• Hike 1.9 mile Cameron Lakeshore Trail (trail map)
• Hike .4 mile Red Rock Canyon Loop
• High Tea at Prince of Wales Hotel
• Tour town of Waterton
• Lodging: Prince of Wales Hotel

• Drive 2 hours to Glacier National Park
• Hike 1 mile Apikuni Falls Trail (trail map)
• Boat across Lake Josephine to ranger-led .9-mile Grinnell Glacier Trail hike
• Drive 1 hour to East Glacier 
• Lodging: Glacier Park Hotel

• Hike .6+ mile Appistoki Falls towards Scenic Point (trail map)
• Hike 1.3 miles to Paradise Point on Two Medicine Lake 
• Hike .3 mile Running Eagle Falls Nature Trail loop
• Lodging: Glacier Park Hotel

• Drive 7 hours to Yellowstone National Park
• Hike 5 mile Beaver Pond Trail in Mammoth Springs 
• Lodging: Old Faithful Inn

• Hike 2.3 mile Storm Point Loop near Fishing Bridge
• Drive loop through Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
• Lodging: Old Faithful Inn

• Hike Fairy Falls Trail just to the point of Grand Prismatic Springs overlook
• Drive 2.5 hours to Grand Teton National Park
• Tour town of Jackson
• Lodging: Lake Jenny Lodge

• Take Lake Jenny shuttle boat from the Jenny Lake Visitor Center to hike to Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, and Cascade Canyon
• Take 3-hour scenic river raft float on the Snake River, departing from the lobby of the Jackson Lake Lodge
• Lodging: Jenny Lake Lodge

• Bike the Lupine Meadows trails
• Depart Jackson Hole Airport

Day 1

We flew to Glacier Park International Airport in Montana (airport code FCA), retrieved our rental car, and then drove 3.5 hours from Kalisbell to Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada (see note above regarding car rental considerations). It was mid-June, but we hit a snow storm in the mountains in transit, making for a surreal start to our vacation. 

We stayed in the park at the Prince of Wales Hotel (two nights in two 6th floor Lakeside Doubles with great views).  It's the most ridiculously picturesque park lodge we've ever stayed in. Situated on a hill, on a lake, in a Shangri-la-like valley surrounded by mountains on all sides down which dozens of waterfalls cascade, it's simply spectacular.                                   

We arrived in time to eat in the hotel dining room. After a long day of travel, basic but tasty food hit the spot. 

Day 2

Torrential rain and weather-related road closures in the Park prevented us from planned hikes, so, after breakfasting in the hotel dining room, we drove to Cameron Lake via the avalanche-prone Akamina Parkway and walked out on the dock to view the distant glacier field. Had it been accessible, we'd have hiked the easy 1.9 mile Cameron Lakeshore Trail, featuring forest, lake views and wildflowers, or canoed, via the boat rental facility on the lake. 

Afterwards, we'd have driven along the Red Rock Canyon Parkway, stopping to hike the .4 mile Red Rock Canyon Loop, but road closure prevented that course of action as well, so we drove into the small adjacent town of Waterton and browsed a few shops. Subsequently, we had afternoon tea back at at the PoW and lounged in the great room. 

Day 3

The skies were clearing as we drove 2 hours to Glacier National Park, stopping first at the Many Glacier area for a 1 mile hike to Apikuni Falls.  Unbeknownst to us, our trip coincided with construction on the famed Going to the Sun Road, making our planned 1.5 mile hike to the Hidden Lake Overlook from the Logan Pass Visitor area a no go, so we stayed put in Many Glaciers for a bit longer, grabbing a  snack at the Many Glacier Hotel before crossing Lake Josephine by boat transport to enjoy a .9 mile ranger-guided hike toward the Grinnell Glacier.

(An alternative hike in Many Glaciers for the heartier would have been the 4.8 mile Iceberg Ptarmigan Trail to the very cool Iceberg Lake.)

In the late afternoon, we drove south to the evening's final destination in East Glacier: the Glacier Park Lodge. It's the quintessential National Park lodge, with huge beams and amazing vistas from every window. Word to the wise though, our 3rd floor room in the lodge's Western Annex included the sounds of passing trains all night long, so consider staying on the other side of the lodge if that doesn't appeal!

