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Per GMA, Glacier National Park has set a record for visitors for the month of June. Officials of

Freddie.B.Cocky

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Jul 19, 2002
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GNP forecast a record breaking summer in terms of visitors. I may just wait until 2022 to visit the park again, unless things slow down after Labor Day.
 
More that people aren't going to Europe because of covid travel restrictions. Hawaii tourism down 74% with 2.7 million visitors in 2020 vs 10.4 million in 2019. So if they can't go those places they go somewhere without the restrictions.
 
How does it compare to Yellowstone and Yosemite? Been to both if those but not Glacier. Maybe next year.

I've never been to Yosemite but I have been to Yellowstone and I love Yellowstone a lot more than GNP. But Yellowstone is much large and it is more of a science laboratory than GNP. I love both of them, plus I hope to get to Yosemite one day.
 
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How does it compare to Yellowstone and Yosemite? Been to both if those but not Glacier. Maybe next year.
People ask me which park, between Yellowstone and Glacier, I like best all the time. Here's the analogy I give them. I like WW2 movies. Glacier National Park is Saving Private Ryan. Yellowstone is Band of Brothers. There isn't one episode of Band of Brothers that can match the "shock and awe" of Saving Private Ryan. But Band of Brothers has 10 really good episodes and by the time you finish watching all 10 of them, you feel like you may have just watched the best thing you've ever seen on TV.

If somebody has 48 hours to spend in a national park, I don't think Yellowstone has anything that can match the "shock and awe" of Glacier (although the Beartooth Highway just outside of Yellowstone is a different matter). But if you had 48 days to spend in a national park, Yellowstone will deliver something new and amazing every day.
 
More that people aren't going to Europe because of covid travel restrictions. Hawaii tourism down 74% with 2.7 million visitors in 2020 vs 10.4 million in 2019. So if they can't go those places they go somewhere without the restrictions.
Agreed. The whole country has a lot of pent-up tourism frustration they plan to relieve this summer. But they still aren't flocking to a lot of the common destinations like Europe, Hawaii, NYC, DC, etc. So, the Great American West seems to be one of the most popular destinations this year.
 
People ask me which park, between Yellowstone and Glacier, I like best all the time. Here's the analogy I give them. I like WW2 movies. Glacier National Park is Saving Private Ryan. Yellowstone is Band of Brothers. There isn't one episode of Band of Brothers that can match the "shock and awe" of Saving Private Ryan. But Band of Brothers has 10 really good episodes and by the time you finish watching all 10 of them, you feel like you may have just watched the best thing you've ever seen on TV.

If somebody has 48 hours to spend in a national park, I don't think Yellowstone has anything that can match the "shock and awe" of Glacier (although the Beartooth Highway just outside of Yellowstone is a different matter). But if you had 48 days to spend in a national park, Yellowstone will deliver something new and amazing every day.
Good analogy. I wasn't a huge Yellowstone fan, nor were my kids. Absolutely loved Yosemite and the Tetons. I think I will enjoy Glacier.
 
Going to GNP in 5 weeks. First time in which you have to buy and reserve a pass for Going to The Sun Road. Can’t wait; our 2nd trip in as many years

I think it’s overall more beautiful than Yellowstone, but then we split Yellowstone with the Tetons so we’ve not been but to about half of Yellowstone

Yellowstone has more interesting features and more overall wildlife - but GNP left us in awe….. twas filming a sunrise over the Canadian mountains of GNP and the sunrise gets photobombed by a grizzly
 
Good analogy. I wasn't a huge Yellowstone fan, nor were my kids. Absolutely loved Yosemite and the Tetons. I think I will enjoy Glacier.
Yes, the Tetons have some pretty good "shock and awe" value.

Honestly, I think if I experienced Yellowstone the way 99% of tourists will experience Yellowstone this summer - on a boardwalk shoulder to shoulder with thousands of tourists watching a geyser spray into the air, I'd probably think "Meh, I don't see what all the fuss is about." Part of me is disappointed that all those tourists will go home without ever really seeing Yellowstone. But I suppose a larger part of me is kind of glad they'll never see how awesome that park really is - or else it would be completely ruined for the few of us who do venture a little further off the beaten path.
 
Agreed. The whole country has a lot of pent-up tourism frustration they plan to relieve this summer. But they still aren't flocking to a lot of the common destinations like Europe, Hawaii, NYC, DC, etc. So, the Great American West seems to be one of the most popular destinations this year.
It is also someplace you can drive to as airports are still a pain to use. Also mostly out door fun instead of indoor museums, etc.
 
Agreed. The whole country has a lot of pent-up tourism frustration they plan to relieve this summer. But they still aren't flocking to a lot of the common destinations like Europe, Hawaii, NYC, DC, etc. So, the Great American West seems to be one of the most popular destinations this year.
I wonder if the overflow crowds will carry-over to 2022? I'm serious, I'm thinking about making reservations for Yellowstone now and maybe GNP, too, for 2022.
 
