By Amanda May
Staff Writer
Canadianrockies.net
Quiet and calm await you during the winter in Glacier National Park. It is one of the best times to visit the park, with magical landscapes of clean, white snow and tall, frozen waterfalls.
Popular winter activities in Glacier include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and backcountry skiing and snowboarding.
Stay in one of the nearby towns like Whitefish, Kalispell, or Columbia Falls to warm yourself up after your days of adventuring.
Since the winter weather is fairly unpredictable in the massive area that is the park, you should definitely hire a guide. Read below for a few recommended companies.
Glacier Park Ski Tours
This ski tour company will put together an itinerary customized to your group’s interests and skill level. Day trips or multi-day trips can be arranged from late November until May 1st. Guides are certified members of the Professional Ski Instructors Association, Nordic Ski Patrol (or both). They are skilled in winter mountaineering, avalanche safety and first aid, so all you’ll have to worry about is having a good time! Call 877-735-9514 for more information. Ask about their overnight trips in igloos or snow caves!
Glacier Outdoor Center
This tour company has half or full-day tours of the park. The guides will share their abundant knowledge about the region, visiting the park’s vistas with beautiful snow-capped mountain peaks. Guides are highly trained and are active patrollers with the Flathead Nordic Ski Patrol and Professional Ski Instructors Association. Call 800-235-6781 for more information.
Winter Signs Snowshoe Program
This popular snowshoe program has excursions twice daily on Saturdays and Sundays in Glacier National Park. These tours are free and open to the public. The ranger-led tours last two hours and show how the park’s wildlife species survive the cold, harsh months of winter in Montana. Excursions leave at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on the weekends. Call 406-888-7939 for more information.