Top Places to See
Going-to-the-Sun Road
Glacier National Park
Pictures and Slideshows
Park Map
Lodges and Chalets
In Glacier Park
Camp Grounds
In Glacier National Park
St. Mary's Area
See Map Here
McDonalds Area
See Map Here
North Fork Area
Southern Boundary
Area
Two Medicine Area
Logan Pass Area
Many Glacier Area
See Map Here
Trail of the Cedars
Avalanche Area
Cut Bank Area
Chief Mountain
Goat Haunt Area
See Map Here
Services Available
In Glacier Park
Wintering In
Glacier National Park
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Glacier National Park
Biking
A very popular place to ply this sport is in
the Glacier National Forest. They have certain trail hours and
rules, as do most parks you may visit. Below is further information
if you are planning to visit this particular park.
Backcountry biking or trail biking in Glacier Park is prohibited.
This paved trail and the roads where cars are allowed, are the only
places to bike in Glacier Park.
Located near
Apgar, this bike
path (more information here) is nicely paved.
Moonlight rides on
Going-to-the-Sun Road are popular. On a clear night the scenery
comes alive with the glow of a full moon. Start by heading up the
hill a couple hours before sundown -- which can be late in the
summer -- and coast down by the light of the silvery moon. Helmets,
reflectors and a headlamp are required after nightfall.
Bicycling in Glacier Park can be fun but some roads are narrow and
winding with little or no shoulder. For this reason bicycling is
restricted in the most hazardous sections of the Going-to-the-Sun
Road from 11:00 to 4:00 from June 15 to Labor Day. Bicycles may be
used only on established roads and parking areas or on designated
routes. Bicycles are not allowed on the trails. It is best to
bicycle Going-to- the-Sun Road from east to west. Helmets are
required.
Two-mile long McDonald Creek Bike Path, near the Apgar Visitor
Center, is suitable for a short, peaceful pedal. Children especially
enjoy it, and is a good way to get them out in the woods in an
active way that burns off energy for some quieter nature walks
afterwards.
Happy Cycling in Glacier Park……….
General Biking
Information
If you are a backcountry cyclist or a wanna be, there are a few
simple rules you must follow to conduct this sport safely and with
proper trail etiquette, (with wildlife, not people.)
First of all, make sure your bike and equipment are in perfect
working order, and wear proper gear: helmet, cycling shorts or
tights, windbreaker jacket, cycle gloves, etc. A spare tire and air
pump should always be on your “Important supplies list.” Plus, take
along in a backpack or bicycle saddlebags, ample water, food,
matches, warm clothing, rain gear, tent and/or sleeping bag, gun,
hunting knife, and other needed items for your comfort and well
being. Even though you think you are only going on a day trip, many
a hiker/biker have been stranded in the woods overnight or longer
without proper gear.
SO GO PREPARED!
Another thing you must be aware of is properly marked trails.
The Forest Service usually has signposts every few hundred yards for
cyclists to follow so they won’t get lost. REMAIN ON THE TRAIL.
Never go cycling in the mountains alone is a good rule to follow for
several reasons. Just 2 important ones are: Two heads are better
than one, and should one of you get hurt or lost, the other can go
for help, is another.
The one, most important rule of all though is to remember you are in
the ANIMAL KINGDOM! This is THEIR territory, not yours, so don’t
forget to respect that fact. In the woods, animals are NOT tame and
should not be treated as domestic pets. YOU are lunch or dinner in
their eyes so veer away from their known habitat or areas where they
feed and raise their young.
Bear can be found around water, particularly during salmon season in
late summer and fall, and the females usually have a couple of cubs
with, and are prepared to protect them to the death— YOUR DEATH
PREFERABLY if you cross between she and her cubs. They also gorge
themselves on berries at this time so where you see an abundance of
this type of vegetation in late summer and autumn, steer clear for
safety sake.
Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Glacier National Park is
a good place to bike.
Also, cougars may see you joyfully riding through their eating
habitat and think you strongly resemble a fleeing deer, their number
one choice of eatable prey. They will chase you down in a matter of
seconds and won’t wait for dinner napkins and chilled wine to devour
the whole of you. YOU are just a good meal to them so watch your
back and carry a weapon at all times. And I don’t mean a pin-knife
but a pistol large enough to stop a bull if necessary. This is one
time when pretty words won’t make a difference in whether you
survive or not. YOU WON’T. They are bigger, stronger, more cunning,
and very much smarter than you in their private domain. That’s the
reason they aren’t extinct. Get it? Lord knows, they’ve been hunted
with hounds and rifles since both were invented.
So don’t be a fool in the woods if you care to add bicycling to your
list of fun activities in the great outdoors. The creatures will
most likely leave YOU alone if you leave THEM alone. But if you
think you can go racing through their home ground innumerable times
unprotected and ignorant of their existence or ferociousness, and
unaware of the consequences, LOOK OUT! The search party will only
find remnants of your clothing the animal couldn’t quite digest….
Cycling in National Parks, written by Granny Tam.
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