Page 38 - Flathead Living Fall 2014

FIVE ROAD TRIPS FOR FALL
89
49
Traffic travels south on U.S. Highway 89 along the east side of Glacier National Park.
East glaCiEr
➡ lOOKiNg glass rOaD
N
.5 mi.
EAST GLACIER
89
G
oing-to-the-Sun Road iS the
sightseeing crown jewel of the Crown of the Continent, but
a stretch of Highway 49 and
The Trip
this 30-mile stretch is located between East Glacier and St. Mary. To get there, you can either go through
the park on Going-to-the-Sun, exiting Glacier at St. Mary, or around the park’s southern border along Highway 2 to East Glacier, paralleling the Middle Fork Flathead River for much of the way.
Taking the Highway 2 route from Kalispell, you travel 90 miles to East Glacier, where you turn left onto Highway 49 and into the village. Northbound
out of East Glacier, you drive along
the valley floor until you hit a fork. Left takes you into Glacier Park, but right
is what we want. That takes you up
a mountainside where you enter the
most memorable leg of the trip.
This stretch of Highway 49 is known as Looking Glass Road, named after the 19th century Nez Perce leader, Looking Glass. It’s an apt name. As it gains eleva- tion, the road offers spectacular vistas of
the Two Medicine Valley, including Lower Two Medicine Lake. Impressive geological formations loom over you on the opposite side of the highway.
The drive isn’t necessarily for the faint of heart, nor for large vehicles.
It’s curvy and narrow with infrequent guardrails. But its potholes have been patched up over the years and every- body is traveling at sightseeing speeds. There are pullouts along the highway.
The area is densely populated with grizzly bears. You also have a good chance of seeing elk, moose, big- horn sheep and other wildlife.
Eleven miles north of East Glacier, 49 runs into 89. Continue north on 89, through aspen-lined hills and meadows, to the tourist hub of St. Mary. Here, you can cut over to the Flathead through the park on Going-to-the-Sun, if it’s
still open, or follow your footsteps back south. You can’t go wrong either way.
89 along Glacier National Park’s eastern boundary is a worthy alternative. At times, in fact, it feels and looks like Going-to- the-Sun, with less bumper-to-bumper traffic. And it doesn’t require a park pass.
Tourists and locals who favor the east side are often vehement in their adoration. After you take this drive, which overlooks the gorgeous Two Medicine area, you’ll understand their vehemence. If you’re
a disciple of western Glacier, take a
trip east and you might just convert.
36 FLATHEAD LIVING | FALL 2014
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PHOTOS BY LIDO VIZZUTTI