I wonder if the overflow crowds will carry-over to 2022? I'm serious, I'm thinking about making reservations for Yellowstone now and maybe GNP, too, for 2022.
My guess is 2022 for the western national parks will be back to "normal" or slightly below normal. But keep in mind that "normal" over the past decade or two has meant making reservations for lodging inside the park WELL in advance. The lodges fill up fast.

Also, keep in mind that while the parks will be packed this summer, the international tourists will be well below their normal numbers. The tour buses full of Japanese tourists will probably return in 2022. International tourists make their reservations about a year in advance. That is your competition for the lodging rooms next year.
 
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My guess is 2022 for the western national parks will be back to "normal" or slightly below normal. But keep in mind that "normal" over the past decade or two has meant making reservations for lodging inside the park WELL in advance. The lodges fill up fast.

Also, keep in mind that while the parks will be packed this summer, the international tourists will be well below their normal numbers. The tour buses full of Japanese tourists will probably return in 2022. International tourists make their reservations about a year in advance. That is your competition for the lodging rooms next year.
Good points. I'm almost positive that I will either go right before school is out in 2022 or right after Labor Day. When we went to Yellowstone in 2013 we flew out of Charlotte either on Labor Day or the day after and the crowds were not bad in Yellowstone. And in fact, I'm going to have to get my videos out of Yellowstone and view them again; I'm in such a mood to really want to go and can't right now.

When you go to Yellowstone do you get mostly off the beaten paths? We mainly hit the main roads when we were there in 2013. The next time I go I want to hit some of the beaten paths.
 
Yes, the Tetons have some pretty good "shock and awe" value.

Honestly, I think if I experienced Yellowstone the way 99% of tourists will experience Yellowstone this summer - on a boardwalk shoulder to shoulder with thousands of tourists watching a geyser spray into the air, I'd probably think "Meh, I don't see what all the fuss is about." Part of me is disappointed that all those tourists will go home without ever really seeing Yellowstone. But I suppose a larger part of me is kind of glad they'll never see how awesome that park really is - or else it would be completely ruined for the few of us who do venture a little further off the beaten path.
Agree 100%! Hiking and getting away from tourist is our favorite part. We were able to do that in Driggs. Yellowstone, not so much. We did one long backcountry hike in Yellowstone. I am sure we would have been tossed if they saw us. The first couple of boardwalks were cool but after the 4th or 5th one, it got old.

We did the 3 mike hike in Yosemite that is straight up and has 100's (at least it felt that way) of switchbacks. Left at 5:30 am and didn't see any tourist. My kid's favorite trip/hike. They are begging to go back.
 
When you go to Yellowstone do you get mostly off the beaten paths? We mainly hit the main roads when we were there in 2013. The next time I go I want to hit some of the beaten paths.
We often do a little bit of both. If we go down to Yellowstone for a weekend, we usually try to identify one hike that we've never done before and spend one day or most of the day doing that. We have NEVER been disappointed in any of these hikes and have never decided that we wished we'd spent that day seeing something we've already seen in the park. Yellowstone is just so big, and so diverse, that it's kind of like it's 4 or 5 national parks in one. The geography in one corner of the park looks nothing like the geography in another corner and it never fails to deliver.

And when I say "off the beaten path," I don't mean that you have to do 20-mile hikes into the back-country. We have found lots of 2-5 mile roundtrip hikes that yield pretty spectacular results and are mostly devoid of tourists. It's not that you won't see _any_ other hikers on these trails, but I am convinced that about 98% of Yellowstone tourists never venture more than a 1/4 of a mile off of a paved surface or boardwalk. Many of the great hiking trails start at some of the more popular Yellowstone attractions, so finding a parking space at the trailhead can be a challenge in peak season, but once you park, you aren't more than about 5 minutes from peace and quiet.

But we also go back to the "check-the-box" attractions. One of our favorite things to do in the park is to get a couple of scoops of ice cream in the Old Faithful Inn and find a seat along the 2nd floor balcony to people watch and admire the architecture of that incredible building. I never grow tired of the Yellowstone Falls in the Canyon Village area either. Even though the area is crowded, seeing the power of those falls up close is worth the hassle of the crowds.
 
We often do a little bit of both. If we go down to Yellowstone for a weekend, we usually try to identify one hike that we've never done before and spend one day or most of the day doing that. We have NEVER been disappointed in any of these hikes and have never decided that we wished we'd spent that day seeing something we've already seen in the park. Yellowstone is just so big, and so diverse, that it's kind of like it's 4 or 5 national parks in one. The geography in one corner of the park looks nothing like the geography in another corner and it never fails to deliver.

And when I say "off the beaten path," I don't mean that you have to do 20-mile hikes into the back-country. We have found lots of 2-5 mile roundtrip hikes that yield pretty spectacular results and are mostly devoid of tourists. It's not that you won't see _any_ other hikers on these trails, but I am convinced that about 98% of Yellowstone tourists never venture more than a 1/4 of a mile off of a paved surface or boardwalk. Many of the great hiking trails start at some of the more popular Yellowstone attractions, so finding a parking space at the trailhead can be a challenge in peak season, but once you park, you aren't more than about 5 minutes from peace and quiet.

