# Timeshares near Glacier National Park



## Jwerking (Aug 26, 2007)

Still in the process of pre-planning for late May 09.   Would like to hear comments on experiences from folks that have traded into the area - in particular, the Meadow Lake Golf and Ski Resort.  

Also, how far is Glacier NP from the Yellowstone NP area? So a two week trip to both would be doable??  How far to the Banff area in Canada?  And where would we fly into to do Glacier?  I do know that Yellowstone NP is Bozeman or Jackson Hole - but when we did this 10 yrs ++ ago, we flew into Salt Lake and drove to save $$$.  

Thanks for any help, 

Joyce


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## DaveNV (Aug 26, 2007)

Late May might be a tad early to see all of Glacier, depending on how rough the winter is.  When I was last at Glacier Park, about ten years ago, they had only just opened the Going To The Sun Road for the summer on June 4th.  It'd be a shame to go to Glacier and not be able to tour the whole park.  That road is one of the highlights.

Kalispell, MT is the nearest town of any size to Glacier park.  Not sure if there are regional airports closer than that.  If you're combining visits to both Glacier and Yellowstone, yes, it can easily be done in two weeks, with an easy day's drive between the two places.  (Check the "Get Directions" options on Google Maps website for driving routes and mileage.)

Search the recent threads here for those that discuss Yellowstone and Glacier.  There have been a few of them.

Have a great trip!

Dave


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## LynnW (Aug 26, 2007)

Glacier International Airport is located between Kalispell and Columbia Falls. I don't know which airlines fly in but I do know that you hardly ever see any larger aircraft when you drive by the airport. Meadow Lake is a very nice resort. We have owned there since 1994 and it is just a short drive from the airport. It is about a 5 hour drive to Calgary and another hour or so to Banff. The Going to the Sun Road probably will not open until June but you never know for sure from year to year. Either Yellowstone or the Banff area would be easy to do for a second week. Actually I have heard Meadow Lake employees say that they have better luck driving to Calgary as there are more choices of flights.


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## Laurie (Aug 26, 2007)

To see some of the best parts of Glacier, I really advise waiting for a later month when you can be 99% sure the road will be open - late June is usually a safe bet - I think we went last week in June, and it was touch and go there, for a bit. Is that a possibility for you, or is May the time you can go?

We drove from Glacier up to Banff, doing consecutive timeshare weeks there. We began our trip in Canada, so didn't use Montana airports at all.

From the .gov website:
Did You Know?
If current trends continue, some scientists have predicted that by the year 2030, there will be no more glaciers in Glacier National Park due to global climate change.


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## Jwerking (Aug 27, 2007)

Laurie said:


> To see some of the best parts of Glacier, I really advise waiting for a later month when you can be 99% sure the road will be open - late June is usually a safe bet - I think we went last week in June, and it was touch and go there, for a bit. Is that a possibility for you, or is May the time you can go?
> 
> We drove from Glacier up to Banff, doing consecutive timeshare weeks there. We began our trip in Canada, so didn't use Montana airports at all.
> 
> ...



Thanks, Laurie, and everyone for their comments.  Gee, I was hoping to go in late May for a change because our now college age kids get out of school by then and we were hoping to miss the Summer rush of July and early August - when everyone is there.  

About 10 years ago, we did Yellowstone in July and one of the days at the park - it was in the 90s.  Very uncomfortable when walking around the boiling mud pots - where all the heat was and the crowds were horrible.  Our second day in the park was much better because we spent the night at the Old Faithful Lodge while switching timeshares bet. Big Sky and Jackson Hole.  That was really great staying in the park itself and being there when all the day trippers leave - it was magical.  

Is Glacier just as crowded as Yellowstone?  I agree that flying to Calgary would be alot easier than one of the tiny airports - great suggestion. 

Joyce


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## Jwerking (Aug 27, 2007)

LynnW said:


> Meadow Lake is a very nice resort. We have owned there since 1994 and it is just a short drive from the airport. .



