View Full Version : East Glacier to Waterton Park
Whats the best way to get from East Glacier Park, MT up to the Northern Terminus in Waterton NP in Canada? Shuttle available? Just hitch? is it best to get to the trail border spot and hike the 4.7 North then turn around and start hiking SOBO? Thanks!
Hitchhiking would be a serious PITA. There's a $50 shuttle from Glacier Park Lodge to Waterton Park.
http://www.glacierparkinc.com/images/_userfiles/files/2012%20GPI_Shuttle%20Brochure.pdf
From East Glacier you could take the shuttle to Two Medicine, get your permit and take a later shuttle to Waterton. Lots of snow so far this year, I wouldn't plan on leaving much before July 1.
I hitched from Apgar, where I got my hiking permit and last minute trail conditions beta, to Waterton for my CDT thru but there is a shuttle that the park or park related concessionaires operate, or did operate in 2010, when I was there last. It goes from the Lodge at East Glacier, near the the Amtrak station, to the Wales Hotel in Waterton. Here's the link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g143026-c13767/Glacier-National-Park:Montana:Transportation.To.Canadian.Rockies.ht ml
Oh, BTW, check out both lodges. Stunning! Same with the Yellowstone NP Lodges if you do a thru. Simply - GRAND!
fiddlehead
01-13-2013, 00:49
I hitched it back after finishing, back in '98.
I still say it's the way to go and the most spectacular finish to any of the big three.
But, the hitch was really a bitch.
I had a Canadian girl drive me to the border but, wouldn't drive me across (Can't say I blame her as she didn't know what I had in my pack), then I walked across and spent the next 6 hours waiting for a ride. not easy.
In hindsight, I'd hike it back as it's even better scenery going south I think.
Seems in the past few years, it's more popular hiking out to goat haunch or whatever they call it when you just finish at the highway border patrol customs station.
Very boring hike that way and not much scenery at all.
So, go for the Waterton finish and either pay the $50 or hike it back would be my advice.
Slo-go'en
01-13-2013, 01:04
I was there July 1st this summer and the highline route from Waterton was still closed. Depending on conditions when you get there, you might have to start at Chief Mt instead. Just something to keep in mind.
Most SOBOS have to start at Chief Mountain. Last year the other route wasn't open until well into July. One SOBO I met last year had had friends bring him to Waterton only to be informed he couldn't use that route. His friends then had to drop him off at Chief Mountain.
We're getting loads of snow this winter. I think some NOBOs ended up in Chief Mountain last fall because the snow started heavily quite early.
Also, the shuttle service only runs during the height of the summer, which does not include June. If you plan to use it, check the dates on the website before you firm up your travel schedule.
I started at Chief Mountain SOBO in 2011 (also a high snow year). Took the shuttle to get to the border. Catch is when the shuttle allows you to start hiking --- due to their schedule my hiking partner and I got started as I recollect in the early afternoon.
No big deal, but FYI. If you go that route, do think ahead about how you plan to cross the Belly River --- there are two crossings not too far along, or you can opt to bushwhack around both of those if it's running pretty fierce. We should have bushwhacked (though from talking to others, that wasn't an easy option either).
bearcreek
01-13-2013, 12:37
If Glacier is still too snowy then, you might consider starting at Butte around June 15th and hiking the 470 miles north to Waterton, then returning to Butte to hike south. That would make your timing better for the Bob Marshall and Waterton, and you would still be hitting the high country south of Butte well into July.
Seems in the past few years, it's more popular hiking out to goat haunch or whatever they call it when you just finish at the highway border patrol customs station.
Very boring hike that way and not much scenery at all.
So, go for the Waterton finish and either pay the $50 or hike it back would be my advice.
Goat Haunt is the terminus along the Highline Trail; Chief Mountain is the alternate terminus at the border crossing.
I remember being disappointed when we realized that the Highline Trail was not going to be open for our hike in 2010, but it turns out the Chief Mountain route was absolutely stunning! It was NOT a boring hike and had fantastic scenery going SOBO.
bearcreek
01-23-2013, 13:54
I've done both routes and they are great hikes - neither is boring in the least. The hike to Chief Mountain is 13 miles shorter than the one to Waterton. BTW, it is almost 9 miles from Goat Haunt to Waterton so that is not really the terminus unless you bail out and take a ferry.
I was just trying to clarify that Goat Haunt was on the Highline Trail. Fiddlehead's comment made it sound like Chief Mtn and Goat Haunt were the same place-- "goat haunch or whatever they call it when you just finish at the highway border patrol customs station". :)
isaacoomber
03-14-2013, 03:25
Wow! I really like it. Thanks for sharing nice information with us...
waterton glacier national park (http://www.waterton.ca/waterton-glacier-peace-hike.cfm)