# New Activities Near Glacier Nat'l Park



## NWL (Jul 7, 2009)

Just wanted to let everyone know that there are new activities at Whitefish Mountain Resort (formerly known as Big Mountain) in Whitefish, MT.

http://www.skiwhitefish.com/

There is also a new Nature Center at the summit as well.  Meadow Lake Condominiums is the nearest timeshare with easy access to both WMR and Glacier National Park.

Cheers!


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## DianneL (Jul 7, 2009)

*Info appreciated*

Thanks for the info.  We are going to try to plan a trip to Glacier National Park within the next two years, either in 2010 or 2011.  We are not into snow skiing, but would rather be there when most things are open and when we could drive the Going to the Sun Road.  Any suggestions for the best time to go?  We are retired and can travel most any time.  We like to avoid summer crowds at the parks, etc., but that may not be feasible with this trip.


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## Egret1986 (Jul 7, 2009)

*I would say mid-July through August would be good*



DianneL said:


> Thanks for the info.  We are going to try to plan a trip to Glacier National Park within the next two years, either in 2010 or 2011.  We are not into snow skiing, but would rather be there when most things are open and when we could drive the Going to the Sun Road.  Any suggestions for the best time to go?  We are retired and can travel most any time.  We like to avoid summer crowds at the parks, etc., but that may not be feasible with this trip.




We went in the middle of July and all roads were clear; however, in one area where we were hiking, there was still snow on the ground.  The weather was perfect in July.  Glacier National Park was one of our absolutely best vacations and we certainly hope to get back there again.  Whitefish was also a very nice area.  We stayed in a timeshare in Whitefish and enjoyed the town and surrounding areas.  We spent one week up in Glacier and one week in Big Sky near Yellowstone.  I think one could easily spend two weeks in both areas.  It is an incredible part of the country!


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## Steve (Jul 7, 2009)

If you want beautiful weather and fewer crowds, then early September is a very nice time to go.  The facilities in the park start to close as the month progresses, so it's best to go just after Labor Day if you want the lodges and boat trips to be operating.  The very end of September/early October is also beautiful and serene as the leaves change color...but none of the facilities in the park will be open by then.

Here are a few sites that may be helpful:

http://www.glacierparkinc.com/

http://www.nps.gov/glac

http://www.glacierparkboats.com/

Steve


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## NWL (Jul 8, 2009)

DianneL said:


> Thanks for the info.  We are going to try to plan a trip to Glacier National Park within the next two years, either in 2010 or 2011.  We are not into snow skiing, but would rather be there when most things are open and when we could drive the Going to the Sun Road.  Any suggestions for the best time to go?  We are retired and can travel most any time.  We like to avoid summer crowds at the parks, etc., but that may not be feasible with this trip.



I have to agree with Steve.  Early September would be your best bet.  No crowds, great weather ( and no smoke from fires), and everything is still open in the park and on the mountain.  If golf is your thing, greens fees are reduced at that time, too.  Most activities cease operating (except golf) by the 4th week of September.  I'd suggest arriving Labor Day weekend or shortly after.

Cheers!


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## anne1125 (Jul 10, 2009)

NWL, what's WMR?

Thanks.
Anne


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## NWL (Jul 10, 2009)

anne1125 said:


> NWL, what's WMR?
> 
> Thanks.
> Anne



Whitefish Mountain Resort.  I was trying to save time typing in my second post!     Sorry for the confusion.

Cheers!


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## exyeh (Jul 12, 2009)

Would someone provide this info: If we stay at WMR and trying to go to Glacier NP every day hiking or touring, how long do we have to drive to the park or hiking trails? Is it practical to live at WMR and visit park every day without spending too much time driving? same as staying at Big Sky and trying to visit Yellowstone? Thanks in advance.
Or did I misunderstand this? What is the nearest timeshares we can stay to go to glacier NP and Yellowstone NP?
Emily


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## NWL (Jul 12, 2009)

exyeh said:


> Would someone provide this info: If we stay at WMR and trying to go to Glacier NP every day hiking or touring, how long do we have to drive to the park or hiking trails? Is it practical to live at WMR and visit park every day without spending too much time driving? same as staying at Big Sky and trying to visit Yellowstone? Thanks in advance.
> Or did I misunderstand this? What is the nearest timeshares we can stay to go to glacier NP and Yellowstone NP?
> Emily



Hi Emily,

It's about a 1 hour drive from WMR to the west entrance of Glacier NP.  The nearest timeshare to Glacier NP (that I know of, others may correct me!) is Meadow Lake Resort in Columbia Falls, MT.  I'm not sure if it trades through II or RCI.  It is situated about half way between WMR and Glacier.  Easy location to reach both WMR and Glacier.

Cheers!


