Hiking in Glacier’s Backcountry
July is blooming time for the yellow Glacier lily.
Visiting Glacier National Park in the summertime? Yep, it is just as busy as it sounds! With over 3 million visitors a year, Glacier is one of the most popular National Parks in the U.S. That means traffic lines, vehicle reservations, and full parking lots. Nevertheless, don’t let this get in your way of spending time in one of the wildest and most authentic parks of all.
Two Ocean Glacier
High up north in Montana lie these glacial wonderlands that inspire so many. Not surprisingly, Montana is known as “Big Sky” state or - my personal favorite - “The Land of Shining Mountains”. Established in 1910, the park was home to over 100 glaciers. Today, that amount has shrunk to roughly two dozen - and the glaciers keep getting smaller.
Family Time
My dearest cousin Meike!
We met up with my cousin Meike, who came all the way from Belgium to visit us! We picked her up at the train station in West-Glacier, where the Amtrak stops on its way from Seattle to Chicago. It was her first time visiting the U.S., and my first visitor from Belgium! Needless to say, I was really happy to have her with us on this trip.
Glacier Campgrounds
The first couple of nights, we camped at Two Medicine Lake and Apgar. Both campgrounds in the west are excellently run by the Park Service. We paid about $20 a night, and enjoyed the facilities that came with it. We watched bighorn sheep licking coals from the fire pits, swam in Lake McDonald, and waited for the Going-To-The-Sun Road to open up. Officially the scenic road’s latest opening, snowplough crews managed to complete the job on July 13th. The park gets snow almost year-round, and its mountain peaks are still snowcapped throughout summer.
How to get Backcounty Permits in Glacier
Longing for some peace and quiet, we decided it was time to put on our backpacks and escape the crowds and reservation systems… Just kidding: Camping in a national park requires planning and reservations, too! Not our strongest asset, but we made it work. :)
Working our way through the yellow Glacier lilies.
We headed to the backcountry office in Apgar village in the wee hours of the morning. Turns out that most camping permits were already gone, but we happily settled for the last remaining permits, made our way to the shuttle bus, and started the hike!
Moose antlers in the woods.
PS: If you are, just like us, pretty last-minute and in need of camping permits, you will want to get there early, too! Glacier’s backcountry office opens up at 7:30 AM, but it gets very busy during summer. Combined with the fact that you need a vehicle registration - which we did not have -, we got to the office at 5:30 AM… Only to find out that there were already 3 other hikers waiting in line! Speaking of dedication :-)
Itinerary of the hike
Day 1: Loop Trailhead - Granite Park (4.2 miles)
Followed the popular trail up to the beautiful Granite Chalet. No liquor license, alas, so no beers or any other drinks here. But you are rewarded with a million-dollar view and lots of friendly people.
Time to rest after our first day of hiking
The campground is just half a mile away, tucked away between the trees. There’s a stream and a pole to hang your food. Oh, and a very nice pit toilet.
A pit toilet with a view.
Day 2: Granite Park - Flattop Mountain (9.9 miles)
We hiked all the way back down, which was way easier than going up. Then we set out for the other side of the valley, following McDonald Creek and eventually crossing it to the other side. There’s a cool suspension bridge. We went up, slowly but surely, up the hill until we could no longer see nor hear the road. Thick brushes and thousands of wildflowers embraced us as we followed the trail.
Seeking shelter in our tents.
Eventually, beautiful waterfalls greeted us - along with swarms of mosquitos. Time for head nets, rain gear, and Deet spray! This campsite, too, has a pole, a nice privy, and nearby water sources.
Day 3: Flattop Mountain - Stony Indian Lake (14.5 miles)
Running away from the mosquito’s the next morning, we stopped for nothing or no one. We did notice, however, large amounts of bear scat… Could this mean something?
Around noon, we were admiring a young male elk, when all of a sudden, a bush on my right looked a little… hairy. I squinted my eyes - as I often do - to see what it was… And it was a Grizzly cub! First, we were complete in awe and in love with the playful, furry cub… But then it dawned on us: Where’s mom?? And at once, mama bear came out of the bushes and guided her cub safely away from us. A beautiful, intimate, and precious encounter.
The afternoon turned out to be pretty spicey: We encountered many snow patches, some snow bridges, and lots of bushwhacking. So, we sang and clapped our way through the dense bushes and ferns, to scare no bears or other animals. But in turn, we got scared when we smelled the scent of death… Right on the trail, there was a mountain goat carcass, half-eaten and decayed. After that, we clapped even more loudly and vigorously and rushed our way to Stony Indian Lake: A beautiful alpine lake, where we plunged in the icy cold water and ate dinner alongside lively mosquitos and ground squirrels.