But we also go back to the "check-the-box" attractions. One of our favorite things to do in the park is to get a couple of scoops of ice cream in the Old Faithful Inn and find a seat along the 2nd floor balcony to people watch and admire the architecture of that incredible building. I never grow tired of the Yellowstone Falls in the Canyon Village area either. Even though the area is crowded, seeing the power of those falls up close is worth the hassle of the crowds.
Now, the 2-5 mile hikes I can handle. Boy, if you had the time I would hire you as my guide of Yellowstone, since you know all of the cool places to go. LOL!
 
Now, the 2-5 mile hikes I can handle. Boy, if you had the time I would hire you as my guide of Yellowstone, since you know all of the cool places to go. LOL!
Lol! I know some of the cool places to go. There are a lot more out there waiting for me to discover them. When you get your travel plans set up, we can chat offline and I'll give you some more tips both inside and outside of Yellowstone. We might even be able to meet up out here somewhere. :)
 
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(although the Beartooth Highway just outside of Yellowstone is a different matter).
With the Robertson Draw fire (30,000 acre fire) just on the other side of the Beartooth Mountains, my 20 acre little slice of heaven of sage and grass is now nothing but ash. The fire completely destroyed the house on the property next to mine. Was trying to go to GNP in August but you now have to register to get an admission ticket to get on the Going to the Sun roadway, and all of the advance tickets are sold out, apparently through September. Think we will go dig dinosaur bones instead now...
 
Yes, the Tetons have some pretty good "shock and awe" value.

Honestly, I think if I experienced Yellowstone the way 99% of tourists will experience Yellowstone this summer - on a boardwalk shoulder to shoulder with thousands of tourists watching a geyser spray into the air, I'd probably think "Meh, I don't see what all the fuss is about." Part of me is disappointed that all those tourists will go home without ever really seeing Yellowstone. But I suppose a larger part of me is kind of glad they'll never see how awesome that park really is - or else it would be completely ruined for the few of us who do venture a little further off the beaten path.
Didn't we go to the Tetons one time?
 
Agreed. The whole country has a lot of pent-up tourism frustration they plan to relieve this summer. But they still aren't flocking to a lot of the common destinations like Europe, Hawaii, NYC, DC, etc. So, the Great American West seems to be one of the most popular destinations this year.
I love the fact that we're exploring the wonderful places our Nation has to offer.
 
With the Robertson Draw fire (30,000 acre fire) just on the other side of the Beartooth Mountains, my 20 acre little slice of heaven of sage and grass is now nothing but ash. The fire completely destroyed the house on the property next to mine. Was trying to go to GNP in August but you now have to register to get an admission ticket to get on the Going to the Sun roadway, and all of the advance tickets are sold out, apparently through September. Think we will go dig dinosaur bones instead now...
That sucks. Every summer, I pray it will be a light fire season. I know it's (mostly) a natural part of the cycle of things out here, but it's still depressing when a smoky haze lingers for the whole 2nd half of the summer. Whenever you build on that 20 acre slice of heaven, keep the fire danger in mind with your landscaping.

On the subject of the reservations for the GTTS Road, the biggest problem I see with the whole process is that because the reservations are free (costing only a nominal $2 processing fee), I think a bunch of folks reserved passes as soon as they went on sale even if their travel plans to Glacier weren't finalized. I think there are going to be lots of unused passes every day - even though many other potential Glacier travelers will go elsewhere because they couldn't secure a reservation.
 
I'm not in the know, so in what ways is climate change definitely degrading Glacier National Park?

The glaciers are shrinking in size. But they started massive shrinking in 1850, long before any combustion engines or anything manmade could be blamed. Basically we started coming out of the Little Ice Age that ended in 1850. So while many are quick to blame climate change, no one knows how much it is impacting the glaciers there and how much would happen anyway.
 
Go visit Wrangell St Elias, I know it's a long plane ride but it's incredible and you absolutely will not encounter crowds. There are some lodges spread out and it's worth doing a plane charter for glacier sightseeing. It will be a bucket list item for sure!
 
I'm not in the know, so in what ways is climate change definitely degrading Glacier National Park?
It looks like it's making it a lot more crowded! 😄😄😄

"Degrading" is probably a loaded term, depending on whether one believes the warming is natural or not. But there is an obvious "change" in the sense that Grinnell Glacier and the other popular glaciers in the park are shrinking. The photos from mid-century through today prove that. Worst case scenarios posit that Grinnell and others may be completely gone by 2030. Other models say they will last at least another 200 years. For some context, it's probably worth noting that the absolutely incredible scenery we see today in the park is the result of Glaciers that moved, and then melted, thousands/millions of years go.

It's also worth pointing out that the NPS has been pretty consistent in closing the alpine portions of the road around the 3rd week of October each year, so to the extent there is a warming trend, it has not made keeping the road open any easier.
 
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Lol! I know some of the cool places to go. There are a lot more out there waiting for me to discover them. When you get your travel plans set up, we can chat offline and I'll give you some more tips both inside and outside of Yellowstone. We might even be able to meet up out here somewhere. :)
Boy, I would love to meet you.
 
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