A few people consider our wedding too remote. While it is correct that Polebridge is near the Canadian border and down a dirt road, it still isn’t any harder to get to than your average wedding.
Glacier National Park is accessible by Kalispell International Airport. There is a direct flight from Seattle… and from many other major airports. If no direct flight is available, there is typically only one transfer– the same that a traveler might expect going cross-country to any other destination.
From the airport, Glacier National Park, including the Apgar and Lake McDonald lodges, is only 30-45 minutes away. This is no farther than anyone would expect to travel from any major airport to their destination– even the Seattle airport is 20 minutes from downtown and 30 minutes from the East Side. Rental cars and shuttles are available at the airport.
The adventurous traveler can even take an Amtrak train directly to the West entrance of Glacier National Park. [Note: "Visitors arriving by train in West Glacier may call Glacier Park Inc., to schedule and reserve pick up and transportation to the park for a fee. Glacier Park Inc. uses white Dodge 15-seat passenger vans for this service. Please contact Glacier Park Inc. at (406) 892-2525."]
The wedding is about 1/2 hour from lodging, albeit down a dirt road much of the way. But it’s a dirt road without traffic or stoplights! Both the ceremony and reception are in the same location, with no travel required in-between. Hurrah!
Once you’re in the park, it’s easy to get around even without a car. Glacier National Park provides a free shuttle between major destinations in the park such as Apgar, Lake McDonald Lodge, Logan Pass, and St. Mary. Once you pay your normal entrance fee you are authorized free and unlimited access to the shuttle. The “Lake McDonald Valley” shuttle follows this route throughout the park:
* Apgar Transit Center
* Sprague Creek Campground
* Lake McDonald Lodge
* Avalanche Creek
* The Loop
* Logan Pass
(return in reverse order)
Riders can expect approximately 1.5 – 2 hours between Apgar Transit Center and Logan Pass . It’s about 1 hour by car (traffic and construction permitting) but the shuttle has its benefits. From the GNP shuttle website:
There are almost as many reasons to ride the shuttle as visitors in the park. One of the biggest reasons is that it does not cost extra beyond your normal entrance fee. You should ride the shuttle if it can enhance your experience in Glacier, by either by leaving the driving to a professional, or to better support your sightseeing, backpacking, day hiking, or other Glacier experience. You can also ride the shuttle and know that you are making a measurable contribution to reducing atmospheric emissions in this pristine environment, reducing the impact on global climate change. Finally, you might just save a few dollars better invested on a souvenir from your adventure in Glacier by parking your car and riding the shuttle.
The first shuttle will leave at about 7:15 am from the transit centers and the last shuttles will leave Logan Pass at around 9:30pm to allow full advantage of long summer days in Glacier. Detailed schedules will be available at the Apgar Transit Center, Apgar Visitor Center, St. Mary Visitor Center, in the Glacier Explorer, the Waterton-Glacier Guide, and other park publications and hand outs. The schedule will also be posted at the Transit Centers.
The Lake McDonald Valley shuttles will run every 15 minutes during the day. Other shuttles run every 30 minutes.
What other wedding destinations have you visited where you can expect free transportation? So, you see, it isn’t any more difficult to get to, from, and around Glacier than any major metropolitan area in the states. The flight might be a bit longer and you’ll definitely feel the relaxation of being in America’s “Last Best Place,” but it isn’t as far as you might think.
Filed under: Announcements, Pre & Post-Wedding Fun, Travel on January 24th, 2008 | 6 Comments »
