- Lake MacDonald
To begin your dog-friendly day at Glacier National Park, head to Apgar Village just before sunrise where you will find ample parking. Walk down to Lake MacDonald where you can sit on the shoreline and watch the sun rise with your pup.
2. Bike Trails
After sunrise, if you walk down to the schoolhouse store you will find the paved bike trail across from it. This 2.5 mile paved trail goes to West Glacier. You can walk your dog here so long as there isn’t snow on the ground and then walk them back to Apgar Village- that’s a five-mile hike! There were lots of wildflowers along the path and beautiful trees.
3. Breakfast and Shopping
Once you have returned to Apgar Village, you can grab breakfast at Eddie’s Cafe. Unfortunately, they don’t allow dogs on their patio, but they allowed me to place an order to-go and there are plenty of picnic tables and places to go eat your breakfast. Next, you can check out the shops in Apgar Village. The staff at The Cedar Tree was very friendly and nice to Max. They also have a window there where you can order coffee or ice cream.
4. Drive Going-to-the-Sun Road
Lastly, you will want to get back in your car, roll the windows down, and go for a nice scenic drive along Going-to-the-Sun Road, which will take you from Apgar to St. Mary’s. This is a 50 mile road and the first 20 miles winds through forest and follows MacDonald Creek. The next 30 miles weaves up and around mountains, with ample scenic lookouts where you can pull over, let your dog out, and take in the scenery. This road is typically only open from June to mid-October, depending on snow conditions. During peak summer months, from May to September, there is typically a vehicle reservation required to drive from Apgar to St. Mary’s that costs $2 and can be purchased online. If you do not purchase a reservation and they are sold out, you could exit the park and drive outside the park on route 2 to St. Mary’s entrance. From St. Mary’s you can drive Going-to-the-Sun Road all the way to Apgar without a reservation.
