Glacier National Park
8 Day Inn Tour
Tour Information
Many consider Glacier to be the most beautiful of all of our national parks. Its million acres of diverse habitats are home to hundreds of species of mammals and birds. We’ve seen bears, porcupines and golden eagles on this tour. The park also contains hundreds of structures on the National Register of Historic Sites and Buildings, including some of our tour’s overnight lodges. Come bike with us over the continental divide twice and through a stunning landscape of jagged peaks, melting glaciers, rushing waterfalls and brilliant wildflowers.
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The tour is filled, but call us. We may be able to squeeze you in.
Moderate
Advanced
Large rolling hills with some climbs. Moderate to advanced cycling level.
7 nights lodging, 6 breakfasts, 5 picnic and sack lunches, 5 dinners, snacks, park entrance fees, detailed cue sheets, van support & trained guides.
$195 for women-specific road or hybrid bicycle
Accommodations are subject to minor changes.
Fly into and out of the Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell, MT (known as GPI or FCA.) Take a commercial shuttle to Whitefish for about $45. Or take Amtrak to the Whitefish train station. We meet at the Pine Lodge, but our first overnight is at the Glacier Guides Lodge.
Laurie Collins
Tour Leader
"Excellent experience - 1st tour I’ve been on and it set the bar pretty high. The pipes were a bit noisy in the older buildings, but that is to be expected and added to the charm. Patty and Kimberly did a fantastic job!"
Tour Itinerary
DAY 1: We’ll rendezvous in Whitefish for a rental bike fitting at 12:00noon and an orientation at 2:00pm. Then we’ll shuttle to our lodging just outside Glacier National Park for dinner together at 6:00pm. 0 miles.
DAY 2: After an early breakfast, we’ll enter the park and ascend the spectacular “Going to the Sun Highway.” Arguably the most beautiful biking road in the country, it is considered a rite of passage for any cyclist. It crosses the continental divide at the 6646’ Logan Pass.
Bask in your accomplishment in making it to the top by taking an easy 3-mile hike to beautiful Hidden Lake. Bring your camera to shoot the hoary marmots that live along the trail.
We’ll overnight at St. Mary’s Lodge, located within the Blackfeet Indian Nation. You can fall asleep to the sound of the babbling brook outside your open window. 50 miles.
DAY 3: Today we ride into Waterton Lakes National Park. Along with Glacier, they make up the world’s only international peace park, commemorating the long friendship between the US and Canada.
We’ll cross the border on our bicycles into the province of Alberta and then stop for a picnic lunch. There we’ll have a breathtaking view of Chief Mountain as it rises 5000’ above the Great Plains. While we descend after lunch, we can catch a glimpse of the Waterton Park Lakes nestled in the valley.
We’ll overnight at the Prince of Wales Hotel, one of the most photographed hotels in the world. Its soaring roofs, green gables and site at the edge of a lake make it look stately and romantic at the same time.
Arrive in time for high tea and listen to stories of how the high winds moved the building 2 feet during its construction. All the town’s horses had to be employed to pull the structure back into place. 49 miles.
DAY 4: We bike back through the Peace Park and across the border to Many Glacier Lodge today. Along the way, we’ll probably see mountain goats and big-horned sheep, and perhaps even a bear or two.
The last 12 miles of our ride are along the beautiful Swiftcurrent River until we reach the glacier-fed lake and our inn for the next two nights. 52 miles.
DAY 5: At Many Glacier, we are also at the center of the largest network of park trails. On our day off from cycling, you can hike into one of the five major valleys leading to glaciers, passes and lakes.
The truly energetic can take a short boat ride across the lake and then hike 4 miles up to Grinnell Glacier. Considered to be one of the most beautiful hikes in the park, it culminates at a glacier that is receding more rapidly than ever. Scientists estimate that if the planet continues to warm at its current rate, all of the glaciers from Glacier National Park will disappear by the year 2050.
If you want to give your legs a break, you can choose to go kayaking or horseback riding instead. Or grab a book and sit by the fireplace with probably one of the most beautiful views in the world outside the lodge’s window. 0 miles.
DAY 6: We leave the Many Glacier area behind and head to the historic Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier today.
Located at the foot of Dancing Lady Mountain, it has a beautiful pool, golf course and plenty of balconies for sitting and enjoying the view. We’ll walk into town for dinner together. 53 miles.
DAY 7: We make our way over the continental divide for the second time this week on a very gradual ascent over Marias Pass. The pass is one of the lowest points on the divide in the United States at 5215 feet. The Flathead River will accompany us along most of the route. The pass is still used today by the principal northern transcontinental railroad line.
We’ll end our day at one of the park entrance Visitors Centers where we’ll load the bikes and shuttle to our overnight back in Whitefish. We’ll celebrate our accomplishment with one last dinner together in downtown Whitefish. Its tavern-lined Main Street looks like a set from an old western movie. 44 miles.
DAY 8: The tour officially ends after breakfast this morning. You may take the inn’s complimentary shuttle to the airport at your convenience. 0 miles.