Glacier National Park - First come first serve camping
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- Опубліковано 4 тра 2019
- Going to the Sun Road - Gorgeous! Finding a first come, first serve camping spot - not so much 😒
We made the trip last July to check it out while the whole park was open, so that we could drive Going to the Sun Road, check out Many Glacier, and hike Grinnell Glacier (our favorite hike in the world).
Driving across western Montana (heck, all of Montana for that matter) is always beautiful. We were finally able to try out our drone to add some production value to our series, unfortunately only outside of the park.
The smoke from the fires actually kind of enhanced the beauty of the sunsets and sunrises along going to the sun highway.
We were glad to get to Logan Pass visitor center parking lot, but we had wanted to hike the Hidden Lake trail as it is an easy day hike and has epic views and beautiful scenery and we ended up getting shut down by the quickly fading daylight. It was better that we decided not to go too. The next day, that trail was posted for bear frequenting. As awesome as it would have been to have the trail to ourselves, having fewer people in your group is one of the risk factors in grizzly bear attacks.
We did see some wildlife. There were some big horn sheep along the hillside next to the start of the highline loop trail, which runs above going to the sun road. Though we did not see any bears or moose, which are two of my favorite animals in Glacier National Park.
The next day when we went to snag a spot at Apgar campground in one of the many first come first serve spots, we had a rude awakening. Unfortunately the rules are not very clear, and we almost missed our chance at getting a campsite. Thankfully we were able to bug a couple who, though they were leaving that day, had been hunkered down in their RV for whether they would be leaving that day. While most spots fill up by 10 am, campers are allowed until 11 to decide whether they will be staying an extra night.
In the end we were running around in circles for about two and a half hours trying to snag a camp site, and once we did, we weren't able to set up camp until we got back from our hike. At which point, we were unsure whether the spot would still be ours or if we would arrive to find squatters. Thankfully we didn't 😀
We hope this video helps you to plan your trip to Glacier National Park and that you are able to navigate the first come first serve sites at Apgar and other campgrounds without running around for two hours to do so.
If this video helped you out, please be sure to give it a like!
Happy Camping :)
Have you done the first come, first serve camping in Glacier National Park before? How was your experience?
We had a great experience at Many Glacier Campground.
I would love to have more information on what to expect when looking for a first come first serve camping spot. Every video I see says something different.
Really beautiful and scenic!!
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
Great information! Thanks
Another great video! Your camerawork and editing are excellent. If I get a jeep before summer I am going to take the top off when I show my sister the park. You can see so much more!
Thanks for all your great feedback. We really appreciate it :D
@@AdventuresofShaneandLaura Yw!
Sorry if I missed this in the video but what day of the week were you guys looking for a first come first serve site? I find it's not bad during the week.
I think we were looking on a Saturday or Sunday. I bet on the week days it is easier to find an open spot, which is a good tip when planning out a trip. Especially, if it’s a spontaneous trip. Thanks!
@@AdventuresofShaneandLaura Thanks for the info. BTW great videos!
Good morning from Germany 🌹
Very lovely video 🌹
With my support 🌹
Good morning! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a kind comment! Will stop by your channel too :)
Thanks for the info on Apgar Campground. We will be there tomorrow... I hope that is where we end up.
Glad it helped!
I love going 2 the sun .... The first time I went I was so scared I was pestering the whole time up but it was worth it ....
Really nice video,hoping someday I can visit that place,greeting from indonesia
I hope you get the opportunity to visit our wonderful state!
What time of year were you at Galcier?
Go Cats go!
Yeah!!! I believe we were up there at the end of July.
Thanks for the info! All of your videos are always full of really helpful information. Really good stuff.
Do you happen to know if the Rising Sun Campground is open year-round? We're thinking of going in late September (9/13-9/18) assuming the COVID situation dies down, but I haven't been able to confirm what dates Rising Sun is open, and I know they are only first-come, first-served.
Thanks, again!
Thanks Nathan! I am having a hard time finding out if Rising Sun is open year round. I saw some reviews of the campsite for people who stayed in September. My assumption is that the campsite will remain open weather permitting. I know late September and early October have brought major snow storms to Glacier, but it’s very unpredictable. I suggest calling the park and asking them if Rising Sun is historically open during mid September. One more thing to note- late September is hyperphagia for the bears so they will be out searching for food for most of the day. If you plan on tent camping and there’s been a bear sighting near the campground you won’t be able to stay there.
@@AdventuresofShaneandLaura Thanks for taking the extra time to look into that for me! And that's a great point about the hyperphagia, I'll bear that in mind!
Hello! New subscriber here. Love your videos!
Thanks so much Denisse!
Covid 19 messed up my travel plan as we supposed to visit GNP on Aug 2020, maybe next year. Thank u & regards from Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦
Sorry to hear your plans were dashed. We had a big trip planned that we had to forgo as well. Here’s hoping the delay makes your trip is that much better!
@@AdventuresofShaneandLaura very many thanks for ur kindess.
New subscriber! Awesome video! What camera do you use for the dash of your car? Thanks in advance
Thanks so much Jules! For our dash mounted time lapses, we use an old Go Pro (like 3 or something). For the dash video facing in (facing us) we use our main camera, a Nikon D750. Not the most compact camera, but we like the quality 😁
were you there on a weekend?
Yes, I’m pretty sure we tried to snag a camping spot on a Saturday morning.
Very little information about first come, first serve camping except to say it's inconvenient.
What else is there to say? You show up as early as possible, pray there's an open spot, occupy it asap before you register. If there's not a spot, look on the posts for people's checkout dates, and if someone's leaving wait around so you can take their spot as soon as they leave. Check the NPS websites to find out which campgrounds offer first come, first serve sites.
@@kappy0405 Already went and came back. I didn't have to wait anywhere and I had a fabulous campground with a 360º mountain view. First come campgrounds beat the exceedingly busy reservation ones by far. Lake Louise had 2 RVs to every single site. I was happily situated in a quiet campground with an extremely clean heated bathroom. Perfection.
@@stephanieispink4theplanet427 Glad it went well for you. I'm headed there tomorrow! Still debating whether to take my chances finding a first come/first serve site or booking something just outside the park (everything in the park is booked obviously).