Lynn:  Is Meadow Lake fairly large so that there are quite a few units deposited with RCI?  Are the weeks fixed or floating and how far in advance can one deposit?  I do have really strong traders since I own summer beach weeks. 

Thanks, 

Joyce


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## eal (Aug 27, 2007)

Hi Joyce,
I agree with you that, if you can, get to the national parks outside of July and August.  

We own a Memorial week unit at Glacier Wilderness Resort and any time we have used it, the Going to the Sun highway has been open.  This year (2007) was a real fluke, with heavy snowfalls in May, and so the road didn't open until June 28, which is very very unusual.  

If you plan a trip for mid-June I'm sure you will be fine.


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## LynnW (Aug 27, 2007)

Joyce

Meadow Lake is a fairly large resort however it is RCI Points and I believe most of the owners are points members as it was one of the six original points resorts. I don't know how much weeks inventory would be available. June or Sept would be much easier to get than July or Aug.

Lynn


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## Abaco-Bob (Aug 27, 2007)

In June 2002 we stayed at Crestwoods Resort in Whitefish MT (RCI #0380).  It was about an hour drive to the west entrance of Glacier Park.  The units were nice 2 BR.  almost like a small house,  they had a pool but not much else as I remember.  We enjoyed the town of Whitefish and the area. Took one day to go up the mountain behind the resort Big Mountain Ski Resort. I agree that June is the earliest to go. The Going to the Sun road opened the week before we arrived and many drifts head high or more were still visible. 

Abaco-Bob


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## labguides (Aug 28, 2007)

We were in Glacier in August 2007 during the week.  It didn't seem crowded until we tried to find parking. The infrastructure of the park was not designed for today's crowds.
We stayed at hotel in Whitefish for a couple of days.


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## Holly (Aug 28, 2007)

*Put in an ongoing request*

I traded a SA week for Meadow Lake this summer...mid-July and we had a wonderful time.  Just put an ongoing request in and keep bugging them.  It's a large resort, but when units come up they get snagged before they end up on line.


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## Dottie (Aug 28, 2007)

Joyce

If you only want to stay in Glacier a couple of days, check out the Glacier Park Lodge.  I am not sure of the exact name.  We stayed there slightly off season one year and the rate was about $100.  The room was actually very old and not so nice but big and the location was awesome.  It is one of our better memories.  We are risking the weather too and booked the first week in June of 09 at Rams Horn outside of Rocky Mt national park.  I have been looking for another week in Yellowstone area or southern Utah, but no luck so far.  Thinking about booking a couple of nights in the park but it is a long drive from Rams Horn 

I really enjoyed reading about your Aussie travels.


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## Laurie (Aug 28, 2007)

Jwerking said:


> About 10 years ago, we did Yellowstone in July and one of the days at the park - it was in the 90s.  Very uncomfortable when walking around the boiling mud pots - where all the heat was and the crowds were horrible.


Joyce, like Goldilocks and the 3 bears.... late May/ early June could be too late for comfort at Zion, too early for Glacier. We visited Zion 3rd week of May one year, based in St. George., and both St. George and Zion had temps of about 105 degrees the entire week. Can I tell you what hiking in the blazing sun, and then riding the bus with no air conditioning for a half hour, from the trail back to the parking lot, was like? I developed a splitting headache and literally thought I was going to pass out, it must have been 120 degrees in the bus... 

But it was perfect weather for Bryce, Cedar Breaks, North Rim of Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, and the nearby slot canyon, which we saw on the same trip.  I would have preferred to be based in Brian Head for the Utah parks, where the bit of snow on the ground sparkled in the sunshine and temperate air. At North Rim we stayed in a park cabin, almost right on the rim, which was great. Excellent daytime weather, and we appreciated winter coats at night when walking from our cabin to the lodge.

Good luck in deciding! They are all beautiful spots - if I had to rank them, IMO Glacier would be #1, followed closely by North Rim of Grand Canyon.

We traded into Glacier Wilderness and for location, I'd recommend it. We didn't spend much time there, but it worked really well.


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