5-Day Self-Drive Loop of Glacier National Park at the US-Canada Border
From July 1 to July 5, starting from 🇨🇦 Vancouver, crossing 🇺🇸 Washington, Idaho, Montana, then returning to BC through Alberta, Canada. The total distance is about 2800 kilometers.
Day 1 Richmond → Leavenworth → Steptoe Butte → Spokane Valley
First visit the German-themed town of Leavenworth, then head to Steptoe Butte to overlook Washington State’s iconic wheat fields. Stay overnight in Spokane Valley.
Day 2 Spokane Valley → Coeur d’Alene → Sandpoint → Kootenai Falls → Whitefish
Cross three states in one day: Washington, Idaho, and Montana, accompanied by beautiful lakes and mountains. Stay overnight in Whitefish.
Day 3 Whitefish → Glacier National Park → 🇨🇦 Alberta → Rossland
Enter from the west gate early in the morning and drive along Going-to-the-Sun Road, stopping at The Loop, Weeping Wall, Big Bend, Logan Pass, Jackson Glacier Overlook, Wild Goose Island Overlook, and St. Mary. We were lucky to see deer, mountain goats, and black bears.
After leaving the national park, enter Alberta, Canada via Chief Mountain Highway, then return to BC along Highway 3. Stay overnight in Rossland.
Day 4 Rossland → Champion Lakes → Nelson → Balfour → Kootenay Bay → Rossland
Experience the free sightseeing Train No. 23 and the Kootenay Lake Ferry in Nelson.
Day 5 Rossland → Anarchist Mountain Lookout → Spotted Lake → Peach King Orchards → Chilliwack → Richmond
🚗 Tips
✅ Going-to-the-Sun Road is the only road crossing Glacier National Park from east to west. Most sections are two-way single lanes with many curves, so drive cautiously and slowly.
On the way to Logan Pass, there was a collision with an oncoming vehicle ahead. Fortunately, kind locals directed alternating traffic flow, so the delay was not long.
✅ We arrived at Logan Pass at noon on July 3 (National Park free admission day). There were still plenty of parking spaces available, contrary to online claims of difficulty parking.
This is a self-drive loop at the US-Canada border that offers a rich experience of wheat fields, glaciers, snow-capped mountains, lakes, ferries, and wildlife.