Glacier Park-Breathtaking
Written: Jan 09 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Incredible, wild, natural beauty
Cons: People can get hurt if they don't follow the rules
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| sherrylee's Full Review: Glacier National Park |
I am very lucky; I live in Kalispell, Montana, about a 40 minute drive from Glacier Park. I cannot say enough about the great wonders available in this park. It is one of the great wonders of America, and everyone who can go, should. When it is open & safe (it is not safe to do much driving around there from Oct-April, due to possible extreme weather conditions, especially if one is not familiar with the roads), I go whenever I can. In comparison to Yellowstone Park, it really depends on what you're after when visiting a wilderness area.
Yellowstone is more developed, has more organized exhibits & tours, and has a much greater human presence. It is also much more crowded, and 'wilderness area' or not, you can expect traffic jams, especially in high summer.
Glacier, with the exception of a few 'villages' scattered about the park, is much less developed, and activities in the park are more self-directed. There is much less traffic, although traffic can back up on Going To The Sun road (the main drag through the park) as it winds up the side of the mountains, as it CAN be a very intimidating road to drive for those unfamiliar with mountain roads, I have seen drivers almost freeze up on the especially twisty-turny parts. However, the unimaginable glory of the mountain vistas, the possible animal sightings, and the experience of walking on a glacier in shorts in July make it all worth it. Glacier park may lack the geysers and thermal formations (which should also be seen if possible by everyone) of Yellowstone, but for the sheer, natural experience, Glacier cannot be beat, as the thermal formations in Yellow stone are so formalized, with wooden boardwalks, paths, crowds & tour guides, that sometimes nature seems far away.
So, if you're looking for an educational, organized family experience, try Yellowstone, and if you're from the city, perhaps it won't seem so crowded and developed to you as it does to me. If you are looking for a strictly natural, outdoors experience, and can look at mountain vistas, fabulous scenery and beautiful, pristine waterways all day long, go to Glacier, you won't be sorry. A word of warning, however, to visitors at either park; they are full of wild animals. DANGEROUS wild animals. If you are unfamiliar with the ins & out of camping & hiking in the wilderness, PLEASE pick up a book about true wilderness camping & hiking before you make your trip, and follow the guidelines. An unfortunate part about living so close to such a marvelous wilderness, is that our local paper carries stories, at least once a summer, about tourists getting mauled by wild animals, and all of these incidents could have been prevented had the victims been better educated in regards to wilderness survival. It can be a real thrill to see wild animals in their natural habitats, and it's best to do so safely.
I recommend these parks to everyone, everywhere.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
sherrylee
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Location: Kalispell, Montana
Reviews written: 199
Trusted by: 300 members
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