GLACIER NATIONAL PARK - Montana and Wyoming - page 177

hikes from the area, including the arduous 12.8-mile round-trip Quartz Lakes Loop, but be
warned that this is the heart of grizzly country, and visitors should come prepared. Camping
is available on a first-come, first-served basis at the primitive Bowman Lake Campground
(48 sites, late May-mid-Sept., $15), where several of the trailheads can be accessed.
MM Going-to-the-Sun Road
Completed in 1932, the famed Going-to-the-Sun Road is a marvel of modern engineering.
Spanning 50 miles from West Glacier to St. Mary, the road snakes up and around mag-
nificent mountains that include its namesake, Going-to-the-Sun Mountain, giving viewers
some of the most dramatic vistas in the country. The road, which crosses the Continental
Divide, required more than two decades of planning and construction. It climbs more than
3,000 feet with only a single switchback, known as The Loop. Going-to-the-Sun is an ar-
chitectural accomplishment as well: All of the bridges, retaining walls, and guardrails are
built of native materials, so the road itself blends seamlessly into its breathtaking mountain
setting.
In addition to being an experience all on its own, Going-to-the-Sun is also the primary
access road to the park and the only way to get to some of the park's best-known highlights:
the visitors center at Logan Pass, the Highline Trail, Lake McDonald, and an array of hiking
trails. For visitors who are not keen on driving the road themselves, there are a few excel-
lent options, including free shuttles, vintage tours, and Blackfeet tours, to see the road as a
sightseer.
RECREATION
MM Hiking
Glacier is a hiker's paradise, and the west side of the park around the Lake McDonald Val-
ley offers a unique opportunity to hike through primeval forests of western red cedars, hem-
locks, and other species that thrive in this moist, moderate climate.
Among the most popular and well-traveled trails near Lake McDonald is the Johns
Lake Loop, a relatively flat 6-mile round-trip through prime moose habitat. It can be
found just northeast of Lake McDonald Lodge. Also popular is Trail of the Cedars, an
easy 0.7-mile loop on a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk through spectacular forest. Leav-
ing from Avalanche Campground, less than 5 miles east of Lake McDonald Lodge, the
trail crosses an impressive footbridge over Avalanche Gorge. Also leaving from Avalanche
Campground, Avalanche Creek Trail, 4 miles round-trip with a 500-foot elevation gain,
takes hikers to the picturesque, mountain-ringed Avalanche Lake. Because trailhead park-