The days are getting longer, and the temperatures are getting warmer…that can only mean one thing…spring is on it’s way! Time to dust off the portable grill and the waders, and get the old RV out of storage and do some Glacier National Park camping! This article will help you to make sure your Spring camping trip is a good one!
The first thing you will want to do is make sure you are prepared for any type of spring weather. When spring rolls around and the sun creeps out from behind the grey clouds of winter and shines its warm friendly rays on us, it is easy to get excited and think that the sunny warm days of summer are here for good, but spring is never that consistent or reliable. A Glacier Park camping trip in the spring time can still saturate you with plenty of cold rainy days… even snow showers, so be sure that you come prepared with lots of layers and waterproof, or at the least water resistant outerwear to keep you dry and warm.
The second thing that you should keep in mind is that while Glacier National Park is open year round… and many of the campgrounds near Glacier National Park are open throughout the year… many of visitor attractions inside the park, including Going-To-The-Sun-Road, are not open until early summer. In fact, there have been some years where Going-To-The-Sun-Road does not open until early July because there is so much snow that needs to be cleared from the narrow alpine road. But don’t let that scare you away from visiting the Glacier National Park area in early spring. Spring camping in the Glacier National Park area brings a very unique and magical experience that you will not get to experience any other time of the year. And the beauty of the rushing waterfalls and the lush greenery of the forests and alpine meadows as they wake up from their winter hibernation is a glorious site to behold.
If your plans are to do some early spring fishing in the area, be forewarned…the rivers are running at full-bore this time of the year, and they can be quite dangerous if you wade too far out into the flowing waters. Even if the river seems rather calm and peaceful on the surface, the undercurrent can be deceptively strong…strong enough to sweep a grown man off his feet and carry him away down stream. So be especially cautious. You are really better off doing lake fishing during this time of year anyway, as the rivers are flowing way too fast and the water is far too cloudy to make for very good fishing.
Lastly, make sure that your rig is equipped with all the necessary equipment to complete a successful journey for this time of the season. And since it is spring in Montana that we are talking about, that means you should throw some snow chains in the RV too, just to be on the safe side. You are not likely to get into any type of snow that is bad enough to require the use of chains, but if your travels take you over any of the higher mountain passes in the state, it might be necessary to put the chains on until you get through the high elevations. Once again, it is better to have them and not need them, then to need them and not have them.
Glacier National Park camping in the spring time is a fun and relaxing experience. As long as you prepare for all weather possibilities and take necessary precautions, a spring camping trip to northwest Montana can be a memory to last a lifetime. You will certainly avoid the heavy crowds by visiting the area a little earlier, and you will be able to witness some of the most remarkable scenery on Gods green earth. So what are you waiting for?… Start packing your bags and wash off that RV…time is a wasting!
