GET INVOLVED
e-News Sign Up
Become a Member
JOIN US AND ACT NOW
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
National Parks, our award-winning quarterly magazine, is an exclusive benefit of membership in NPCA.
Crown of the Continent: Glacier
At-A-Glance
Trip Dates:
July 13, 2014 through July 18, 2014
NPCA Member Price From
$2,995 - $3,195 per person double occupancy; $775 single supplement.
Deposit
$500 per person
Contact ParkScapes at 800.628.7275 or travel@npca.org
July 13-18, 2014
This trip is now full but a second departure will soon be announced! Get on the waitlist to secure your spot on 2nd departure.
With more than 10 million acres of plunging valleys, sparkling waters, dramatic mountains, native prairie, and abundant wildlife, the Crown of the Continent is also home to America’s Glacier National Park and Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park. Together, they are known as Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.
We spend our days hiking and walking the classic park trails within the parks, each one offering stunning views of snow-clad peaks, wildflowers, waterfalls, and towering cliffs. Striking views aren’t limited to our time on foot. Two famous roads--the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier and the Chief Mountain Highway in Waterton Lakes-- will have you gaping in wonder and grasping for words. We hope for some key wildlife sightings along the way.
Distinctive small towns also mark the region’s character, with their Native American legends and pioneer history.
For details about this trip, download the brochure (pdf)
Trip Details:
Tour Highlights
Wildlife Watching
Bears, wolves, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, elk, moose, deer, eagles, marmots, pikas, and ptarmigan start the list of species you might see.
Distinictive Lodging
Many Glacier Hotel offers the park lodging, with stunning mountain views from inside the park. Waterton Lakes Lodge Resort is a modern lodge sitting one block from the lakeshore in Waterton Lakes National Park. Each building is decorated with local art, and rooms offer either a lake or mountain view. Island Lake Lodge, tucked into the peaks of the Canadian Rockies, offers distance from the pressures of everyday life.
TopTour Details
Arrive/Depart
Kalispell, Montana
Length of Tour
6 days/5 nights
Pace
Moderately active, offering a choice of activities each day to suit different activity levels and interests. Be prepared for a variety of hikes and walks on uneven trails.
Price Includes
All accommodations, meals as noted (B-Breakfast, LLunch, D-Dinner), ground transportation, entrance fees, professional guide services, park and other entrance fees, and miscellaneous program expenses.
Price Does Not Include
Roundtrip airfare to and from destination, gratuities for naturalist guides, alcoholic beverages, or personal expenses.
Payments/Cancellations
Space is confirmed by calling the NPCA at 800.628.7275. A $500 per person deposit is due at registration. Final payment will be invoiced separately and is due 90 days prior to departure. Cancellation notice must be submitted in writing and is effective upon date of receipt. Cancellations up to 90 days prior receive a refund, less the $250 per person handling fee. Cancellations 90-61 days prior to departure, 25% of the tour cost is forfeited; 60-31 days prior to departure, 50% of the tour cost is forfeited; 30 days or fewer prior to departure result in the loss of 100% of your total cost.
Travel Insurance
To protect yourself from the loss of deposit and cancellation fees, you are encouraged to purchase travel insurance. If you need assistance, NPCA recommends contacting Travel Insurance Services.
TopDaily Itinerary
Note: Please be prepared for a variety of hikes and walks on uneven trails; actual hikes will vary depending on weather conditions and participant activity levels and interests. Optional activities include some additional fees.
July 13: Meet in Kalispell, Montana & Venture to Glacier National Park
Head straight to Glacier National Park this morning to begin your adventure! On the drive up and over the Going-to-the-Sun Road, breathtaking scenery and wildlife viewing prevail. Your guides on this journey are experienced naturalists familiar with the region, and they are excited to introduce you to what many people consider the most pristine national park in the Lower 48. Many Glacier Hotel (L,D)
July 14: Glacier National Park & Waterton Lakes National Park
Your day begins with a nice hike in the Many Glacier area, with the guides providing interesting interpretation of the flora, fauna, and history of the area as you trek in the park. Enjoy lunch on the trail before returning to Many Glacier in the early afternoon. The group then crosses the border into Canada, headed to Waterton Lakes National Park, where dinner on the shores of Lake Waterton completes a fabulous day. Waterton Lakes Lodge Resort (B,L,D)
July 15: Waterton Lakes National Park
With a full day to experience Waterton Lakes National Park, you’ll see towering cliffs, unusual geological formations, beautiful waterfalls, and snow-clad mountain peaks as you scan the hillsides for bear, moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats. Your guides tailor the day, selecting hikes based on the interests of the group. Waterton Lakes Lodge Resort (B,L,D)
July 16: Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
After a nice morning hike, we set out north through Pincher Creek and west to Crowsnest Pass. At the town of Frank, we stop to visit the site of a devastating rockslide that thundered down over the town in 1903. The surreal landscape is a testament to the ultimate authority of nature and the reality of frontier life in the mountains. Later this afternoon we arrive in the beautiful Elk Valley. Our luxury backcountry lodge is in a secluded and pristine wilderness setting with a world of nature at our fingertips. Island Lake Lodge (B,L,D)
July 17: Island Lakes Lodge, Fernie, British Columbia
Accommodating only 32 guests, Island Lake Lodge is a private enclave surrounded by 7,000 acres of Canadian wilderness. Hiking is right out the door, and today you’ll have guided options ranging from a one-hour walk in old-growth forest to a full-day hike to a mountain peak. Fly-fishing on the Elk River is also an optional activity for the day (for additional cost). Island Lake Lodge (B,L,D)
July 18: Departures from in Kalispell, Montana
Head back across the border to catch afternoon departures from Kalispell—or stay a day or two longer to explore the fun town of Whitefish! (B)
Note: The itinerary for the days in the park may vary based on weather conditions and wildlife behavior. Also, participants will be required to have a valid U.S. passport.
Pricing Details
NPCA Member Price From
$2,995 - $3,195 per person double occupancy; $775 single supplement.
Deposit
$500 per person
TopMap
Alternate Departures
Unable to join us for this Crown of the Continent tour? NPCA’s travel partner, Off the Beaten Path, is offering additional naturalist led journeys to the Crown of the Continent in the summer. Schedule of alternate departures:
- July 6-11, 2014
- July 20-25, 2014
- August 3-8, 2014
Off the Beaten Path shares NPCA’s love of national parks and our philosophy of engaged, small group travel. For more information on alternate departures, contact us at 800-628-7275 or email us at travel@npca.org
TopOur Travel Partner
The National Parks Conservation association is delighted to be partnering with Off the Beaten Path (OBP) to bring you excellent, insider experiences in our cherished national parks. This well-respected travel company shares our love of national parks, and understands the significant role they play in safeguarding America’s most majestic landscapes. Off the Beaten Path also shares our travel philosophy of small group sizes and unique itineraries.
NPCA’s collaboration with Off the Beaten Path allows us to open up an even broader range of opportunities through which you can appreciate and enjoy your national parks. Off the Beaten Path is offering additional dates with similar kinds of experiences to the trip described in this official ParkScapes departure.
TopLodging Info
TopBooking Info
To contact NPCA's ParkScapes program for questions or reservations please call 800-628-7275 or email travel@npca.org. You may also book directly online.
