Taking the Highline

Below is an excellent "hikelogue" from The West is Big! Travel Guides. The film highlights one of the best hikes in America. This epic starts from Logan Pass in the heart of Glacier National Park, and takes hikers along the famous Highline Trail to the Granite Park Chalet. From the Chalet the filmmakers take you up to the Continental Divide at Swiftcurrent Pass, and then down the Swiftcurrent Pass Trail and into the Many Glacier area. In all, this quintessential Glacier trip covers roughly 15 miles!



Although this might be a fairly difficult hike for most people to do in one day, hikers still have several options for enjoying this spectacular scenery. You could plan to stay overnight at the Granite Park Chalet, thus breaking the hike into two relatively easy days. However, reservations are usually needed several months in advance to stay at this popular backcountry inn. You should also note that you'll need to have two cars, or hire a shuttle to do this one-way hike.

Another option is to take the one-way, 11.8-mile hike from Logan Pass to the Loop. This option takes hikers along the Highline Trail to the Granite Park Chalet, and then travels west bound down the mountain to a spot on the Going-to-the-Sun Road known as the Loop. Hikers can take the free park shuttle back up to Logan Pass (actually, it's better to park your car at the Loop, and then take the shuttle to Logan Pass first thing in the morning). If this still seems like too many miles, you'll also have the option of hiking out to Haystack Pass. This moderate 7.2-mile out and back hike still offers hikers a lot of world-class mountain scenery.

With more than 740 miles of trails meandering throughout the park, hiking is the absolute best way to see Glacier National Park. In addition to the Highline Trail, the park offers many other outstanding hikes. If you do plan to visit Glacier this year, please note that our hiking website also offers a wide variety of accommodation listings and other things to do to help with all your vacation planning.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
HikingintheSmokys.com

Yellowstone In Winter

A visit to Yellowstone National Park during the dead of winter has been on my bucket list for a long time now. This outstanding video by one of our website visitors underscores my need to get out there sooner, rather than later:

Yellowstone In Winter - 2016 from Jerry King on Vimeo.




Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
HikingintheSmokys.com

Rocky Mountain National Park is Seeking Volunteers for 2016

What an exciting year to be part of the action at Rocky Mountain as the National Park Service (NPS) celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2016! Rocky Mountain National Park is home to one of the most dynamic and hard-working volunteer programs in the National Park Service. Each year, Rocky enlists individual and group volunteers to assist paid staff on various projects. In 2015, nearly 2,200 volunteers served over 110,000 hours in the park, making it one of the largest volunteer programs in the NPS.

The park is currently recruiting for over twenty individual volunteer opportunities for this summer. Duties range from providing visitor information at various trailheads and information stations to working on the road crew, doing bird research, camp hosting or swearing in Junior Rangers, among other positions. The majority of these opportunities are suitable for those within commuting distance of the park, as most do not come with housing. Volunteers may serve anywhere from one day per month to five days per week.

The park also has a robust group volunteer program, offering various opportunities to organized groups ranging in size from two to sixty! These projects vary from working with the trails or firefighter crews to restoration projects with our vegetation staff. Organized groups (scouts, school groups, corporate groups, families, etc.) may volunteer for a day or more in the park. Depending on availability, these groups may be eligible for free camping.

To learn more about the volunteer program and to get involved as a volunteer in the park, join park staff for an informative session hosted by the park's Volunteer Coordinator in the Estes Valley Library's Hondius Room on Thursday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m. For more information, see the park's volunteer website or call the park's Information Office at 970-586-1206.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
HikingintheSmokys.com

Grand Teton's Epic Loop Hike

It seems that many national parks have at least one loop hike that takes in the best of what that park has to offer in terms of scenery. Grand Teton National Park is no exception to that rule. In fact, the Paintbrush Canyon-Cascade Canyon Loop can probably be described as being "epic". At roughly 20 miles in length, it's quite a long hike to do in one day - though there are many people who still tackle it in one fell swoop. With several backcountry campsites located in both canyons, backpackers can easily hike this loop at a much more relaxing pass by taking two, or even three days, to complete it.

Below is an excellent video by Grand Teton rangers that highlights the stunning scenery hikers will see on this route. It takes hikers up to Holly Lake in Paintbrush Canyon, over the spectacular Paintbrush Divide, down to Lake Solitude, and then finishes off with a walk through the extremely popular Cascade Canyon. If the idea of backpacking or doing this route in one day isn't your cup of tea, fortunately you can see much of the route by doing two separate day hikes.



With more than 200 miles of trails meandering throughout the park, hiking is the absolute best way to see Grand Teton National Park. Fortunately the park offers a wide variety of outstanding day hikes. If you do plan to visit Grand Teton this year, please note that our hiking website also offers a variety of accommodation listings and other things to do to help with all your vacation planning.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
HikingintheSmokys.com

Temporary Closures For 2016 To Protect Nesting Raptors in Rocky Mountain National Park

Each year to protect raptor nesting sites, Rocky Mountain National Park officials initiate temporary closures in the Lumpy Ridge and Sheep Mountain areas of the park. To ensure that these birds of prey can nest undisturbed, specific areas within the park are closed temporarily to public use during nesting season and monitored by wildlife managers. All closures begin on March 1 and will continue through July 31, if appropriate. These closures may be extended longer or rescinded at an earlier date depending on nesting activity.

Closures include Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Sundance, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Alligator Rock, Sheep Mountain, and Twin Owls, Rock One. These closures include the named formations. Closures include all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes and climber access trails to the named rock formations. Check the park's website for updated information on raptor closures.

The National Park Service is committed to preserving birds of prey. The same cliffs that are critical for raptors also appeal to climbers.The cooperation of climbing organizations and individuals continues to be essential to the successful nesting of raptors in the park.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
HikingintheSmokys.com