There are a few things I love in life. Okay, there are actually lots of things I love in life, but three of my favorites are buying presents for people, giving stuff away and visiting Glacier National Park. So in honor of National Park Week (April 18 – 26), I’ve decided to combine those three loves and give away an annual pass to visit Montana’s Glacier National Park!
Hello, Glacier National Park.
But here’s the thing: I realize that all of you may not make it to the Crown of the Continent this year. So instead of giving away a pass that’s only valid for Glacier National Park, I’m going to give away an America the Beautiful pass, which is valid for use in more than 2,000 federal recreation sites, including all of the national parks. Fun, right?!
This pass (practically) has your name on it.
Here’s how you can enter to win a one-year pass to your favorite national parks:
-Leave a comment on the blog and tell me your favorite memory of Glacier National Park.
-And if you haven’t been to Montana’s Glacier National Park yet? Not a worry. Instead, leave a comment and tell me where in the park you want to visit the most. (Maybe it’s the Going-to-the-Sun Road or the southern shore of Lake McDonald — whatever it is, I want to hear it).
-All entries must be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28.
-A winner will be announced on Wednesday, April 29.
To get this party started, I’ll tell you one of my favorite memories of Glacier National Park. A few summers ago, my family drove the Going-to-the-Sun Road (read more about that adventure here). Along the way, my big sister and I recreated a picture we took with our dad when we were little. It was a good day. 
Looking forward to reading all about your favorite places!
Update: Congrats to Beth Angermeier who won the “America the Beautiful” pass! 
xo,
TT
I don’t see my original post and don’t want to miss out on this incredible opportunity to win so I’m posting again. Every visit to Glacier is spectacular but one of my favorite memories is from several years ago when I failed to connect with friends visiting from NY. They weren’t at the campsite and after waiting a couple of hours I decided it best to head home (Arlee, MT). It was just after 5pm when I started east on Going to the Sun Road: there were few other vehicles on the road and the light was just incredible. I had R Caros Nakai flute music playing on the cd player and it was just one of the most peaceful drives through the park that I’ve ever enjoyed 🙂
My family and I love GNP, we try to make it into the park every year. My favorite part of the park is the Many Glaicers area.
I met up with my cousin and her family in 2010 for a picnic and fun with our young children on the trail with all the beautiful cedars. It was the perfect place to reconnect after over ten years apart, and to introduce our kids to each other. Since we are each other’s only family within 1500 miles and GNP is a 3 hour drive for each of us, it is the perfect place for us to meet.
Glacier NP has always been my favorite park. I lived in Northwestern Ohio for 48 years. When I was old enough to travel a little I usually ended up there. And now that I am living in Northwestern Montana I can visit a lot more often. On of my favorite trips was a camping trip to Two Medicine . Waking up to heavy footsteps outside the camper and finding a family of 3 moose! Camping so close to the water, the animals and a perfect late September was AWESOME! And this past October I was lucky enough to camp at Bowman Lake. A little rough road but so worth your time. BEAUTIFUL!! We only left because there was an early winter storm approaching and snow was beginning to fall.
I have never been to Glacier National Park but it has always been on my bucket list for things to do I would love to see this park.
While hiking the Avalanche Lake trail on the way back from the lake we spotted a female black bear. Then her cub appeared. The little cub clung to a tree while staring at us with his biggest, bravest mean bear look. Mama wasn’t too concerned with us however so we were able to observe them for quite some time.
Where to start. I was 3 months old when I moved to West Glacier. I woke up every morning to the splendor of home. I grew up not realizing how lucky I was. I hiked many trails and roads in my back yard. I rode my bike all over Glacier Park and like many kids as long as I was home by the time the light outside came on, it was ok. I’d pack a few snacks and water and just leave. In the summers I worked in Apgar and again rode my bike there. My dad worked in “the park” for 22 years . What is my favorite memory? I have none because every day was a blessing. What part is my favorite? All of it. How many people can say it’s their home and truly mean it? I can.
I missed the deadline (just saw the post from The Wave 🙁 . . . ) but I still wanted to share our memory of Glacier, which was about 2 years ago when we decided that we just HAD to move to the Flathead after driving through Glacier and having “chicken skin” from the WONDER of it all . . . . truly blessed to be in this area and can experience that WONDER over & over 🙂 ! ! ! ! !