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## Elan (Jul 12, 2009)

exyeh said:


> Would someone provide this info: If we stay at WMR and trying to go to Glacier NP every day hiking or touring, how long do we have to drive to the park or hiking trails? Is it practical to live at WMR and visit park every day without spending too much time driving? same as staying at Big Sky and trying to visit Yellowstone? Thanks in advance.
> Or did I misunderstand this? What is the nearest timeshares we can stay to go to glacier NP and Yellowstone NP?
> Emily



  The closest timeshares that I'm aware of to either park are (in order of proximity):

  Glacier:  Glacier Wilderness Resort (Inside the park, I believe)
              Meadowlake Resort (Columbia Falls)
              Crestwood Resort (Whitefish)
              WMR (Whitefish)

  Yellowstone:  Worldmark Yellowstone (W Yellowstone, MT)
                     Island Park Village (Island Park, ID)
                     Big Sky Resort (Big Sky, MT)

  The drive from Whitefish to GNP is not awful -- maybe 1 hour each way.  Similar commute times from Big Sky and Island Park to Yellowstone, IIRC.

  I stand to be corrected on this, as I'm just winging it from memory -- not looking at a map.  Others more intimate with the area will be better able to help.


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## Elan (Jul 12, 2009)

Looks like NWL beat me to your questions.  Bit it seems we're in agreement, which is good!

  MeadowLake trades thru RCI.  It may be dual affiliated.


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## exyeh (Jul 12, 2009)

Thank you very much for those wonderful information!! We are longing for go to both NP for a while, I think I will start to plan the trip for the next summer, thank you!
Emily


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## LynnW (Jul 13, 2009)

Meadow Lake is not dual affiliated. It is one of the original six RCI Points resorts so the best hope of getting an exchange is with points.

Lynn


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## Rene McDaniel (Jul 13, 2009)

*Just back from a week at Big Mountain/Whitefish*

We are just back from a week at Big Mountain (Whitefish, Montana) May 29 - June 5, 2009.  It was was "off-season" for sure, but my step-daughter was getting married on June 6th in Billings, MT and we wanted to do an add-on trip somewhere in Montana to make it a vacation, rather than spending $1,000 for all of us to fly to Montana for the weekend.

Thru RCI weeks we could see on-line matches for Glacier Wilderness (too remote) & Meadow Lake (check-ins didn't line up right).  We ended up putting in an ongoing search and matched with Ptarmigan Village, which does not really have great reviews, just so-so.  Thru Tripadvisor we learned that there were lots of owner-rentals at Ptarmigan Village on the VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner) website.  After spotting a VRBO owner who had a May special of $475/week for her 2 bedroom plus loft unit, we decided to book it because we liked the interior and the views from her unit, and she had the exact dates we wanted.  ( http://www.vrbo.com/61538 ) After all, why take an RCI match using our San Francisco week with $950 annual maintenance fee plus pay exchange fees, when we can rent an entire week for $475??  However, rates in the area are much higher in the summer once the Going-to-the-Sun road is open.

That said, we really enjoyed our relaxing week in Whitefish.  We had great weather (in the 80's all week), and found a few interesting diversions to keep us busy: one day in Glacier Park, one day whitewater rafting in West Glacier, tennis, swimming, and late night jacuzzing at the resort, some nature photography and animal sightings (saw tons of deer just meandering through the resort and the area), ate lots of things with huckleberries, enjoyed the weekly Whitefish farmers market with live music & neighborhood party atmosphere, and also going into Kalispell for movies, shopping & Costco (I know, we are pathetic -- but we are travelling with a teenager with needs of their own).

We are not hikers or hearty outdoor-types, so we thought Glacier National Park was "okay", but having already exchanged into the Canadian Rockies and seeing Banff, the Icefields Parkway, etc. (we have also done  a prior exchange into Yellowstone), we were not really wowed by Glacier compared to the other two parks.  (Canadian Rockies are quite a "wow")  Still, we had a nice, relaxing vacation just being in that area of the country and ended up really enjoying our drive across Montana between Billings and West Glacier.  The whole "Big Sky" Montana thing made total sense after doing that drive -- the sky really does seem bigger there!

--- Rene McDaniel


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## Rene McDaniel (Jul 13, 2009)

Elan said:


> The closest timeshares that I'm aware of to either park are (in order of proximity):
> 
> Glacier:  Glacier Wilderness Resort (Inside the park, I believe)
> Meadowlake Resort (Columbia Falls)
> ...



Elan, nice list but I'm going to add a couple more names and a small correction.  

*Glacier Area Resorts:*
*GLACIER WILDERNESS RESORT* is not inside the park, but it is right next to it.  However, there are not many facilities in that area-- it would only be a good location if you are really planning to be in the park every, single day.  Also, we passed *CRESTWOOD* timeshare on the road every day, and it did NOT look appealing (converted apartments or motel??) and does not have good reviews.  You forgot to mention *PTARMIGAN VILLAGE* which is about halfway up Big Mountain (or, Whitefish Mountain, its new name), which is much more nestled in the trees with a resort feeling.  At the very top of the mountain is another RCI resort the *EIDELWEISS* which looks like it would be a great resort during ski season because you are right next to the lifts, but not really a good choice for other times of the year.  We didn't stop at *MEADOW LAKE RESORT* or *NeNASTASKO VILLAGE*, but the reviews for them are very high, so I'm sure those are very nice resorts.