Day 4: Stony Indian Lake - Fifty Mountains (8.2 miles)
An easy day back to Fifty Mountains Campground, which we passed the previous day. We took a nap in the fields full of Glacier Lilies and read some poetry. Meike spotted singing Western toads in the melting snow puddles.
North of the campsite, we passed the remains of an old backcountry patrol cabin. A peaceful day and night…
The hills are alive… ♫
… which turned into a heavy storm with thunder, lightning, and rain that same night. We got out of the tents to stake them deeper into the ground and looked up to the sky, shiveringly. We were in the hands of Thor now, nothing more we could do…
But we survived! And the creepy sound just outside of our tent? That was a deer passing by, licking up our pee. The deer here just love pee for its salt.
Thank you, Glacier, for a full and rich experience. If you have the chance, go out there! It's worth the trouble and the wait.
Thanks for reading!
10 Cool Adventures in Death Valley National Park
While the name “Death Valley” may evoke images of a barren and dead landscape, the park actually brims with life! True, Death Valley absolutely is one of the hottest and driest places on earth. The park is a desert valley in the truest sense of the word, defined by record-high temperatures and little to no rainfall. But despite those extremities, Death Valley boasts life and biodiversity: From Hot Springs and Sand Dunes to salt flats, canyons, and mountain peaks! Bring your sunhat, plenty of water, and your sense of adventure: Death Valley awaits you.
How to visit Death Valley
Location
Death Valley lies in Eastern California, close to neighboring Nevada. Bordering the Mojave Desert and the Great Desert Basin, it doesn’t get more desert than Death Valley. The valley is closed in by the Amargosa Range on the East and the Panamint Range on the West. In geology, this is called a graben.
The park is only a two-hour drive away from Las Vegas, something many tourists and roadtrippers take advantage of.
“The Death Valley…”
Death Valley owes its ominous name to a tragic pioneer’s tale: According to legend, a group of 49’ers (settlers driven by the California Gold Rush in 1849) wanting to take a shortcut, got stuck and lost in the valley. Suffering from the heat, exhaustion, and lack of water, the group found themselves in a precarious situation. One of them eventually perished, and his famous last words were: “Goodbye Death Valley…” - Et voila!
At first glance, you may think of the park as a desolate place. True, there are no lush forests, raging rivers, or green fields of grass. But take a closer look and see: Death Valley is alive… be it in a slightly unusual way. Usually, one would visit a National Park in summertime or springtime, during the day. But Death Valley requires a different approach: The wildlife and the starry sky come alive during the night! Moreover, the best season to visit this park is literally anytime but summer.
Interesting Facts & Figures
Death Valley is the 5th largest National Park in the US, topped only by 4 Alaskan parks. With over 3 million acres, visitors have to drive pretty long distances from one point to another. So, fill up your tank before you go and crank up the AC, because Death Valley happens to be the driest and hottest place in North America! The park has witnessed many record-high temperatures over the years, recording Earth’s hottest air temperature ever (134 F or 56.7 C!) in 1913.
We loved having a paper map of the area for hikes and drives.
PS: There is a gas station in Death Valley, but our advice is to get gas outside the park. The station is pretty pricey, especially considering the recent increase in gas prices. As of March 2022, prices in Death Valley were $8.75/gallon. Yikes.
Best time to visit Death Valley?
Death Valley temps in October: Very bearable.
Without question, the best time to visit Death Valley National Park is anytime but summertime. During the summer months, the temps are between 110 - 120 F… Doesn’t sound very appealing, does it? December turns out to be the valley’s coldest month, which is why many people visit in fall and winter. We spent 5 days in Death Valley last October. It was not too crowdy and daytime temps were around 80-85F.
10 Cool Adventures in Death Valley
1. Explore Dante’s View
Dante’s View by sunset.
This is a real classic. Dante’s View can easily be reached by car, which makes it a popular spot. The parking lot might be crowded with cars and people, especially during sunrise and sunset hours. But you can escape the crowds easily by following a small social trail, going up towards Mount Perry (5,716 ft). A short climb soon takes you to a more private overlook of the valley, where you can enjoy the sunset all by yourself.
2. Spot Pup Fish in Salt Creek
Desert fish, you say? That’s right. It sounds paradoxical, but it’s true: Cottonball Marsh and Salt Creek are the only places on earth where you find the Death Valley Pup Fish! As you can imagine, Death Valley is an extremely harsh environment, especially for these endangered small fish. As desert dwellers, they reside in the seasonal stream that makes up Salt Creek. When the river runs dry, they have no choice but to reside in small pools. Besides drought, they also put up with salt water, heavy floodings, and drastic temperature swings.
Why the name “pupfish”? Because of their playfulness and liveliness in their breeding season. These fish are not only hardy and tough but also playful and randy! Hell yeah. All things considered; Death Valley Pupfish are the coolest! Go and say hi to them.
