4 weeks California roadtrip

[Boost]

Hi Donna

How long did you use on the going to the sun road?
Would it take all day to get to Kalispell?

[Lifemagician]

How long did you use on the going to the sun road?

That so much depends on which places you stop and what activities you choose to partake of. It is possible to drive it with minimal stops one way, in less than half a day. Weekends may be busier,

Lifey

[DonnaR57]

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, but Lifey's correct. It really depends on how many stops you make (or are able to make), if you plan to do any hiking or even a long walk, and how bad the traffic is.

We were there on a weekday in July. We left St Mary at 9:30 am (too late!) and pulled into Apgar on the other side at 12:45 pm. As I said, we had been able to get into very few pullouts. We left Apgar just before 3 going the other way, stopped at Trail of the Cedars and hiked that, stopped at Logan Pass Visitor Center, and at many scenic viewpoints, and pulled past St Mary well after their 7 pm closing time for the visitor center.


Donna

[Boost]

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner

No worries, I still have time :)

Seems I have to forget the Going to the sun route. It will take one day to get to Saint Mary, then 1 day to drive the sun road.
I then have 1,5 day to get to Seattle, which seems a little too little.

[Southwest Dave]

You can easily make your way from St Mary to Kalispell via the GTTSR in a day and have time to enjoy some of the park. As mentioned, an earlier start would be an advantage. From Kalispell you can easily get to Seattle in a day and a half, it's actually a solid days drive. This is a golden opportunity to take one of the top mountain drives, don't pass it up.

[glc]

Kalispell to Seattle can actually be driven in 1 full day, so a day and a half should be fine.

Fastest way is US-93 to Elmo, MT-28 to MT-200 EAST to MT-135 to I-90.

[Boost]

You could include a short side trip to the 1959 Earthquake area in MT.

US-191 north out of West Yellowstone to US-287. Pick up the brochure for the self guided car tour from the visitor centre in West Yellowstone - total 26 miles. Lots of short walks to the actual affected area.

Lifey

Good idea. Just looked it up and we are driving right past it and it's only 30 minutes from the hotel.
So we will stop there on the way to St Mary, well actually Browning as it seems all hotels is sold out in St Mary.

[Boost]

This is a golden opportunity to take one of the top mountain drives, don't pass it up.

I'm right with you on this. Hope I can persuade the others in the group.

So far I have this route from Yellowstone.

West Yellowstone -> St Mary (Browning) - 1 day
St Mary (Browning) -> Kalispell - 1 day
Kalispell - Winthrop via Grand Coulee Dam - 1 day
Winthrop - Seattle - 0,5 day


I think it is doable with time to make stops too, and make it to the hotels before the sun sets.

[Southwest Dave]

The thing to consider is that the GTTSR is a big part of exploring Glacier NP and as such will not feel the same as the drive from Yellowstone, or to Seattle, it's just part of being in the park and having fun in the same way you will drive around Yellowstone.
[Extra thought]. Many Glacier is a lovely part of the park as well and does have lodgings, but may not be budget friendly and it will be difficult to visit with the time you have unless you stayed there or left from a location north of Yellowstone rather than west.

[Lifemagician]

So we will stop there on the way to St Mary, well actually Browning ...

Be aware that although the route is just 20 miles or so, it will take some time, even just to read the information at each stop. At the end is Earthquake Lake and the visitor centre which sits atop the huge volume of earth which came down from the mountain. They have a 15 or 20 min film of the event. And behind the visitor centre is a large boulder which came from the top of the mountain on the other side of the lake the event formed. This boulder has the names of all those who perished that dreadful night. You can even drive the road which vanished into Lake Hebgden, see the cabins which floated into that lake, and stand atop Refuge Point whence the folk were rescued by air.

Be sure to at least alot an hour or two for the whole trip. I took several hours on my own, to visit all these places and reflect what it may have been like. After visiting the area you will never look at mountains the same way again, and forever wonder how some of the big boulders one sees, got there.

Lifey