Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Transportation can be a challenge in Glacier. If you have ideas, offer ride shares, or used a commercial service that you were happy with, let everyone know. Also, ask questions about road information, or share road information you may have.

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Kathy
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Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Post by Kathy »

OK.....so, here is a link to the free shuttle service offered by the Park:
http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/s ... UMP_135840

Here is a link to the shuttle services offered by GPI (Glacier Park, Inc.). There is a fee involved with this shuttle.....:
http://www.glacierparkinc.com/Transportation/Shuttles/

......and copy of their 2009 schedule (sorry...it's rather difficult to read, but I did the best I could):
Image

And......here's some previously posted information regarding getting from the airport to various places in the Park, and vice verse:

"YES! There IS transportation that will take you from the airport into the Park.

I just got off the phone with Randy at Flathead Transportation, (406) 892-3390 and here's the scoop: They can and will take you from the airport to various places in the Park. Here are some of the quotes he gave me:

From airport to:
Apgar - $40
Many Glacier - $240
Two Medicine - $170
Polebridge - $90

The above quotes are one-way fares.

NOTE: They can NOT go over the Going to the Sun Road....so, to get to Two Med and Many Glacier, they need to take you around the Park on Hwy. 2.

When they enter the Park, you will be charged a "hikers entrance fee"."


.....and a link to the full discussion: http://glacierparkchat.com/phpBB3/viewt ... f=9&t=3742
"You never really leave a place you love....part of it you take with you, leaving a part of yourself behind."
So....Live well. - Laugh often. - Love much.----And get to Glacier as often as you can!
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July Guy
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Re: Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Post by July Guy »

Thank you for putting this together!
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Re: Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Post by jane b. »

Ok so now I have added up all the costs of getting to Logan pass from Many Glacier and back to Many Glacier from Goat Haunt and I'm going to whine and complain--$126 -- for two people thats nuts! :evil: What is the world coming to? The free shuttle service needs to cover the whole park :idea: and serve all the people!!
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Re: Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Post by daveparker »

Jane,

Actually living here and knowing the distances involved, I think that sound pretty reasonable, heck the last time I was in Denver, CO it cost me almost $50.00 one way to get from my hotel to the airport! And gas was only about $1.50 a gallon then, I know I have picked people up and taken them to various places in the park, and the last time I took someone up to Kintla from the airport it was a tank of gas $60+ as well as at least 6 hours round trip...Then I picked them up a week later at Swift and that was another full take of gas, as well as about 8-10 hours of driving...so really it does sound pretty reasonable, I drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee and it gets around the same type of gas mileage as the shuttles do...

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Re: Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Post by jane b. »

My bad! As I said just whining; theres no price too high to realizw a dream!
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Re: Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Post by daveparker »

No Bad or Good Jane,

I was simply saying, it sounds pretty reasonable to me, and just providing some examples is all.

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Re: Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Post by tuna »

I'm flying into FCA and am not renting a car. Are the shuttles to Apgar right there in the airport or do I have to arrange a shuttle ahead of time?
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Re: Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Post by Pocketlint »

tuna wrote:I'm flying into FCA and am not renting a car. Are the shuttles to Apgar right there in the airport or do I have to arrange a shuttle ahead of time?
Hey tuna:

You might start here.
I just called this outfit a minute ago. A nice crusty old dude like me answered. :mrgreen: Sounds like a one-man operation, but that's typical around here :)

Flathead Glacier Transportation.
It's a kind of "on-call" service. He operates from 0400-midnight daily.
Price from the airport to Apgar is $45.00/1st person +$3.00 per person after that.
The phone number is (406)892-3390
That's a Columbia Falls exchange so he's only about 10-15 mins from the airport.

hhehehee...I just went and looked at Kathy's original post. Prices have gone up a bit is all.
$45.00 is very reasonable imo. Airport to Apgar is about 30 miles one way. It's cost me 3 gallons of fuel round trip in my Ranger @20mpg. Gotta cost more in a shuttle type van.

pocketlint :wink:
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Re: Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Post by tuna »

Thanks for the info. I'll call when we land and he'll probably be there by the time I get the backpacks from baggage claim.
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Re: Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Post by llholmes1948 »

tuna wrote:Thanks for the info. I'll call when we land and he'll probably be there by the time I get the backpacks from baggage claim.
If I were you I would definitely arrange a shuttle ahead of time. If this is a small operation and this guy is out making a run when you land, you could be in for a long wait.
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Re: Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Post by Hockey Ref »

tuna wrote:Thanks for the info. I'll call when we land and he'll probably be there by the time I get the backpacks from baggage claim.
Just curious where your backpacking trip is given the current conditions throughout the park.
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Re: Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Post by tuna »