3. From the lows of Badwater Basin…
When it comes to breaking records, Death Valley National Park scores significantly high: It is recognized as the driest, hottest, and lowest place in North America! Large parts of the park lie below sea level, yet the park lies 250 miles away from any major body of water. The absolute lowest point of elevation is Badwater Basin: 282 feet below sea level. Pretty cool!
The salt flats truly are a crazy sight. The little rain that falls, evaporates quickly and the familiar salt crust remains. That is why the flats contain mostly table salt plus some calcite, gypsum, and borax.
Walking on the salt flats in Badwater Basin.
As you can well imagine, the water is pretty salty here. Not ideal for human consumption, but the Badwater snail and Pickleweed plant seem to like it!
The park allows you to take a walk in the salt flats. Take a moment to look above you: There towers Telescope Peak in all its glory, over two miles from where you stand. Pretty impressive.
4. …to the highest peak in the park!
The peak, with telescope and summit register.
That’s right: With its 11,043 ft, Telescope Peak is the highest peak in the park! Where earlier you walked below sea level, now it is time to climb all the way up. The Panamint Range, with Telescope Peak as its crown jewel, proudly overlooks Death Valley. From the parking lot near Mahogany Flat Campground, the hike is a 14 miles roundtrip and takes about 7 hours to complete.
Hugging an ancient Bristlecone Pine Tree.
PS: On the top of the mountain awaits a nice surprise… Yep, it is a telescope! Besides that, there is a summit register, where you can proudly record your name. It is always fun to read some of the summit messages of previous hikers.
Snowy side of Telescope Peak during sunset hours.
It is important to take water and warm clothes with you on the trek. There are not many water sources in the park, and it can cool down quite a bit up there. We even encountered some snow patches in mid-October!
5. Ubehebe Crater
As a result of volcanic steam explosions, the Ubehebe Craters were formed. The largest one, Ubehebe Crater, is half a mile wide and 777 feet deep. The crater is thought to be some thousand years old.
It is definitely worth following one of the three hiking trails. We followed the trail that circumnavigated the crater and admired the depth and layers from different points of view. Basalt is the main rock type of this crater.
The origins of the name Ubehebe are somewhat confusing: According to NPS, Ubehebe was the Paiute name given to the Ubehebe Peak, 24 miles away from the crater. The crater itself is actually known to the Timbisha Shoshone tribe as “Tem-pin-tta-Wo’sah”.
6. Hiking Golden Canyon & Gower Gulch
Otherwordly landscapes.
Another hike we really enjoyed was the Golden Canyon & Gower Gulch loop. A total of 4.3 miles, this route takes you gradually uphill to Golden Canyon, gives you a stunning overlook on the canyon and takes you back down Gower Gulch to the parking lot. You can add small detours, such as Red Cathedral and The Badlands loop. The hike itself is pretty moderate, but the heat makes it quite strenuous.
7. Life on Mars: Stargazing
Visiting Death Valley is a special experience on many levels. After a long day of extreme heat, you’ll be happy to watch the sun go down. Once the stars and the moon appear, you can feast your eyes on the beautiful night sky. That is because Death Valley happens to be one of the darkest places in the US! Although light pollution from nearby megacities Las Vegas and Los Angeles has increased tremendously, Death Valley remains an excellent place for some stargazing.
The park was even recognized as International Dark Sky Park. Rightly so, as the park takes many measures to protect the darkness at night. That is why you can easily spot the Milky Way and many other celestial objects at night. Can you spot the Big Dipper?
Experiencing Death Valley at night is something you cannot miss. Take your time, so your eyes can fully adjust to the darkness. We visited during the full moon, and it lit up the whole landscape - pretty special. It was ideal for a nightly stroll but less convenient for stargazing. We had to wait until the moon disappeared into the mountain range.
PS: Don’t forgot to listen for wildlife! During the nighttime, we were lucky to witness kit foxes, jackrabbits, coyotes, and bats.
8. Beatty & the Burrows
Beatty is a small town in Nevada, often called “The Gateway to Death Valley”. Only 7 miles from the park’s entrance, this charming town lies amidst ghost towns, mining districts and historical artifacts. A remarkable remnant of the mining era is Beatty’s wild burros! Descendants from the burros who hauled supplies for mining camps, the burros were released, (or left behind) when the miners left the area. But burros are strong, adaptable animals who do well in the heat.
As of recent, there are about 800 burros in the Beatty area. Some find them a nuisance, as they knock over trash cans and cause traffic jams, but the tourists sure love them. Welcome to the Wild West!
9. Never too hot for Hot Springs
Yes, there are hot springs in Death Valley! The Saline Hot Springs are located in the remote Saline Valley area, northwest of the park. In total, there are 3 hot springs, ranging from 95 to 107 degrees. Their inaccessibility and remoteness are part of their allure.
