Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 6 AAA full lake mcdonald st. mary lake going-TO-THE-SUN MOUNTAIN CRYSTAL POINT HWY 1 st. mary, MT west glacier, mt HWY 2 WEST GLACIER TO ST. MARY...ONE OF AMERICA'S GREAT DRIVES Heavens Peak HWY 89 going-to-the-sun road glacier national park Presents Summer 2016 DISTANCE: 50 MILES ROAD: 2 LANE, PAVED This is one road trip which will leave you breathless. The views are stunning and the edge of road drop-offs can border on terrifying, especially when traveling west to east. Start at either West Glacier or St. Mary (from the east, where you can "hug" the inside lane) and wind through the glory of Glacier Park, with countless opportunities for photographs and envy-inflicting selfies. Voted the #1 "must-do" on Trip Advisor for the park, Going-to-the-Sun Road may well be the #1 drive in all of America. Open only about four months a year (mid-June to mid-October), high points include views of Jackson Glacier, views from Logan Pass and Big Bend, a pair of rocky tunnels, several waterfalls and, perhaps, mountain goats and bighorn sheep. The drive, without traffic, photo stops and viewing opportunities is about two hours. Plan on four hours. Leave those big trailers and larger camper trucks behind, as there are size restrictions for reasons of both safety and convenience. Shuttles are a good alternative, and even better for the faint of heart. For more fun, take one of the famous 1930s vintage red tours (great for a selfie too). The weather is always unpredictable, so plan for everything. Finish the drive. Relax and decompress at the Many Glacier Hotel lounge on the east end, or the Lake McDonald hotel lounge on the west end. Repeat in the opposite direction. It's that good! WOW FACTOR: GIANT VISTAS AT EVERY TURN, DEADLY DROP-OFFS, WEEPING WALL, BIRD WOMAN FALLS, LAKE MCDONALD & THE SPECTACULAR VIEWS FROM MANY GLACIER HOTELS. DON'T FORGET YOUR BINOCULARS, CAMERAS AND… YOUR NERVE. Contact us for area maps, AAA TourBook Guides and hotel reservations. Call 877-340-8137 Click AAA.com/Travel or stop by a local branch. AAA MOUNTAINWEST & GREAT MONTANA DRIVES lake mcdonald st. mary lake going-TO-THE-SUN MOUNTAIN CRYSTAL POINT HWY 1 st. mary, MT west glacier, mt HWY 2 WEST GLACIER TO ST. MARY...ONE OF AMERICA'S GREAT DRIVES Heavens Peak HWY 89 going-to-the-sun road glacier national park Presents Summer 2016 DISTANCE: 50 MILES ROAD: 2 LANE, PAVED This is one road trip which will leave you breathless. The views are stunning and the edge of road drop-offs can border on terrifying, especially when traveling west to east. Start at either West Glacier or St. Mary (from the east, where you can "hug" the inside lane) and wind through the glory of Glacier Park, with countless opportunities for photographs and envy-inflicting selfies. Voted the #1 "must-do" on Trip Advisor for the park, Going-to-the-Sun Road may well be the #1 drive in all of America. Open only about four months a year (mid-June to mid-October), high points include views of Jackson Glacier, views from Logan Pass and Big Bend, a pair of rocky tunnels, several waterfalls and, perhaps, mountain goats and bighorn sheep. The drive, without traffic, photo stops and viewing opportunities is about two hours. Plan on four hours. Leave those big trailers and larger camper trucks behind, as there are size restrictions for reasons of both safety and convenience. Shuttles are a good alternative, and even better for the faint of heart. For more fun, take one of the famous 1930s vintage red tours (great for a selfie too). The weather is always unpredictable, so plan for everything. Finish the drive. Relax and decompress at the Many Glacier Hotel lounge on the east end, or the Lake McDonald hotel lounge on the west end. Repeat in the opposite direction. It's that good! WOW FACTOR: GIANT VISTAS AT EVERY TURN, DEADLY DROP-OFFS, WEEPING WALL, BIRD WOMAN FALLS, LAKE MCDONALD & THE SPECTACULAR VIEWS FROM MANY GLACIER HOTELS. DON'T FORGET YOUR BINOCULARS, CAMERAS AND… YOUR NERVE. Contact us for area maps, AAA TourBook Guides and hotel reservations. Call 877-340-8137 Click AAA.com/Travel or stop by a local branch. AAA MOUNTAINWEST & GREAT MONTANA DRIVES

• Cover