A long drive, deep into the edge of civilization (and the country).

The drive to Glacier is not trivial. The nearest major airport is several hundred miles away (and the local airports are not cheap to fly into). This is, however, perfect for me since I enjoy long drives more than anything else. I find these drives therapeutic – nothing can beat the raw sense of exploration, driving with the windows down, enjoying one’s favorite travel playlist, while not knowing what lies beyond the next bend – open skies, deep canyons, giant peaks rising out of nowhere?

With the drive to Montana from Denver, however, there isn’t much to expect if you’re taking the straight route along Interstate-25, straight into Sheridan. Yes, the curious pair of eyes will find the view of the Front Range to the West of I-25 on a clear day to be spectacular and an invigorating start to the long journey to the North, but as one approaches the Wyoming border, the mountain views are soon replaced by a vast, endless stretch of grass (mostly brown and dead, except during the summer).

The drive through Wyoming along I-25 can be brutal. There isn’t much in the way of views (and by that, I mean mountain views), and one doesn’t wake up from this trance until reaching the Northern half of the state, where the Bighorn Mountains slowly appear on the horizon and the flowers paint the sides of the freeway.

A drive through the Bighorns is a great adventure in itself, and that could take you into an entirely different set of experiences through Yellowstone, but that is a story for another time. I-25 however, doesn’t pass through the Bighorns and soon merges with I-90 which will wind its way west to the North of these peaks.

Interstate-90: Billings – Bozeman

Ahh, the evening of July the 2nd – 2023: I finally got off my driving shift at Sheridan (after being forced to, was not exhausted) and assumed the role of passenger princess at the back of our rented Toyota minivan. The sun had begun to dip and I got to see the plains in all their golden glory as the light swept across the land. Being a passenger is fun and relaxing sometimes.

I-90 West is pretty desolate (as are most stretches of freeway in this part of the country), until one finally makes it to Billings. We stopped there for a bit, the guys went out to grab some drinks. I did not – I don’t drink and I had started to fall asleep anyways (being a passenger can get sleepy real fast apparently, who knew).

We then continued towards Bozeman after sunset. I don’t remember much about this stretch of road, except that the Yellowstone River flows into Billings and makes for a very scenic drive along I-90. As we headed closer to Bozeman, I recall the silhouette of distant peaks along I-90 looming in the distance and I am certain this made for interesting views during daytime. A couple of hours or so after leaving Billings we arrive at Bozeman, wrapping up a day of intense driving – all the way from Denver / Boulder.

Exiting Bozeman and heading North

Bozeman is pretty. The Gallatin mountains make for a spectacular view and the rustic feel of this town is magical. We didn’t have much time to spend here, since we had to make it to the park in the afternoon.

I was back on the driver seat and I recall seeing the sign for the headwaters of the Missouri river along the Interstate – not far from Bozeman and being impressed (didn’t expect this legendary river to start here, in the middle of nowhere. Isn’t that where all rivers originate?)

We continued heading West, merged into I-15 at Helena and then made our way North. The terrain started getting interesting soon enough and as one approaches the “Gates of the Mountains”, one can feel the peaks getting closer.

Continuing North along I-95, a view of a big lake to the right caught our attention and we took the exit to Holter lake. This lake seemed like a nice place to relax and I’d assume a local favorite (lots of boats at the marina).

Approaching Glacier from the East

We soon exited I-95 and headed Northwest along Route 285. The famous rolling plains of Montana make a comeback along this highway and soon, it becomes clear why the state is known as the “Big Sky” state. Endless, rolling plains everywhere the eyes can see, with unobstructed views of the sky in all directions. And with the right amount of clouds painting the sky, one would naturally remember the famous Windows XP wallpaper.

The route is also incredibly remote. No amenities for maybe a hundred miles and very little traffic.

After an hour or so, I caught a glimpse of something interesting to the West – peaks jutting out from the plains. This refilled my energy bars at once. I knew the destination was getting closer and closer.

As we continued Northwest and headed up Route 89, the peaks started to become more and more prominent and before we knew it, we had arrived at St. Mary – the East entrance into Glacier.