Just like other highlights in Death Valley, it is not that easy getting there. You have to follow a 2-hour dirt road and would need a high clearance vehicle, preferably a 4x4. But with a tank full of gas and some dedication, you will have the opportunity to soak in these beautiful and remote hot springs. Clothing optional.
When we visited Death Valley in 2021, we didn’t want to make the long trip because of high gas prices… and we regret that decision now, due to even higher gas prices!
10. Offroad Adventures
Last but not least: Death Valley is a true offroad paradise. We were lucky to have rented a Toyota 4Runner with 4WD or we would have missed out! There is the famous Hell’s Gate and of course Titus Canyon, a truly epic backcountry drive that resembles a slot canyon.
Thanks for reading!
Petrified Forest National Park: Tips for First Time Visitors
During our road trip from Oregon to Pennsylvania, we visited Petrified Forest National Park on an early November morning. We had only a little time to visit Petrified Forest and did not know what to expect. Well, it turned out a pleasant surprise! The vastness of the landscape and the history of the region make this national park unique.
Petrified Forest might be not as vast or monumental as some of the other national parks, but it is definitely worth visiting. You are less likely to encounter the masses and will probably have a quieter experience. We loved having the park pretty much to ourselves!
What is Petrified Forest about?
Petrified Forest National Park is best known for its petrified wood - no surprise there! :) These remnants of prehistoric forests are scattered across the park. Over time, the logs crystallized into quartz, creating a beautiful rainbow effect.
The pieces of petrified wood show a wide range of colors and composition.
Fun fact: Thinking of taking one of these beauties home with you? Better think twice! First of all, it is forbidden to remove petrified wood from the park. Secondly, many visitors who did take a piece of petrified wood, have returned it ASAP! Why? Because they believed they were cursed with bad luck. The park has received piles of letters from "cursed" visitors, describing their misfortunes and expressing guilt about the theft. Ye be warned ... ☠️
As everywhere else: Leave no Trace ànd leave what you find.
If you’re looking for a souvenir, you can simply buy a piece of petrified wood in both visitor centres. The souvenirs are retrieved from private land, so less chance of being cursed!
Some highlights of the park
If you, like me, get all excited about old inscriptions, Newspaper Rock is definitely worth the stop! The name says it all: Rocks filled with over 600 petroglyphs. The Navajo name is Tse’ Hane, meaning “rock that tells a story”. The designs, carved by ancestral Puebloan people, include solar calendars, animals, and human-like creatures.
So hop out of your car and take a look! There is an overlook from where you can peer through spotting scopes and observe the petroglyphs in detail.
Some petroglyphs of strange objects and animals.
Crystal Forest is an excellent stop if you want to take a closer look at the petrified logs. It is a short 0.8 mile-loop that brings you right to the ancient logs.
The scenic drive through the park takes you past The Tepees. You cannot miss these miniature mountains! The crazy palette of colors makes them look otherworldly.
Desert pyramids in Petrified Forest.
The Painted Desert Inn is a fantastic piece of architecture! The building, built in Pueblo Revival style, blends in perfectly with its surroundings. The smooth surfaces and pink walls merge with the desert landscape. Built in the 1920s, it was very popular with Route 66 travellers. Nowadays the Inn functions as a museum and exhibition space.
The Painted Desert Inn, a beautifully rose-colored house.
Unfortunately, due to the return deadline for our rental car, we had no time to visit Agate House, Giant Logs Trail, and other points of interest.
Hiking in Petrified Forest
Given the fact that Petrified Forest Nation Park is relatively small, most hiking trails are 0.5 - 2 miles long. Ideal for day hikes! If you’re looking for more solitude, there are some longer backcountry hikes. The park has a closing time, however, so make sure that you keep track of time. ⏰
Due to a lack of time, we were unable to explore Devil’s Playground. This 7 - 8 mile loop hike looks simply amazing, though! The trek takes you to isolated hoodoos, boulders, and pieces of petrified wood. There is no designated trail, plus you need to obtain a free permit at the visitor center. Definitely on my wishlist!
Camping?
Good news: The park offers a backpacking wilderness permit completely free of cost! You can easily obtain the permit from either visitor center. There is, however, no RV or car camping.
Location?
Petrified Forest National Park lies in northeastern Arizona, close to the New Mexico border. The park has two entrances, one in the north and the other in the south. Entering the park from the north takes you over the Interstate 40 and, after 28 miles, you reach the south entrance (US-180). This means you can easily visit Petrified Forest in one day.
Image: nps.gov (National Park Service)
How to get by?
There is no shuttle service or public transport. In other words, you are on your own. Hurray, freedom!
Most visitors drive the 28 miles through the park. Bicycles, E-bikes, and motorcycles are allowed as well. More interestingly, Petrified Forest has two wilderness areas where backcountry hiking only is allowed. There are no designated trails there, so you can wander at free will! To be continued…