The North Fork of the Flathead river is one of four wild and scenic rivers in Montana. It is often rainy with braided channels but it is breathtaking. The blue-green water and blind corners drop you into spots that feel enchanted.
One particular trip I awoke early and hiked the mile-ish, from the campground, to Polebridge Mercantile, for fresh-that-morning, hot huckleberry bear claws. I hitched a ride back in a lumbering forest service truck on it’s way to restock fisheries biologist gathering data at a high meadow lake. When I arrived back at camp the coffee was on, my family was camping tent groggy and excited for the adventure and I was a rock star of provisions. It was a perfect morning – a Glacier National Park morning.
I had the experience of three summers at three locations, Lake McDonald, Rising Sun, and Swift Current, working, hiking, playing, meeting the public and seeing wildlife. It was great. I recommend it highly.
I was to Glacier NP when I was 13 and it left a big impression on me(now 40). The thing I remembered most is that how clear the lakes were and how blue the water was that flowed in the streams. I have 2 boys who are now 6 and 7 and am hoping to get them up to visit Glacier sometime soon.
I was 12 years old in the Summer of 1974 when my family traveled to Glacier National Park. Sitting in the high-ceilinged, muralled dining room of Many Glacier Hotel, I was smitten with the employee-couple singing on the stage in the corner of the restaurant. She had long straight brown hair and a beautiful full face. He had blond hair and gazed at her as he harmonized along with her. They were musical, hotel employees… college students that had fallen in love in Glacier National Park. I wanted the exact same thing in my life! My family of five had visited other National Parks and chose hikes as if we lived at elevation but always bit off more than we could chew, in distance and terrain. I couldn’t get enough. Staying at the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn at the end of the road, we were at the jumping off point for so many hikes. One evening we came back from Icicle Lake and I turned to my Dad and said, “I don’t want to go inside yet.” I was perfectly serious. He looked at me, smiled and said, “Okay Sweetie, we can go out for a little while longer, but it’s getting dark, so we have to come back within 30 minutes.” We came back in the dark. It was really dark and I was so happy we were out in the dark. Leaving that valley made such an impression on me. I vowed I would work at Many Glacier Hotel someday and planned on falling in love there too! I started applying to the National Parks concessionaires as soon as I turned 16, and every year until I turned 21 when Lake McDonald Lodge hired me. And yes, I fell in love, a few times with boys. Mostly I fell in love with the incredible vistas and trails and friends of a lifetime. About 40 of us moved to the Seattle area after working there in the early 80’s. It was the closest metropolitan city to the park. We still have reunions there, every three years. Now my kids have backpacked there with me and they know exactly what to do with my ashes after I’m gone. To the top of Mt. Gould for half and the other half in Lake McDonald. Seems like the perfect place to go into the backcountry, not having to worry about having to come back out again.
I have yet to visit Glacier!! I’ve been begging my husband to go for my birthday this summer!! I’ve seen so, so many beautiful pictures! I really want to see Lake McDonald in person! Looks amazing!
I wish to be there so beautiful pics
We went to GNP 2 years ago for a family boyscout trip. There were about 20 of us that went with a mixture of boyscouts ranging in ages from 13-17 and parents and siblings of all ages. Some had been to the park before but many had not and very few had ever done much hiking like that. We are from North Dakota so rolling hills is about all we get. Our first adventure was Logan Pass visitor center (that’s as far as the bus was allowed on the Going to the Sun road) and we helped out with a project for the NPS by counting and recording areas of various animals. Great hike and great experience! We had many adventures in our 10 day visit, staying as St. Mary, traveling on the shuttle through the park, hiking, visiting Many Glacier, then ending our trip at Apgar, we even went white water rafting! All our adventures were awesome and the park is absolutely gorgeous but I think the most amazing thing that came out of it was the experiences we had with eachother that we can look back share the memories. There were some that thought they would never have done anything like that now they are planning more trips to parks. My personal family included; we recently became a blended family. Me and my son had done several parks and camping and hikes before but my new husband and his boys had hardly been out of ND. We are now planning a family trip to Yellowstone this summer and they are actually looking forward to it!
Thank you for allowing me to reminisce a bit. 🙂
Lisa, thanks for sharing those memories! 🙂