Trail of the Cedars & Alpine Meadow (easy hike - restaurant)
Drive to transit center near Apgar. Ride the shuttle to Logan Pass. Stop at the Logan Pass Visitors Center. Take the flat Alpine Meadow nature walk just behind the Visitor Center. Ride the shuttle back to Lake McDonald Lodge. Look around the historic lodge. Have lunch in one of the 3 restaurants at the Lake McDonald site. Take the shuttle back to Avalanche Campground. Take the Trail of the Cedars 1 mile flat boardwalk nature walk. Catch the shuttle back to your car. Drive back to the cabin picnic on the deck.

Explore the Lake McDonald Area (a lazy day)
Drive to Apgar. Stop at the Visitor Center for maps and park info. Visit the shops that feature made-in-montana gifts. Rent a boat or canoe for a self-propelled tour of the lake. Walk or drive down to the picnic ground for lunch and an afternoon swim. The water is clear and cool. On your way home stop in West Glacier to visit the shops and have ice cream. Stop at the Glacier/Waterton International Peace Park visitor center. This is a joint effort between the US Park Service and Canada.

St Mary Lake & Many Glacier - East side of Glacier Park
The East side of the park has much offer but does involve a trip over Going-To-The-Sun Road or around the South end of the park on US Highway 2 over Marias Pass. Highway 49 and 89 between Two Medicine and Saint Mary has some great views of the mountains but is very winding. The Museum of he Plains Indians is in Browning which is 12 miles east on Highway 2 from East Glacier.

Two Medicine (Lake Cruise and Waterfalls)
Drive East on US Highway 2 to East Glacier (60 miles) and then North from East Glacier on Highway 49 four miles and turn left to Two Medicine. Drive past the lower lake but stop to take the short walk into Running Eagle Falls. It used to be called Trick Falls - you will see why. Continue on to Two Medicine. There is a camp store there which does sell some food but you might want to pack lunch. You can either walk around the lake or take the boat (which is easier and more fun) across the lake to pick up the trail to Twin Falls (2 miles round trip). You can catch a later boat back to your car. Retrace your steps back to he cabin stopping at the Isaac Walton Inn at Essex (about half way between East and West Glacier) for a fancy meal or go to the Glacier Grill and Pizza in Coram for good but lighter fare.

St. Mary Lake (Lake Cruise, easy hike to moderate hike)
This is the large lake on the East side of the park and is most quickly reached by driving over Logan Pass (from the cabin about 50 miles each way). If you don't want to drive over the pass you can take the shuttle bus from Apgar to Logan Pass and then transfer to a different shuttle which goes down the east side to Rising Sun. From Rising Sun which is is about halfway up the lake you can take a wonderful boat ride. Some of these allow you to go ashore and hike to Baring Falls and if you are a bit more ambitious continue on to St. Mary Falls at the West end of the lake, and if you have lots of energy continue uphill a bit to Virginia Falls which is quite spectacular, especially in the spring/early summer. Sun Point on the North shore is a great place for a picnic lunch. There is a camp store at Rising Sun where you can buy food but it is limited and we usually pack a lunch. The view up and down the lake from the high viewpoint are spectacular. Then either head back to the cabin for supper or stop at Lake McDonald Lodge for dinner (the dining room is charming with a nice view of the lake and the food is very good or go back to West Glacier and eat at the cafe on the right (not fancy but good) or go to the the Belton Chalet (just East on Highway 2 after you go under the railroad bridge for a more gourmet meal.

Many Glacier (One of the Prettiest Places in Glacier)
You will have to drive for this one and it is a bit of a trek so you will need an early start. Drive East on Highway 2 to the park and then take Going to the Sun Road all the way through the park to St. Mary. Drive North from Saint Mary nine miles to Babb and turn left driving 12 miles to Many Glacier. It is about 80 miles each way. Visit the Swiftcurrent Hotel which is a good place for lunch if you don't want to pack your own and then take the hike around the lake (2.5 miles) Take the short detour to Lake Josephine - it is one of my favorite spots in the park. The last time I took this hike a couple years ago I was with my brother and we saw two grizzly bears along the north shore of the lake. The didn't find either of us very attractive or appetizing however. If you want to take a bit more time you can also take the hike up to Red Rock Falls (1.8 miles one way) which is not very difficult. Or if you want to make a more relaxed day of there is also a boat trip across the lake from the hotel which stops long enough to walk over the hill to Lake Josephine and back. If you were to continue up the East side of the park from Babb you will enter Canada and can go to Waterton, which is a lovely little town and is the site of the Prince of Wales Hotel which features a proper English tea in the afternoon but that is a bit far for a day trip. On the return you can stop at one of the restaurants mentioned above for diner.

Other trips in the park
Stop at the visitors center in Apgar where there is an abundance of information on things to do and see in the park and a helpful topographic model showing you all the roads, mountains, lakes, etc. Across the street is the ice cream cone vender, not that we ever go there.

Our Favorite Day Trips In the Flathead Valley

Whitefish - This Montana resort town offers many things to do including a trip to the Whitefish Resort (formally Big Mountain). Whitefish features good restaurants and shops

Kalispell - Kalispell is the largest town in the area. It has a fairly large shopping mall, several antique shops, the Conrad Mansion Museum if you like historic houses, and a good Thai restaurant downtown.

Bigfork & The Hungry Horse Dam - This day trip starts off with a trip to the Hungry Horse Dam visitor's center. This is one of the tallest dams in the country. Then head to Bigfork . Just after the Big Sky Waterslide, watch for the Markel Pottery Studio sign. It is about a 2 miles out of your way. Robert Markel is one of the most famous potters around but has an unassuming studio and shop. Continue on to Bigfork to visit the shops, have lunch and go to Wayfarer Park where the Swan river empties into Flathead Lake. Play a round of golf at Eagle Bend, have dinner and stay for a performance of the Bigfork Summer Playhouse. We recommend you purchase tickets in advance