Day 4

We spent the day in the Two Medicine area of Glacier National Park, hiking .6 miles to Appistoki Falls and then a bit further towards Scenic Point until herds of mountain sheep stopped us.  Next, from the boat landing on the southern shore of Two Medicine Lake, we hiked an easy 1.3 miles to Paradise Point and relaxed on a narrow pebbly beach in the sun. On our way back to the lodge for the evening, we made a quick stop to complete the .3 mile Running Eagle Falls Nature Trail loop. Dinner in the Northern Dining Room included awesome Huckleberry Bread Pudding with ice cream.

Day 5

Rising early for a big driving day, in all it took us 7 hours 15 minutes to reach Yellowstone National Park. Our route took us through the aptly named and highly scenic Paradise Valley from Livingstone to the Mammoth area of the park.

Not wanting to waste a moment, upon arrival we attempted the 5 mile Beaver Pond Trail there, but as it was getting late, we turned around at the mid-point so as to get to make our dinner reservations at the Old Faithful Inn where we were also lodging for the evening. Turns out, the food was pretty marginal, so we wouldn't do that again. The Inn itself was great, however, and well situated for the must-have photo of the timely Old Faithful Geyser.

Day 6

Yellowstone is huge, and really merits more time if you want to see maximum wildlife. With older kids, large animals and such were less of a draw, so that reality figured into our planning and left us skipping the Lamar Valley in the northeastern corner of the park.  We were going for scenery and ease, so we chose the 2.3 mile Storm Point Loop on Yellowstone Lake near Fishing Bridge . Afterwards we continued around the driving loop that takes you through the various Yellowstone regions, stopping at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and various and sundry smelly mud pots, geysers and sulphur cauldrons.

Day 7

Again, up early to make the most of a travel day, we hiked the nearby Fairy Falls Trail just to the point where we could overlook the Grand Prismatic Springs. You basically go off trail to the left, climbing halfway up a burned out ridge to see the rainbow-colored pool from a height -- a much better vantage point than walking around its shores where you can't appreciate the colors. 

Having witnessed this wonder, we got in the car and drove two and a half hours to the Grand Teton National Park. We'd splurged on a cabin at the Jenny Lake Lodge there, which came with complimentary bikes and breakfast.

As our teenagers were a bit hiked-out, we spent the afternoon and evening in nearby Jackson Hole, taking a few rides on an alpine slide, checking out the shops, and enjoying the trip's most cosmopolitan dinner -- delicious Thai food -- as the ritzy sushi spot was booked solidly for hours. 

Day 8

Breakfast at the Jenny Lake Lodge was truly amazing. Some of us wished we had the capacity to eat more as each menu selection was more tempting than the next. Afterwards, we took the Lake Jenny shuttle boat from the Jenny Lake Visitor Center across the lake to hike to Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, and into a small bit of Cascade Canyon. In the afternoon, we enjoyed one of the highlights of our trip: a three-hour scenic river float on the Snake River (our excellent guides retrieved us from the Jackson Lake Lodge).  

The day ended with pizza  at Leek's Marina (not worth the long wait in our opinion), and then biking on the paths around Lake Jenny Lodge. 

Day 9

After another fabulous breakfast at Lake Jenny Lodge, we drove an hour to touch foot in Idaho so that we could cross another state off of our "states visited list".  A morning alternative for those not so-motivated would be an easy 3-mile Heron Pond hike, or more biking.  At mid-day, we headed to the Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) for our return flight home.

Notes

Staying in National Park lodging provides for the optimal experience and can significantly reduce driving time to Park features. Reserve in-park lodging a full year in advance as rooms are in high demand in summer months. 

We traveled in mid-June and enjoyed every bit of our trip, but had we scheduled it a week later in the month, additional park trails/roads in Waterton Lakes NP and Glacier NP that were closed because of snow would have been opened.  

A valid passport is needed to travel between the U.S. and Canada. 

We flew into Montana, picked up our rental car, and then drove 3.5 hours to Canada. We'd have preferred to fly into Calgary, Canada, but car rental agencies wouldn't allow us to then return our rental at a U.S. destination (Jackson, WY) at the conclusion of our trip.

A brief side jaunt to Idaho from the Grand Teton NP enabled us to cross an additional state off of our "states visited list".

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