When I started visiting National Parks I swore I'd never repeat a destination...that was until I visited these three life changing locations. Ok, there's a fourth I've been to multiple times, but not for the same reasons.
These three parks are a hikers paradise. You can return again and again and still have new trails to traverse. Although, some of your favorites will be so good, you probably won't mind doing them again either.
Ok, the suspense must be killing you. Tell us the parks! These are all places I believe everyone should see before they die. The hikes are challenging, so don't wait until you're too old or unfit to complete them.
1.Glacier National Park - this beauty straddles the Northwest Montana/Canada border, the last leg of the Rockies within the continental US. It's a nice mix of accessible and wilderness with Going to the Sun Road traversing the center of the park. There's a handful of moderate hikes of shorter distance and hikes with moderate incline and great distance. To truly do this park justice, you need to get up in it! Tackle a longer hike like the famous and iconic Highline Trail (12-15 miles), tackle one of the glacial lakes like Iceberg, Avalanche, Grinnell, or Cracker. This park is best visited by flying into Kalispell, MT. You will need a reservation to travel Going to the Sun Road between the hours of 6:00am and 3:00pm. If hiking is your jam, I highly suggest staying on the east side of the park. Many Glacier, Logan Pass, and Two Medicine have the best trailheads and are all on that side. Honestly, this park deserves it's own post - coming soon.
2. North Cascades National Park - this one is a different kind of beast. The best hikes are actually outside the park boundaries along Route 20. Everything is very well marked and STUNNING. Driving through this park won't have the same feel as Glacier, there are only 2-3 true overlooks at Washington Pass, Ross, and Diablo Lakes. To truly experience the North Cascades you will have to put on your hiking boots and cover some mileage - to the tune of 10-15 miles a day. There are very few "easy hikes". Lots of incline. Lots of fantastic views like Maple Pass, Cutthroat Pass, Cascade Pass, Easy Pass, oh and the lakes! You'll need to fly into Seattle, but stay in Winthrop on the east side of the park. It's about 40 minutes from Winthrop back up the pass to the best trailheads - totally worth it and you will LOVE Winthrop.
3. Sawtooth National Recreation Area - you've probably never considered a trip to Idaho. I hadn't until a few years ago when I was influenced by travel influencers haha, imagine that. The Sawtooths aren't actually a national park, but they could be and I'd battle them up against these other two any day of the week and twice on Sunday. The hiking is spectacular and challenging. Again another one where you'll be putting a lot of mileage on your legs. But here's the best part - STANLEY. You must stay in Stanley. It is the true gateway to the Sawtooths and the best trailheads are all within 15-20 minutes of town. You also have easy, drive-up access to four gorgeous lakes - Redfish, Stanley, Little Redfish, and Pettit. Not to mention, the food in Stanley is hands down the best I've ever had in a little mountain town. Once you visit you'll know why all these chefs want to live there. To reach Stanley you'll want to fly into Boise and make the 2 hour and 40 minute drive through the stunning Boise National Forest. Hit some of the hot springs on your way in, there's also several within Stanley.
Keep in mind, all of these mountainous destinations experience significant amounts of snow. At elevations above 6,000 feet roads are typically open mid-June through mid-October. You can experience snow at anytime as the weather can be unpredictable and even in the summer expect 60's-70's at higher elevations. The best time for all of these (imho) is July - September.
I'm leading my first group of ladies on a hiking trip in Glacier over Labor Day weekend. One of these destinations could easily be on the next tour! Subscribe if you'd like to see these for yourself.
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