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Glacier National Park
Tosha Tingey • July 29, 2019
Kayaking at Glacier National Park and where we camped that was just 5 minutes away from West Glacier entrance!
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park is one of those National Parks that you hear about and just KNOW that it is going to be amazing. And it was.
Right upon entering the park it felt more like home and less like a tourist attraction. The park itself is huge but upon arrival, it feels like you’re entering a little town with an ice cream shop and café, boat rentals, and a small visitor center. After going to the visitor center we headed to get our kayak inspected. The inspections are free and pretty basic. You will have to rinse it off if it’s wet or dirty but that’s about it. If you aren't bringing your own gear you can rent for a good price right across the street from the lake. Life jackets are required to be worn by children and adults must have them in the boat with them or worn. After that, we went right to the dock next to the Village Inn and set sail! The pictures can show just how gorgeous this place was better than I could ever describe.
Unfortunately, our stay at Glacier National Park overlapped with my finals week so we didn’t get to explore the park as much as we wanted. There are SO many hikes and lakes and because the park is SO big there is some driving time to get to other lakes and trail heads. But luckily we camped the closest we could and were just a six minute drive to Lake McDonald which is Glacier National Park’s iconic lake. We kayaked out on the lake twice, both in different spots and had such a good time. I even got up the courage to jump into the freezing water which was so exhilarating! I highly recommend the experience.
Where We Camped - West Glacier RV Park & Cabins
We were hosted by West Glacier RV Park & Cabins
to stay at their RV park for two nights and we added two of our own. Here are three things we loved about this campground and two things we did not. All opinions are my own.
Things We Did Not Love
1. Not a lot of privacy. While the spaces are large, there’s not a lot of privacy between neighbors. But with that being said this is a new park and there are lots of trees that have been planted. I’m sure in a few years there will be plenty of shade and privacy.
2. Not too many amenities. Usually, for luxury campgrounds, you get several amenities. They have a really nice playground and a modern bathhouse, a coin operated laundry facility and a convenient store. I just wish there was a pool for those hot days. However, I think the best amenity that you’re paying for is the location. It’s the closest campground to the West Glacier entrance and so you can be swimming in Lake McDonald in no time.
What We Loved
1. LOCATION! If you're looking for campgrounds near Glacier National park, this is the ONE! West Glacier RV Park & Cabins is literally 3 minutes away from the park entrance and 6 minutes away from Lake McDonald. We were able to go to the park in the morning and come back for nap time and then head back out again afterward. The close location to Glacier National Park made this campground super convenient. Plus the campground is surrounded by the beautiful Montana mountains, makes for some beautiful sunsets and star gazing at night.
2. If you know me, you know the signature for a good campground is large spots. Every spot in the campground is full service, and a very large pull thru, plus a large grassy area with a picnic table and a fire ring. We looooved using this for eating meals and for Addie and our dog Finnick playing together.
3. It’s very rare to find a campground near a National Park with WiFi AND that where the WiFi is free AND its high speed! This gave this campground HUGE points because hello, finals week! There are no hidden WiFi costs, it truly is complimentary. And you can stream on this WiFi at any time of the day, so it’s high quality!
We absolutely loved our stay at West Glacier RV Park & Cabins. If you're heading to West Glacier, be sure to check out for your stay! You can book your campsite or cabin here. When we come back - and we definitely will - you can find us and our Airstream right here!
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