Many Glacier and St. Mary, East Glacier National Park

Rain was forecast for several days on the west side, and we had seen everything we wanted to see on the west side of Logan Pass. The lovely thing about nomadic living is that when the weather is not ideal in one place, you can move. So we drove our Revel on Highway 2 around the southern border of the park (the Going-to-the-Sun Road that bisects the park is still not passable this early in the season), and found a base camp at Chewing Blackbones campground in Babb, MT.

This was a wondrous spur of the moment decision, as we discovered our favorite hikes and views are actually on the east side of the park. This side is less popular in general, and when the Going-to-the-Sun road is not passable, there are even fewer people. The remoteness and solitude are mesmerizing, especially in the light rain and fog. In retrospect, the only thing about the west side we would miss is the availability of bike rentals for the Going-to-the-Sun road (and the longer length of road open to cyclists this time of year). Otherwise, we would probably just stay on the east side.

The Blackfeet Indian Reservation borders Glacier NP on the east side, and the Chewing Blackbones campground, run by the Blackfeet tribe, is located adjacent to the park, on the eastern shore of St. Mary’s lake. On a spacious grassy area right on the water, there is room for about 70 RV campsites, of which only 4 were occupied when we arrived . There isn’t much in the way of “services”: no cellular signal, only spotty WiFi in the main office, no swimming pool or hot tub, an unkempt bathroom with broken shower facilities. The reception desk can best be described as friendly and laid-back. This is a campground for the self-sufficient, for those looking to escape the efficiencies and demands of modern life. For that, it’s phenomenal.

From Chewing Blackbones, it’s only about 10 miles in either direction to the St. Mary’s entrance or the Many Glacier entrance of the Glacier NP. We were able to drive the eastern side of the Going-to-the-Sun road from St. Mary’s, take the iconic picture of Wild Goose Island, and then explore the many trails and off-shoots from the Gunsight Pass trailhead. The next morning, we went to Many Glacier, and headed up the much-recommended Grinnell Glacier trail.

The hike up to the Grinnell Glacier viewpoint was closed about 3.5 miles in, due to snow and ice. But the views from the trail to this point were stunning, so the disappointment was minimal. We even encountered a young moose in the early morning, hanging out near the empty trailhead.

My Apple Watch said we had walked 10.85 miles, with 1490 ft elevation gain, by the time we headed back to the campground in the late afternoon. There are so many trails to explore in the Many Glacier area, we could stay here all week and still not get to them all. Specifically for hiking the alpine lakes and viewpoints, I think the best time to go would be early September. The snow hazards would be gone, and the summer crowds should have thinned. The Ptarmigan Tunnel should be open until late September, and I hear that’s pretty epic. It’s now on my bucket list, along with finishing the hike to Grinnell Glacier viewpoint.

June 15, 2021