Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park

We did a day-trip around the south of Glacier National Park, then along the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road through the park.

Here’s an interactive route map with some of our stops marked, going counter-clockwise:

Highway 2 south of Glacier:

Highway 2 south of Glacier

A stop at Silver Staircase Waterfall (probably more impressive at another time of year):

Silver Staircase Waterfall

Glacier from US-2:

Glacier from US 2

East Glacier Park:

East Glacier Park

Whistle Stop Restaurant for lunch:

Whistle Stop Restaurant

Two Medicine Road:

Two Medicine Road

Glacier National Park sign:

Glacier National Park sign

Two Medicine Road:

Two Medicine Road

Two Medicine Lake:

Two Medicine Lake

US-89 heading north towards the St Mary Visitor Center:

US 89

Roadworks:

Roadworks

US-89:

US-89

St Mary Visitor Center:

St Mary Visitor Center

Views from Going-to-the-Sun Road, through the park:

Going-to-the-Sun Road

An interesting van:

Interesting van

Going-to-the-Sun Road

View from Going-to-the-Sun Road

Logan Pass

View from Going-to-the-Sun Road

A closed underground restroom:

Closed underground restroom

View from Going-to-the-Sun Road

A little close:

View from Going-to-the-Sun Road

An iconic red bus:

Iconic red bus

Tunnel

View from Going-to-the-Sun Road

Waterfall:

Waterfall

Lake McDonald:

Lake McDonald

Roadworks:

Roadworks

Heading out the west entrance:

West entrance

Glacier National Park halfway

Since we had a short drive to Moose Creek, we decided to visit Glacier National Park that evening.

The park currently requires reservations to enter the main part during the day, but entry is unrestricted from 4 PM. We had reservations for every day, except that first day.

Entrance:

Entrance

West Glacier Village:

West Glacier Village

West Glacier Café:

West Glacier Café

Golfing to the Sun mini golf:

Golfing to the Sun

Entrance sign:

Entrance sign

Entrance station:

Entrance station

Our annual pass expired (since we’ve been doing this for a year), so it was time to get a new one. Great value for us:

New annual pass

Apgar visitor center:

Apgar visitor center

Passport stamp station, with phone chargers provided; nice of them:

Passport stamp and phone chargers

The visitor center:

Visitor center

An iconic red bus:

Red bus

Views along Going-to-the-Sun Road:

Views

Tunnel

Views

Wildfire smoke:

Views

Waterfall

Logan Pass visitor center, halfway along the road, and at the continental divide:

Logan Pass visitor center

Stamp

Logan Pass visitor center

Flowers

Heading back down the hill:

Views

Lake

North Cascades National Park

We went up to Concrete, Washington — almost to Canada — just to check off another national park, North Cascades.

A rather nice entrance sign:

ENtrance sign

A map of the Newhalem area:

Map

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Jenn enjoys getting the passport cancellation stamps:

Passport cancellation station

A helpful sign:

Helpful sign

Do not touch the bear:

Do not touch the bear

Relief map:

Relief map

Displays:

Displays

Boardwalk to a viewpoint:

Boardwalk to viewpoint

View

We had a picnic lunch there:

Picnic

A tunnel:

Tunnel

Another tunnel:

Another tunnel

A bridge:

Bridge

Mountains:

Mountains

Viewpoint at Diablo Lake:

Viewpoint at Diablo Lake

The lake is a fascinating color:

Diablo Lake

Selfie

Diablo Lake

A very dusty road, due to roadworks:

Dusty road

Lake:

Lake

Outside the park, a Wilderness Information Center:

Wilderness Info Center

Relief map:

Relief map

The reason for visiting it, another passport cancellation station:

Passport cancellation station

Wilderness Info Center

Mount Rainier National Park

We visited Mount Rainier National Park in Washington.

The entrance arch:

Entrance

Entrance ranger station:

Entrance

Park buildings, with a glimpse of the mountain:

Park buildings

Glimpse of mountain

Park building

Ancient log:

Log

Museum:

Park building

Museum

Park building

Picnic lunch:

Picnic lunch

Waterfall:

Waterfall

Mt Rainier:

Mt Rainier

River and trees:

River and trees

Top of a waterfall:

Top of waterfall

Mt Rainier

Paradise visitor center:

Visitor center

Relief map

Building

Mt Rainier

Selfie

Flowers:

Flowers

Selfie

Mt Rainier

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park

After Astoria, we visited Fort Clatsop, part of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park:

Fort Clatsop

The visitor center:

Visitor center

Jenn at the passport cancellation station:

Passport cancellation station

Photo spot:

Photo spot

Info sign:

Info sign

A replica of Fort Clatsop one can explore:

Fort Clatsop

Info sign

Trail:

Trail

A ranger talk on water:

Ranger talk on water

216 years ago today:

216 years ago today

Crater Lake National Park

We visited Crater Lake National Park in Oregon.

Crater Lake is Oregon’s only national park. We’ve been there a few times before, and no doubt will be back many times.

If you haven’t been to Crater Lake, you haven’t experienced the color blue.

One thing we haven’t yet done is drive all the way around the lake. The East Rim Drive is closed most of the year; it only opens late in summer, it feels like only for a few weeks, though is probably longer. One day we’ll make it at the right time!

Here’s a map showing the open and closed portions:

Crater Lake map

Crater Lake sign:

Crater Lake sign

Road:

Road

Snow:

Snow

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Picnic:

Crater Lake

Boat:

Crater Lake

Bikes

Crater Lake

Selfie

Crater Lake

Road closed:

Road closed

Snow:

Snow

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Store:

Store

Visitor center

Relief map:

Relief map

Crater Lake Lodge, currently being renovated:

Crater Lake Lodge, currently being renovated

Squirrel:

Squirrel

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Selfie

Crater Lake

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park north rim

Another day, we explored the north rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado.

Unlike the south rim, there is no visitor center on the north rim, and it has unpaved roads:

Dirt road

But the view is just as impressive as the north rim, while being less busy. Here’s a viewpoint:

Viewpoint

Lots of canyon pics:

Canyon

Tree

Viewpoint

Canyon

Balancing rock

Canyon

Viewpoint

Canyon

Glowy cloud:

Cloud

Canyon

Info sign:

Info

Canyon

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park south rim

The last national park for a month, Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado.

Big enough to be overwhelming, still intimate enough to feel the pulse of time, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park exposes you to some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. With two million years to work, the Gunnison River, along with the forces of weathering, has sculpted this vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky.

(From the NPS website.)

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Map:

Mao

We explored the south rim of the canyon:

Canyon

Selfie

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Cancelation stamping:

Stamps

What’s blooming:

What's blooming

Canyon model:

Model

Canyon:

Canyon

Lizard

Viewpoint

Canyon

Viewpoint

Canyon

Viewpoint

Canyon

Mesa Verde National Park Cliff Palace and Spruce Tree House

One last time into Mesa Verde National Park:

Mesa Verde National Park

Curvy road

We visited the Cliff Palace overlook again:

Cliff Palace

Then went to the Spruce Tree House overlook:

Spruce Tree House, the third largest cliff dwelling (Cliff Palace and Long House are larger), was constructed between about 1211 and 1278 CE by the ancestors of the Pueblo peoples of the Southwest. The dwelling contains about 130 rooms and 8 kivas (kee-vahs), or ceremonial chambers, built into a natural alcove measuring 216 feet (66 meters) at greatest width and 89 feet (27 meters) at its greatest depth. It is thought to have been home for about 60 to 80 people.

(Quote from that NPS page.)

Spruce Tree House