St. Mary is a small community located at the east entrance of Glacier National Park in Montana. It is a great location to explore the east side of Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada.
St. Mary, Montana
It was about a 2 hour drive from Choteau, Montana to St. Mary. Along the way we came across farm raised bison along the side of the road.
Only about 50 people live here year-round. The surrounding community is the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. There is a small grocery store, 2 overpriced gas stations, a couple of cafes, a few RV parks, and lodging geared towards the National Park. St. Mary otherwise has very few amenities.
An osprey nest in town.
The original east Glacier ranger station.
KOA EAST Glacier, St. Mary
We had an end site, which really helped with noise and campground smoke. They had 50-amp electric, good water pressure, sewer and fast enough WIFI to stream. They also have a large dog park for Jake. Our site, B13, backed up such that we had views of the mountains.
Glacier National Park, Montana
The park encompasses over 1 million acres and was established in 1910. The mountains are rugged, snow capped and stunning.
Going to the Sun Road from St. Mary
It is the only road that goes through the National Park. Unfortunately for us, which seems to be typical for the National Park system, they didn’t start working on clearing last winter’s snow or repairing the road until all snowstorms and avalanche risks were well over. They are expecting the entire road to be opened sometime in mid-July, but then it closes again come October, making for a very short tourist season. In addition, they are on the ticketed reservation system. Last time we were here, there was a fire in Glacier, decreasing the visibility on the Going to the Sun Road, resulting in closure of the park. Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks it will open completely before we leave.
The road is open to just past St. Mary Lake when headed westbound.
We took a couple of hikes. Baring Falls was a short hike, but well worth it. The late snowfall made for some stunning waterfalls.
Wildflowers were in just starting to bloom including penstemon, sago lily, and bear grass.
Many Glacier Road
A nice drive that leads to a hotel at Swiftcurrent Lake.
Last time we were here at the same time of the year, wildflowers were abundant and at their peak. This year, not so much. We think this is why we didn’t see any wildlife.
Along the way there was a nice waterfall along the Continental Divide.
Two Medicine Lake
Two Medicine Road dead ends at Two Medicine Lake.
A short hike to Running Eagle Falls.
Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada
The park borders Glacier National Park and was established in 1895. We always wanted to see it. Since the Going to the Sun Road was closed, we decided to visit. Unfortunately, the closet border crossing was also closed, but there was another, which only added an hour round trip.
We came across a deer and fawn.
The Red Rocks Parkway had a lot of fire damage, but the area was recovering.
We came across a Bighorn Sheep.
A mother black bear and cub gorging on dandelion, which unfortunately made it difficult to get a good picture.
A nice hike to Blakiston Falls. What we really like about Canadian National Parks compared to USA National Parks is that dogs are allowed on most hiking trails, yet we continue to see the same wildlife, if not more in Canada. The US Park Service claims dogs scare away wild animals. What about the millions of tourists, hikers, remote camping, screaming children, mountain bikes, and horses? The Canadian Park Service says dogs don’t impact the wildlife any more than these other factors. It is the responsibility of the visitor to leave as small of a footprint and impact as possible and be respectful.
There were more wildflowers in bloom here compared to Glacier. Lupine, penstemon, wild rose, thimbleberry, cinquefoil, and sunflower.
Cameron Falls are in Waterton Park.
The town is open year-round and is picturesque. It reminds us of Banff and Jasper in that there is a town in the midst of the National Park.
