East Glacier to Waterton transport

[lithodendron]

We are wanting to plan a trip along the GNP portion of the Continental Divide Trail, August 2013. If we park our car in East Glacier, can we get transportation to Waterton and then hike back to our car? Is there a bus? Or a shuttle service? This is not our first trip to GNP but the earlier one was just a few days car camping. Now we want to backpack for 10 days or so. I am working on the permit application but need to know if we can get the transportation. Thanks, Mina

[toddnick]

GPI (Glacier Park Inc.) runs is a daily shuttle from East Glacier to several stops on the East side of the Park including Waterton (Prince of Wales Hotel)...it leaves daily at 11 AM...I am attaching the pdf for the East Side shuttle...it would be $60 per person (as it is $10 for each of the six stops from East Glacier to Waterton)...

http://www.glacierparkinc.com/tour_detail.php

[paul]

GPI (Glacier Park Inc.) runs is a daily shuttle from East Glacier to several stops on the East side of the Park including Waterton (Prince of Wales Hotel)...it leaves daily at 11 AM...I am attaching the pdf for the East Side shuttle...it would be $60 per person (as it is $10 for each of the six stops from East Glacier to Waterton)...

http://www.glacierparkinc.com/tour_detail.php

I don't think you can take this shuttle into Canada if you are doing a one-way trip. However if you take this shuttle to the border, you can take another shuttle operated by a Canadian service to Waterton. I did this in reverse direction a few years ago. I believe the service in Canada is called Tamarack outfitters. http://www.hikewaterton.com/. You'll need to schedule this with the outfitters because they only run the shuttle if there are reservations.

[Ear Mountain]

Another option is to hike the alternate CDT route that starts at the Chief Mountain Customs trailhead right at the border.

[lithodendron]

I have considered the alternate CDT route as a Plan B but would really like to start at Waterton if we can.

Weirdly, the Tamarack web site says there is a bus from Waterton to the border to connect with transportation to points on the US side, but it does not say there is a bus going north from the border to Waterton. I've emailed them (their phone contact is not yet open for the season) but no reply. Can anyone confirm that transportation from the border to Waterton is available? If not, has anyone had luck with hitchhiking?

I am wanting to put in for a lottery permit but will feel much better about it if I know we can get to the trailhead.

Thanks!

Mina

[Talusman]

A few years ago we drove to Waterton, left our car, and took the boat to the border crossing. we spent a few days hiking from there to many Glacier where we took the shuttle from there to Waterton. Turned out the driver was a fellow Okie and she dropped us back at our car. So I know this is doable.

[Hockey Ref]

I am wanting to put in for a lottery permit but will feel much better about it if I know we can get to the trailhead.

Thanks!

Mina

Apply for the permit anyway. If you get the route you want, you can worry about the logistics later. There's always a way!

[pitamakan]

If the Waterton-Chief Mountain shuttle is available southbound, I'd say it's a virtual certainty that it's available northbound, as well. Maybe you could try calling Parks Canada for info?

I've hitchhiked between Chief Mountain and Waterton before, and I think it's doable and safe. It would also be very unpredictable, though ... there's not a tremendous amount of traffic on the road, and while you might get a ride quickly there's also the chance that you might have to wait a few hours. Personally, I'd only hitchhike up there if you were planning on spending the first night in Waterton Townsite ... if your backcountry permit relied on catching the boat the same day and you missed it because you couldn't get a ride, it would wreck the whole trip.

[Ear Mountain]

Looking at the GPI website for East side Shuttles it clearly indicates that shuttles are available from the Prince of Wales Hotel with destinations in the US.

http://www.glacierparkinc.com/tour_detail.php

[lithodendron]

>Looking at the GPI website for East side Shuttles it clearly indicates that shuttles are available from the Prince of Wales Hotel with destinations in the US.

Yes but it also says that from East Glacier to Prince of Wales Hotel they are "authorized" to take passengers round trip only. I talked to them and they said it is some kind of US border security thing. And that one-way passengers going north, from the US into Canada, have to get off the bus at the border, cross on our own, and take Canadian transportation to Waterton. I talked to GPI on the phone and confirmed this. They referred me to Tamarack, the Canadian outfit that is not open for communication yet.

[Ear Mountain]

>Looking at the GPI website for East side Shuttles it clearly indicates that shuttles are available from the Prince of Wales Hotel with destinations in the US.

Yes but it also says that from East Glacier to Prince of Wales Hotel they are "authorized" to take passengers round trip only. I talked to them and they said it is some kind of US border security thing. And that one-way passengers going north, from the US into Canada, have to get off the bus at the border, cross on our own, and take Canadian transportation to Waterton. I talked to GPI on the phone and confirmed this. They referred me to Tamarack, the Canadian outfit that is not open for communication yet.

I thought that it was round trip passengers only but one might think they would mention this in their website. Would avoid a lot of confuse, eh?