*Yellowstone Area Resorts:*
I would add *YELLOWSTONE VILLAGE* to the list.  It is right in West Yellowstone not far from the western entrance to the park.  We stayed in a 2-bedroom unit there, and it was simple but clean & nice enough since we really only slept & ate breakfast there.  If I had it to do again, I would have added a couple of overnight stays either at the end or beginning of the trip that were inside the park.  Driving in from the West Yellowstone entrance does entail a LOT of driving each day just getting to and from the important things you will want to see.  We did the chuckwagon dinner from Roosevelt camp (lots of fun), and they had some cute cabins & a hotel there that looked nice, although a more central location inside the park might be better.

--- Rene McDaniel


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## ecwinch (Jul 15, 2009)

Not as close, but you also you have the two resorts that trade via RCI and are in Red Lodge, MT:

Aspen Townhomes (#1327)
Chateau Rouge Lodge (#0087)

Obviously this would place you further from the main attractions (Geyser Basin, Old Faithful, etc), but a little closer to Lamar Valley and the NE entrance.


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## Steve (Jul 15, 2009)

ecwinch said:


> Not as close, but you also you have the two resorts that trade via RCI and are in Red Lodge, MT:
> 
> Aspen Townhomes (#1327)
> Chateau Rouge Lodge (#0087)
> ...



This thread is primarily about Glacier National Park...and Red Lodge is certainly a LONG way from there.

However, Red Lodge is not a good choice for visiting Yellowstone, either.  Beartooth Pass is between the town and the park...and that is not a road that I would want to be driving back and forth every day.  

Steve


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## ecwinch (Jul 15, 2009)

Steve said:


> This thread is primarily about Glacier National Park...and Red Lodge is certainly a LONG way from there.
> 
> However, Red Lodge is not a good choice for visiting Yellowstone, either.  Beartooth Pass is between the town and the park...and that is not a road that I would want to be driving back and forth every day.
> 
> Steve



I was responding to Elan's list of resorts near both parks.


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## Elan (Jul 16, 2009)

As long as we're listing resorts, there's also Marina Cay, which would be a longer drive to GNP (probably slightly over an hour to W Glacier), but does sit right on Flathead Lake, and is convenient to the small, artsy town of Bigfork. 

  WRT Yellowstone, another timeshare is The Pines at Island Park.  A small community of very nice cabins.  Extremely rare to see one of these available.


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## tsronaldo (Jul 30, 2009)

Hi guys, Im a newbie. Nice to join this forum.

pret personnel en ligne - Pret personnel en ligne et de comparer les meilleurs taux afin de... La demande de prêt personnel en ligne


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## Dottie (Jul 31, 2009)

I am enjoying this thread.  We recently got an exchange into Glacier Wilderness resort for the last week of June 2011.  Yes, it is a long time to wait.  We visited the park a few years ago I believe in Sept and stayed at a park hotel for 2 nights just as they were closing down for the season.  It was lovely.  I am looking forward to a longer stay and seeing more.  I have a question for those who might know.  What would be the most likely condition for the Going to the Sun Road during the last week of June?  I seem to remember that the snow melt if very late.  We would like to do a lot of driving and hiking (maybe just 4 to 8 miles on a day).  We are now in our lower 70s and maybe a tad optimistic but one needs goals.


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## Elan (Jul 31, 2009)

Dottie said:


> I am enjoying this thread.  We recently got an exchange into Glacier Wilderness resort for the last week of June 2011.  Yes, it is a long time to wait.  We visited the park a few years ago I believe in Sept and stayed at a park hotel for 2 nights just as they were closing down for the season.  It was lovely.  I am looking forward to a longer stay and seeing more.  I have a question for those who might know.  What would be the most likely condition for the Going to the Sun Road during the last week of June?  I seem to remember that the snow melt if very late.  We would like to do a lot of driving and hiking (maybe just 4 to 8 miles on a day).  We are now in our lower 70s and maybe a tad optimistic but one needs goals.



  Late June could be iffy.   I believe the road opened on June 25th this year, but as recently as 2008 it didn't open until early July.  I think late June will literally be hit or miss.


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## Dottie (Jul 31, 2009)

Thanks Jim.  I guess we will keep the week and hope for the best.  I thought I remembered them telling us about 16ft drifts late one year, but I could not remember how late.  I looked at the web site.  The red buses don't start until the next week, but looks like the ranger programs, boats and hikes will all be going.  I am sure we will be able to find some beautiful scenery.


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## bccash63 (Aug 5, 2009)

We are here at The Edelweiss right now.  Did the ziplining this am and it was awesome.  We are doing the alpine slide tomorrow am.  Tonight we were in Whitefish for the Tues farmers market--food, music, jewelry, craft vendors etc.  Lots of Huckleberries.  It has taken us 40 mins to get from WMR to the west entrance of Glacier.  The park is very scenic,  the Going to the Sun Road was everything we thought it would be--absolutely fabulous.  Did an RCI exchange into the Edelweiss and it has been a good base for us.  Whitefish town has alot of nice shops, restaurants--we also did a tour of the Whitefish Brewery today and had some free 'samples'.  Dawn


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