Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

25 Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce www.greatfallschamber.org Often called "America's Serengeti" for its vast grassland ecosystem and abundance of large herds and predators, Yellowstone has long been a favorite national park for tourists. With direct air service to many western hubs, Great Falls offers a central location that makes it possible to visit both Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks in one vacation. Great Falls also offers some of Montana's lowest rental car and hotel prices along with competitive air fare. Yellowstone is a scenic 3½ -hour drive south from Great Falls traveling much of the way through the beautiful Lewis and Clark National Forest on Hwy 89. Have your bathing suit handy for a dip in the hot springs at White Sulphur Springs, Chico Hot Springs, or Yellowstone Hot Springs along the Yellowstone National Park The East Glacier National Park entrances also have several advantages including less crowds and a longer season. Here is a summary of the entrances: • Many Glacier Entrance: The Many Glacier area of the park is thought by many park veterans to be the most beautiful area in Glacier. The Many Glacier entrance is only accessible from the east side of the park. Grinnell Glacier and Iceberg Lake trails are two of Glacier's most scenic, and Bullhead Lake with its meadows of flowers and beautiful waterfall is one of the first trails to melt and can often be hiked in late May. Many Glaciers is fantastic for wildlife watching. Visitors are likely to see Moose every morning on the lakes near Many Glacier Lodge, and visitors in late August and September are likely to see grizzly bears along the road every day. • Two Medicine Entrance: One of Glacier's best kept secrets, the Two Medicine Entrance receives a fraction of the traffic other areas of the park receive. The entrance is only accessible from the east side of park. Located on the sunny and dry east side, this area of the park is typically the first to melt out in spring meaning many of the trails accessible in early June. The short hike to the beautiful double falls, Running Falls, is often clear enough to hike around Mother's Day. Two Medicine is also home to several lesser known but magnificent hikes including roaring Rockwell Falls, stunning Cobalt Lake and incredible Dawson Pass. Upper Two Medicine Lake is a great place to kayak or paddleboard on a calm day. Bighorn sheep are frequently found right at the Two Medicine Campground. • St. Mary's Entrance: Many visitors do not realize the Going-to-the-Sun Road can be accessed from the east side of the park. There are great venues just inside the St. Mary's entrance. Virginia Falls/St. Mary's Falls trail offers a handful of incredible falls culminating the 50-foot Virginia Falls. St. Mary's Lake is an amazing spot to rent a kayak or take a cruise, and Rising Sun offers both throughout the summer. Crossing to the opposite side of the lake offers a secluded tour along a wilderness shoreline with no trail or road access and incredible views. way! Access to Yellowstone is accessed via the north entrance at Gardiner, Montana. Many people do not think of whitewater rafting on a Yellowstone trip, but about a half dozen rafting companies offer fun floats in Gardiner that are well worth a look. From Gardiner, it is just a few miles to the must-see Mammoth Hot Springs, where you are likely to get your first glimpse of an elk or even a buffalo. Another fun adventure is swimming at the Firehole River inside the park near the Norris Hot Springs. Entering Yellowstone from the north offers the opportunity to visit most of the park without passing through some of the heaviest traffic, which can occur south of Norris Hot Springs and extend all the way to one of the most popular destinations, Old Faithful. Photo by Photo Solutions Photo by Photo Solutions T O U R I S M

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