DESTINATION
Montana’s Gateway to Glacier Trail
STORY AND PHOTOS BY ROBERT ANNIS
Only a few short pedal strokes into Glacier National Park for the first time, I heard a voice from over my shoulder. “Just don’t get yourself run over.” I looked back at the park ranger who’d just waved me through the line of vehicles showing their permit to enter the park. I assumed the ranger said it as a joke, but I was a little unsettled. I’ve ridden many national parks without incident, but what was waiting for me inside the park? Was it some sort of battle royale? Would I be dodging pick- up trucks and drivers all day, like a modern-day Frogger? Pedaling the Path I’d just ridden in on the appropriately named Gateway to Glacier Trail ( rtc.li/gateway-2-glacier ), beginning at the unofficial starting point, a gazebo on the corner of U.S. Route 2 and Hun - gry Horse Boulevard in the tiny town of Hungry Horse (you can bet there’ll be a pun on that name at some point in this story), about 10 miles from the park entrance. (A small, newer segment runs along US 2 between the Flathead River and Big Sky Waterpark at Mon - tana Highway 206). The trail follows US 2 for about 10 miles north to West Glacier Village, crossing from the east side of the
road to the west midway through, with a couple of short detours on lightly traveled side roads. It starts off as sidewalk before transforming into (mostly) smooth blacktop. The trail passes through the small towns of Coram and Martin City, where you can grab food or a drink, get a campsite, or even book a rafting trip with an outfitter. On the trail were a mix of walkers, road cyclists and folks on e-bikes. I was in the latter group that day, pedaling a Priority Current e-bike with just enough assistance to keep my grin from turning into a grimace. The paved trail to Glacier is mostly uphill, with some rollers along the way, so be sure to mete out your effort accordingly. As I rode, my excitement grew as the park’s mountains continued to come into view. It was a welcome distraction from the high-speed highway traffic several yards away. History of the Gateway to Glacier Trail It turns out the ranger’s admonition did have some basis in reality years ago. Valerie Parsons, the founder of Gateway to Glacier Trails ( gatewaytoglaciertrail.com ), told me she started the group because
“I only lived a mile or so from the park, so I didn’t want to have to load up my bike onto my car (if I wanted to explore the park).” “Every time I’d ride on the shoulder of the road leading into the park, I’d scream out of fear. Trucks would race by me, and I felt like I was nearly getting sucked underneath them. I knew we needed a trail, but we didn’t know if it could actually be done because of all the different communities and entities along the route.” But everyone quickly realized how much sense a trail made. The group formed in 2010, putting together plans and building community and government support. The trail would be completed in less than six years. The list of towns along the route could be growing even longer; trail officials are working on a southern extension to Columbia Heights, which would instantly become the largest community along the trail, drastically increasing the number of dining and lodging options along the path. Parsons is guardedly optimistic that a several-mile extension could be completed within the next five years.
PHOTO: (Above) True to its name, the Gateway to Glacier Trail takes trail users from its unofficial starting point in Hungry Horse, Montana, to the stunning 1-million-acre Glacier National Park; (below) the iconic park entrance.
Learn more about Glacier National Park: nps.gov/glac .
Glacier: A Great Park for Bikes Upon arriving in West Glacier Village,
27
FALL 2022 RAILS TO TRAILS
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker