Want to visit a lodge at Glacier National Park? Good Luck.
A redditor wrote today about wanting a quick, last-minute trip to Glacier National Park, but learned that ALL lodging is booked until 2023. Crazy? Yes. Expected? Also yes. But what can someone do?
No lodging? How about camping?
Certainly camping is available, right? Well... sort of. Over half of the available campgrounds at Glacier are closed right now, with a few remaining open, and a few full. This handy National Park Service website can help you plan ahead.
One thing you can do before making the trip is reserving your camp site. Recreation.gov allows you to do this easily, and quickly. However, you can only reserve the campground months in advance. Otherwise, it is a first come, first serve basis.
How about a hotel near Glacier?
Another great option, normally. West Glacier, Pinnacle, Essex, Kiowa, St. Mary, Browning, Columbia Falls, Whitefish, Kalispell are all nearby. For my purposes, I checked out Columbia Falls, Whitefish, Kalispell and Browning.
There ARE hotels available, within a short drive, ranging in pricing from $150 to $400+ a night. If you take the time to find a great deal nearby, it wouldn't be so bad. Plus, you'd get the extra bonus of checking out the sights in a town you may not have been to before!
Is it worth the extra cost for last minute trips?
Yes and no. For me, I am the most unprepared person in the planet when it comes to my personal day to day life. I've paid the extra cost for a quick, last minute trip. However, if you can, plan ahead. Maybe not SIX MONTHS (looking at you, recreation.gov) ahead... but a few weeks.