Glacier National Park Chat

I have a backpacking itinerary in Glacier National Park from Chief Mountain to Goat Haunt. I am staying at the Prince of Wales the night before I start my itinerary. I had planned to drive from the lodge to Chief Mountain and leave my car at the Chief Mt. trailhead. In the past I would have used the Tamarack Shuttle (Waterton), regularly scheduled for early afternoon, to get back to Chief Mountain and my automobile after my backpack.

Things have changed this year and the Tamerack Shuttle is now scheduled for a mid morning service that doesn't connect with the first boat trip from Goat Haunt to Waterton. A more expensive "custom" shuttle would be available but I am considering an alternative.

I'm thinking, after my evening at the Prince of Wales, that I should just take the scheduled shuttle from Waterton to Chief Mountain at the start of my backpack and leave my parked car in Waterton until I end my journey.

Is it possible to park my car in Waterton for 4 days without running into some landmine that I'm not aware of?

Thanks!

Scott

Hey Scott,

I had no problems parking a car in Waterton for three days last summer during my BC trip from Goat Haunt. You need to display a receipt they print at the entrance station on your windshield with the dates your car will be parked there. I parked on Waterton Ave in the cul-de-sac near the Bayshore Inn and near where the boat leaves for Goat Haunt.

Andrew

HoustonHiker wrote:Hey Scott,

I had no problems parking a car in Waterton for three days last summer during my BC trip from Goat Haunt. You need to display a receipt they print at the entrance station on your windshield with the dates your car will be parked there. I parked on Waterton Ave in the cul-de-sac near the Bayshore Inn and near where the boat leaves for Goat Haunt.

Andrew

Andrew,

Thanks!

I had done something similar in 2006. Parked in a parking lot near where the Boat Tour boat docks when a friend & I did a 3-night Backpack out of Goat Haunt. A decade later, I feared things might have changed so a query seemed in order.

Now that I re-read your post it seems that one thing has changed.

When we came through the Waterton Park Gate in 2006 I explained that we were merely transiting through Waterton Park to get to Goat Haunt. The young fellow at the Waterton Park Gate waved us through without charging anything. We didn't have a receipt to put on the dashboard of our car. Ha!

Best regards,

Scott

So do you have to pay for a park pass for the entire length of your BC permit? I have the same issue sort of. I'm hiking from Chief to Goat Haunt. So I plan to drop my car off in Waterton and then take the shuttle to start my hike at Chief Mountain customs. I really don't want to pay for a Waterton weekly pass just to leave my car there.

The old shuttle times worked out much better, never needed to drive up to Waterton in the first place let alone pay the Waterton park fee.

I really don't want to pay for a Waterton weekly pass just to leave my car there.

The old shuttle times worked out much better, never needed to drive up to Waterton in the first place let alone pay the Waterton park fee.

There is no charge for entering Waterton or any other Canadian National Park during summer 2017. You can pre-order a pass from the Parks Canada website, but it's also my understanding that you can get one for free at the gate.

https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/voyage-travel/admission

But if there's a separate charge for parking your car there apart from the Parks Canada entry fee, I do not know.

Cool, thanks

teapot57 wrote:
But if there's a separate charge for parking your car there apart from the Parks Canada entry fee, I do not know.

If I recall correctly, given that I was just passing through Waterton, they only charged me for one day entry. No extra fee for parking.

sbosecker wrote:I have a backpacking itinerary in Glacier National Park from Chief Mountain to Goat Haunt. I am staying at the Prince of Wales the night before I start my itinerary. I had planned to drive from the lodge to Chief Mountain and leave my car at the Chief Mt. trailhead. In the past I would have used the Tamarack Shuttle (Waterton), regularly scheduled for early afternoon, to get back to Chief Mountain and my automobile after my backpack.

Things have changed this year and the Tamerack Shuttle is now scheduled for a mid morning service that doesn't connect with the first boat trip from Goat Haunt to Waterton. A more expensive "custom" shuttle would be available but I am considering an alternative.

I'm thinking, after my evening at the Prince of Wales, that I should just take the scheduled shuttle from Waterton to Chief Mountain at the start of my backpack and leave my parked car in Waterton until I end my journey.

Is it possible to park my car in Waterton for 4 days without running into some landmine that I'm not aware of?

Thanks!

Scott

Things have changed back! Although this thread was about parking in Waterton it should be noted that, as of today, the following web page

http://www.hikewaterton.com/shuttles.html

was changed in the last 24 hours to indicate the Scheduled Waterton-Chief Mountain Shuttle has gone back to an afternoon schedule.

Scott