Glacier’s quiet corners: North Fork and Two Medicine

Route description

From Whitefish, the North Fork Road runs up the Flathead River to Polebridge, an off-grid outpost with a historic mercantile and bakery. The road is gravel, dusty and full of potholes; leave trailers and big RVs behind, and check the park’s current vehicle reservation rules.

Inside the park, a narrow track leads to Bowman Lake, a long lake between high peaks with a small campground and lakeshore trails. It is one of the quietest places in Glacier, even in July.

Back in the valley, US-2 follows the Middle Fork of the Flathead along the southern edge of the park and the Great Northern railroad line. Stop at the Goat Lick Overlook to look for mountain goats, then cross the Continental Divide at Marias Pass.

East Glacier Park has a grand timber railroad lodge. From there, a short road leads to Two Medicine Lake, with a tour boat, a campground and the easy trail to Running Eagle Falls. End in Browning, capital of the Blackfeet Nation, at the Museum of the Plains Indian.