If you can find the right spot, Rocky Mountains are every bit as grand, desolate and inspiring as the Alps. The trick is knowing where to go. We suggest a remote corner of Montana known as Glacier National Park, 1500 square miles of wild mountain country that’s gone unchanged since the days of Lewis and Clark.
The main reason it’s still so wild is that for all that space, there’s only one road cutting through it all. It’s called the Going-to-the-Sun road, and it’s a perennial contender for the most spectacular road in the country. (You might recognize it from the opening shot of The Shining.) It’ll take you over the continental divide, around St. Mary Lake, and underneath some of the most persistent glaciers in the lower 48. For most of the drive, you’ll have a towering cliff face on one side and a drop of a couple hundred feet on the other…so don’t be afraid to slow down. The narrow lanes make for a potentially nerve-racking drive -all the moreso if you’ve opted for one of the surprisingly expensive red bus tours- but your best bet may be getting your hands on the narrowest rental car available. (Extra points if you can lay your hands on a motorcycle, but that might take some serious wrangling.)
When you’re dealing with glaciers, timing is everything. Snow renders the Going-to-the-Sun road impassible until well into the summer -this year it was barely cleared in time for July 4th- and it’s also a perennial contender for America’s hardest road to plow. If you’re going to make the trek, we’d suggest August. The roads will be clear, and you’ll still have enough daylight to spend a full day on the peaks.
For lodging, you’ll have your pick of anything from a campsite (available all over the park) to an Old Hollywood chalet (the palatial Glacier Park Lodge, a favored getaway of Clark Gable). In between, there’s all manner of small town motels, most of which have the dual advantages of a running shower and a spectacular mountain view.
No hints as to which we prefer.
Glacier National Park
www.nps.gov/glac
Tel: 406.888.7800