Visiting the park between June 15th and June 17th, the season was still early. The Going-to-the-Sun Road was not cleared fully, but more importantly for my visit, I would have to adapt. Firstly, the reservation system for the Going-to-the-Sun Road was completely overwhelmed with the amount of people who wanted to reserve a place. Shuttle service does not begin until July. Millions of Americans after being vaccinated, hit the roads to escape home, but largely still being limited to domestic travel only. Though I planned months in advance and I diligently visited recreation.gov at every "booking window" it was a fruitless exercise. Everything was fully reserved within 1 minute. I accepted I would not be visiting the iconic roadway (though terrifying based on youtube videos). Once that option was closed the real research started. How can I make this a worthwhile visit? Where should I prioritize my time?

Very early on I had already booked my stay at Many Glacier Hotel, so I knew I would be spending significant time there, which by many accounts is a highlight of the park and less busy (both true). Doing some backward planning, I was coming from the West, so the best option materialized with Two Medicine being the highlight of Day 1. As I passed the West Glacier Entrance, a slight pang of regret, but ultimately unavoidable. We stopped for a moment to admire Belton Chalets (part of the Great Northern Railway Buildings National Historic Landmark, which includes 5 components). On the way to Two Medicine (Hwy 2) there is an interpretive viewpoint called "Goatlick" overlook. As hoped upon arrival, about 4-5 white mountain goats were active on the rock face, including two babies. With my binoculars and high-zoom camera, it was a pleasant experience to simply relax and watch the mountain goats make their way down towards the wet rocks to lick mineral deposits. Continuing Southeast, we arrived at the Continental Divide, Marias Pass. The Roosevelt Memorial Obelisk (1931) towers over this small stopping point, which includes access to a Summit trailhead.

Preferably we would have arrived at Two Medicine even earlier, though we arrived well before mid-day, the parking around the General Store was quite busy. We found parking right away and once you left the immediate vicinity of the store and got on the trail, the frenzy subsidized. A lovely hike with a small waterfall, alpine meadows, and ending with a scenic overlook of the valley made this our first true excursion into Glacier National Park.

On the way to Many Glacier, I knew I would not be permitted to enter via St. Mary's Entrance without the reserved ticket, but I concluded it was still worth stopping at the visitor center, which is built in Mission 66 (Modernist-style). Moreover, there are some nice viewpoints of Saint Mary Lake nearby. Parking about 100 yards from the entrance/visitor center, we could just simply enter the visitor center/park via footpath.

Most of our time was spent at Many Glacier. The hotel, a National Historic Landmark is a stunning example of National Park Rustic architecture, the setting is indeed sublime. During our two hikes, we spotted a female moose and calf, mountain goats half-way up steep cliff sides, and nearly had a run in with a mature Grizzly. The later was spotted 5-10 minutes farther along the trail, heading away from us, which was a relief. Unlike (seemingly) many visitors, we were not keen on seeing a Grizzly up close. Lake Josephine and the smaller lakes here, were just so pleasant to explore both in long morning or evening hikes.

We left the park, having spotted plenty of wildlife (black bears, moose, mountain goats) and having hiked around 10 miles in total. We felt satisfied, though we would certainly love to visit the Canadian side and the Going-to-the-Sun Road in the future. I hope this review helps future visitors to discover the diverse sites found throughout the park.

HWY 2

- Goat Lick Overlook (viewpoint of rockface frequented by mountain goats, bring binoculars and high zoom camera)

- Marias Pass (marks the Continental Divide, include Roosevelt Memorial Obelisk)

Two Medicine

- South Shore Trailhead to Aster Park (alpine meadows, waterfalls, and dramatic views)

Mission 66 [Modernism architecture]

- St. Mary Visitor Center

Many Glacier

- Redrock Falls Trail (common location to spot wildlife, including moose, ends with a unique cascading waterfall)

- Lake Josephine Loop Trail (miles of shoreline Alpine scenery)

Great Northern Railway Buildings [3 of 5 visited]

- Belton Chalets (1911)

- Many Glacier Hotel (1914)

- Two Medicine General Store (1914)