lightning-caused wildfire – soon to be known as the Sprague Fire – ignited near Sprague Creek in western Glacier National Park. While initial growth of the fire was slow, over the next three weeks hot temperatures and strong winds pushed the flames uphill, inching closer and closer to the historic… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: a bucket list hike on the Highline Trail
I’d been wanting to hike the Highline Trail for years. So had my family. This was a bucket list hike for all three of us. They visited Glacier together a few years ago and I made them promise not to hike the Highline without me. Then, when we started planning this trip, they made me… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: driving the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road
If you do a google search for “most scenic roads in the USA,” Going-to-the-Sun will probably be on the list. If you do a google search for “most scenic roads in Montana,” Going-to-the-Sun will definitely be on the list. Out of curiosity, I just googled “most scenic roads in the world,” and Going-to-the-Sun even popped… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: a bucket list hike to Grinnell Glacier
If someone told me they only had one day in the Many Glacier area, my advice would be to hike to Grinnell Glacier. It’s a beautiful hike with a little bit of everything – flowers, lakes, glaciers, views, and most likely some wildlife. I’ve seen both bighorn sheep and mountain goats along this trail, and… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: hiking to Ptarmigan Tunnel
In 1930, workers in Glacier National Park blasted a 250 foot (76 m) tunnel through the sheer rock of Ptarmigan Wall, forming an easily navigable connection between the Many Glacier and Belly River Valleys. Located at about 7200 feet (2195 m) of elevation, Ptarmigan Tunnel is now a popular day hiking destination, as well as… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: a stunning hike to Iceberg Lake
Many years ago, three friends and I embarked upon a three-week Canadian Rockies adventure in which we camped our way through Glacier, up into Waterton Lakes, Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta, and finally over to Vancouver before heading back home. It was on this trip that I hiked to Iceberg Lake for the first… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: a scenic boat ride and a hike to Dawson Pass
When my mom was a teenager, her best friend’s family invited her to join them on a three week cross-country road trip, from the flat expanse of the midwest to the Rocky Mountains of northern Montana. It was her first time ever seeing mountains and, as she tells it, she knew then that she was… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: the lakes and waterfalls of Two Medicine
There are quite a few versions of the origin story of the name Two Medicine, but most of them refer to two medicine lodge ceremonies – a Blackfeet tradition – taking place in the region at approximately the same time. This southeastern region of Glacier National Park now retains the name, as do three lakes… Continue reading
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A comprehensive guide to visiting Glacier National Park
(Updated May 2025) I know some people have a hard time answering the question “what’s your favorite place you’ve ever been?” Not me. Hands down, it’s Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies (and yes, I know those are technically two separate places). In fact, I love Glacier so much that we originally planned to… Continue reading
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A photo a day: Glacier National Park
This past summer, we celebrated our anniversary with a two-week roadtrip to my favorite place: Glacier National Park. It was my husband’s first ever trip to Glacier – though he’s been listening to me rave about it for years now – and I was so excited for him to finally see the park with his… Continue reading
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Montana road trip 2023, part IV: the Flathead Valley and Hungry Horse Reservoir
Of our four days camped near Flathead Lake, we actually only spent two of them at the lake itself. The other two were spent visiting three of the main cities in the Flathead Valley: Whitefish, Kalispell, and Columbia Falls. First up was Whitefish, a former railroad town that has become a resort town. The slopes… Continue reading
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Montana road trip 2023, part III: Flathead Lake
Located in the northwest corner of Montana, nestled in a large valley between the Salish and Mission Mountains, is the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River: Flathead Lake. It was formerly called Salish Lake after the Salish tribe, who were among the original inhabitants of this land (as were the Ksanka (Kootenai) and… Continue reading
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Montana road trip 2023, part II: hiking to Leigh Lake
Just a few miles south of Libby, Montana, deep in the Cabinet Mountains, is a (somewhat) hidden gem: Leigh Lake. This is supposedly the most popular hike in the area, but it seems as though its level of popularity depends on your perspective. We hiked this trail on a Monday and encountered probably 10-12 other… Continue reading
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Montana road trip 2023, part I: Eureka, Libby, & Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway
I know Minnesota has laid claim to the nickname “land of 10,000 lakes,” but it could just as easily be the slogan for northwestern Montana. Twenty-four hours after arriving home from Minnesota – which, for the record, was way too short a turnaround time – I was on a plane to Montana for our annual… Continue reading
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