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PLACES: Two Medicine Road

By Beacon Staff

For those looking for some secluded scenery, the Two Medicine Road on the east side of Glacier National Park will certainly not disappoint. The seven-mile road was recently reopened by the park and wraps along Lower Two Medicine Lake, past stunning peaks and streams.

Before the construction of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, many visitors of the park came to this oft-overlooked corner and used Two Medicine as the starting point for their trips. Visitors would arrive in East Glacier by train and then stay at the lodge there. The following day they would take horses to Two Medicine Lake and stay at one of the various rustic chalets or canvas tipis.

Today, Two Medicine is a great spot to take in the sights, have a picnic, start a hiking trip (although this early in the spring, some trails may still be snow covered) and, later this month, go camping.

On May 25, the Two Medicine Campground will open for the summer season and tent and RV sites are available on a first come, first serve basis. Bathrooms and running water are also available at the campground. Nearby is the old Two Medicine Chalet, which now serves as a gift shop and camp store.

How to get there: From Kalispell, take U.S. Highway 2, 87 miles east to East Glacier. There take Montana Route 49 north about 3.5 miles to where the Two Medicine Road splits off to the left. Two Medicine Lake is seven miles beyond this point.