I posted info elsewhere in this forum and received some great advice. I'm the guy that had his permit denied and am going to try for a walk up permit. I'll be in GNP Aug. 2-10. My first choice is the Northern Circle, second choice is Gunsight to Lake McDonald, third choice is St. Mary to Two Medicine. If I'm unable to get any permits for these trips, I plan on staying in frontcountry campgrounds and doing dayhikes and kayaking.

My initial reaction was way wrong, there are many awesome dayhikes in GNP and I will not be disappointed at all if I don't get any backcountry permits.
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Re: Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Post by Matt S. »

tuna...Due to the incredible amount of snowpack this year, many of the high backcountry sites may/will likely still be closed in early August. Even if some of those sites are open, getting to them may be challenging. Here are your best options.

1. Two Medicine to St. Mary is your best option. Park your car at the visitors center at St. Mary, then for $20.00, take the shuttle to Two Medicine (Don't exactly know the time on this). Atlantic Creek and Red Eagle Lake are already open, and No Name, Oldman should be open by the 1st of August. Morningstar has a shot, but I doubt if Upper Two Medicine will open by then. This is a great 3-4 night trip, but keep up with the trail report as there could be some hazards from Dawson to Pitamakan. If not, that route from Two Medicine to St. Mary will take you thru 4 passes and I guarantee you will enjoy this route.
2. While most of the North Loop may be OK, the highline trail between Logan and Granite Park may not open until late July. Furthermore, the northern highline presents a major hazard, the Ahern Drift. Even though its relatively short, crossing a 60 degree thread of snow (and thats if its open) is not what I consider safe. I'm doing this loop this year and I'm going the Flattop route which requires a greater distance of walking, but is safe and which I consider a nice alternative. One more hazard may be present below Stoney Indian Pass, but this is a walk in the park compared to anything on the highline trail. There is also a good chance that FIfty Mountain and Stoney Indian may still be closed, but all of the other campgrounds are already or should be open.
3. Forget about crossing the snowfields below Gunsight Pass. :shock: :shock: These are dangerous and should only be crossed with individuals that have mountaineer experience. If Ellen Wilson and Sperry are open, and providing you can get them, start at Lake Mcdonald and do a in-and-out. I did this twice in high snow years and enjoyed it. Ya I know the scenery isn't the best until you get close to Sperry Chalet, but all the scenery from that point is incredible. There may be snowfields to cross between Lincoln Pass and Ellen Wilson, but these are much, much safer that those east of Gunsight Pass.

Enjoy your trip, I'll be out there about that time. Don't forget about all the great scenery around Logan Pass and all that snow this year. Have a great trip. 8)
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Re: Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Post by tuna »

Thank you so much for your insights. I'll keep my eye on the trail reports throughout July and will take the advice of the ranger when I go for the walk up permit at 4:30am. I've crossed very mild snowfields in the Wind River and Yosemite in July and August, but nothing that required crampons and ice ax. I will definitely avoid extremely hazardous snow crossings.
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Re: Transportation Within and Outside of the Park

Post by joybird »

I was just looking up this year's shuttle information and thought I'd post the links to make it easy for folks to find them as the season gets going.

The good news is that GPI's rate/route chart is a lot easier to decipher this year than it has been in some years past (note that there are two different tabs on the page…one for the northbound and one for the southbound route):

http://www.glacierparkinc.com/plan-your ... formation/

The bad news is that it appears they are no longer stopping at Cut Bank (though that stop was always less than ideal as I believe it entailed like a 5 mile roadwalk to get to the trailhead…).

Depending on distance the cost ranges from $15 to $75. The stops are:
- Glacier Park Lodge
- Two Medicine
- St. Mary Lodge
- Many Glacier/Swiftcurrent
- Chief Mountain Customs
- Prince of Wales Hotel

Like last year, Xaneterra is doing an East Side Shuttle ONLY between St. Mary and Many Glacier/Swiftcurrent. Cost: $10.

On the West Side, Xanterra has a shuttle ($5-10) that stops at:
- West Glacier Train Station
- Village Inn
- Lake McDonald Lodge

http://www.glaciernationalparklodges.co ... /shuttles/
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