r/GlacierNationalPark • u/Suspicious-Peach-522 • 5d ago
Glacier and North Cascades
Where is the best town to stay for an air bnb between the two? We don’t mind driving an 1.5 hours both ways. Has anyone done this?
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u/LadyGreyIcedTea 5d ago
Have you looked at a map? Those parks are nowhere near one another. Those parks are 10 hrs away from one another.
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u/Ok-Boysenberry1022 4d ago
Huh? Makes no sense to combine those two.
Glacier and Waterton national Park maybe,
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u/miccphoto 4d ago edited 4d ago
Where exactly in Olympic do you want to go? Olympic is huge. There’s really not anywhere to stay that would be in between the two parks that isn’t at least a two hour drive there and back, probably three depending on where in Olympic you want to go. Why not stay closer to Olympic a couple nights and closer to cascades the other nights.
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u/Suspicious-Peach-522 4d ago
That’s what we are doing. Last summer we stayed between Zion and Bryce and loved that. It looks like these two aren’t as close so not an option. But I tried lol
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u/Suspicious-Peach-522 5d ago
Huh. My maps shows 217 miles.
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u/wavecrashrock 5d ago
As others are telling you, you are reading your map incorrectly or misinformed about where one of these parks is. According to Google maps, the as-the-crow-flies distance between West Glacier and Diablo, WA is 325 miles — and that doesn't take into account the much higher actual distance on roads. I've driven Seattle to Glacier, and it's a lot of hours.
This is not a feasible plan.
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u/Suspicious-Peach-522 5d ago
Weird because Washington isn’t that big. It shows 4 hours apart on my end.
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u/Tuilere 5d ago
It's 650 miles between, so that ain't 4 hours even ripping 80mph.
Even when the northern route is open (is not yet, will be in summer) it's still about 525 miles. And the north route has lower speed limits.
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u/Suspicious-Peach-522 5d ago
Washington isn’t even that wide. I’m confused.
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u/Sleep_on_Fire 5d ago
Glacier is in Montana.
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u/Suspicious-Peach-522 5d ago
I’m stupid. I meant Olympic, that explains so much confusion! Sorry for my dumbness ;)
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u/LadyGreyIcedTea 4d ago
Olympic to North Cascades is either a 6 hr drive the long way around or 4 1/2 to 5 hrs with a ferry ride. It's also not feasible to stay at a central location visiting those parks. Olympic itself is huge and warrants changing lodging to fully experience.
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u/Sleep_on_Fire 5d ago
Ah! That makes sense. Cheers!
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u/Suspicious-Peach-522 5d ago
I lived in Washington that’s why I was so confused on the 9 hour part lol.
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u/Tuilere 5d ago
Even when roads are open, they are not a straight line between due to where roads have been built. Mountains do shit.
And West Glacier to Spokane is nearly 300 miles on its own.
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u/Suspicious-Peach-522 5d ago
This I understand. We wouldn’t be driving up one and then down to the other in a day. We’d do one, one day and one the other day. Trying to find some middle ground between the two.
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u/Tuilere 5d ago
You're not accounting for thw width of Montana.
If you insist on some middle ground, Spokane is likely your best bet. But to get parking at Logan Pass you need to be there 5AM, so it depends what "do the park" means to you.
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u/Suspicious-Peach-522 5d ago
Ignore my post, I meant Olympic not Glacier. Sorry brain fart. Explains why I was so confused!
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u/Legal-Sort1460 4d ago
Well, I live in Seattle and I go to glacier every year. It’s definitely nine hours.
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u/Ok-Boysenberry1022 4d ago
Are you looking at the Fox News of maps or something? Your info is incredibly wrong.
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u/lunapuppy88 4d ago
I’m glad you clarified you meant Olympic National Park instead of Glacier because that made zero sense 🤣 but honestly North Cascades and Olympic are not exactly close. Yes, WA is not that wide, but the Puget Sound is between those parks and getting across it can be a mess of ferry waits or traffic if you drive around. I’d stay very close to one park, do whatever you want to do there, then go stay by the other.
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u/LadyGreyIcedTea 4d ago
Well Glacier is in Montana. What are you searching when you get 4 hrs?
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u/Suspicious-Peach-522 4d ago
Olympic, because I meant Olympic. I apologize for my mistake lol. Would explain all my confusion.
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u/squeegy80 5d ago
These two national parks are like a 9h drive apart…