• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

Glacier Nat'l Park

180keel

lakes & rivers
my "08 trip needs some miles cut off
i'll be going thru Glacier NP for the frist time
will be taking the pass thru the park and on up to CAN
wondering if route 2, 49 & 89 have any "must see's"
6/23/08 can't come quick enough
thanks in advance - Steve
 
Going To The Sun Road about 20 miles east of Columbia Falls. We a looking to go through there in late June but may be confronted with it not being open. We have never gone through there but understand it to be well worth the 50 mile ride. Others here have much more experience with this path and can be of greater assistance. -Bob
 
You can keep track of park conditions here. Last year only half of Going to the Sun Road was open the last week of June. If you've not been through it is definitly worth it, even if you can't go all the way through.

2051795779_9e87e289e1_o.jpg
 
Canada

Ditto on checking the Glacier website for the Going to the Sun road condition. I was up that way mid June of last year and the road was still closed.

I was headed to Alaska. We rode up through Banff and Jasper National Parks, to Jasper before heading west. Banff and Jasper were at least as beautiful as anything else I saw on the trip, and alone would have made the trip worthwhile. If you have the time, I recommend riding up highway 93.
 
Ditto on checking the Glacier website for the Going to the Sun road condition. I was up that way mid June of last year and the road was still closed.

I was headed to Alaska. We rode up through Banff and Jasper National Parks, to Jasper before heading west. Banff and Jasper were at least as beautiful as anything else I saw on the trip, and alone would have made the trip worthwhile. If you have the time, I recommend riding up highway 93.

93 may now be our Plan B. sigh.... if all of this was only one month later with more time. -Bob
 
Glacier

Steve:

There's several detailed threads on this topic here. Just do searches under "Glacier", "Going to the Sun", or "Logan Pass" and they should come up. I'll look on the weekend if you can't find them.

It's a great area and we go down there all the time.

Rinty
 
Going to the Sun is Logan Pass. If it isn't open when you come through, Hwy 2 which is Marias (mah-rye'-us) Pass is the main truck route and therefore is only closed when the bridge washes out. It's an amazing ride. Hwy 93 is better riding from south to north as the mountains just loom larger and larger.

49 is the Looking Glass Hwy and is often closed, usually there's a funding fight to cover maintenance. If you can ride it, do so, but remember this whole area is Open Range. The cattle step out of the brush onto the road without warning and they're usually black; do not go into corners hot. 89 is great, too.

For a fifteen minute sidetrip and a memory that will last a lifetime, go to Two Medicine Lake, ride all the way to the boat ramp parking area.
 
Glacier

Looking Glass Highway.....Montana

Michelle:

That's my favourite road and I didn't know it had a name. I've always called it the Kiowa Cut-Off.

Yep, I can see that maintenance is an issue; I almost got bucked off my bike in one part, the last time I rode it. I was saved by my telelever.

Rinty
 
Glacier

Well I would think by now that the chip seal work east of Marias Summit has been completed, anyway.

Rinty
 
I traversed 49 last August and it needed some maintenance in places but overall was nice. Watch for 'heaves' in the pavement. I can attest to the unexpected black things coming out of the brush - I almost hit a black bear! I was in my truck at the time, not the bike - whew!
 
Do leave time for riding in to Waterton Lakes, Glacier's sister park in Canada.

http://www.watertonpark.com/

Glorious!

Voni
sMiling

+1:thumb It's downright magical and worth staying a couple of days. It's extremely peaceful. The famous landmark hotel the Prince of Whales is worth a visit, but other hotels down below in the small village are better to stay for the money. I stayed at the Waterton Lakes Lodge and it was more like staying in an upscale condo. Not one of the budget hotels, but real nice for sure if you want to splurge for a night or two.

If Glacier park is open all the way through and you enter at the west side (recommended), when you come out the east side of Glacier at St Mary's, head north just past Babb and pick up Route 17 which will turn to Route 6 at the Canadian border. From memory I would say the trip from the east side of Glacier to Waterton is less than an hour. Also in Waterton there are some unbelievable roads about a mile north of town I believe Mont Blackstone Rd. Unbelievably beautiful along with great hiking trails as well.

I can't think of anyplace more beautiful to ride a motorcycle than those two parks.
 
Glacier Park

This is the place to stay in Waterton townsite:

http://www.watertoninfo.com/kilmorey.html

Book early.

The Prince of Wales hotel is just outside of the townsite, and a unique experience in its own right (take in the afternoon High Tea).

...great hiking trails as well....RTRandy

One of the most exotic hikes of them all is up there, the Carthew-Alderson:

http://www.watertonpark.com/activities/h_carthew.htm

You can get shuttle bus tickets to the trailhead, which is at Cameron Lake, from Tamarack Outdoor Outfitters in town and they're inexpensive. If you like hiking, don't miss this one.

Rinty
 
Last edited:
I got through last July:)

Over the "Sun"Highway and I had heard it was closed too, but got through the day we hit it coming home from Wisconsin Rally:). Voni is right! Do Waterton also, for good times. The only International Sister Parks in the world, they say. Bears were very active when we were there last July and we saw numerous Grizleys and Black Bears. Yellowstone too, had the bears out in force(Grizleys with cubs). The Rangers are very careful to keep folks at reasonable distance, when the Grizleys are in view:). Coming back into the USA between the parks, the Officials gave us some minor grief, being "without" Passports. A short discussion got us in aok...:usa :thumb
 
Back
Top