Hiking in Glacier National Park

We really wanted to hike in Glacier, but it isn't an entirely comfortable activity. There is lots of bear activity in the area. This is the first time we have seen a sign suggesting bear spray--at the trail head! Taking the hint, we bought a can of bear spray and hiked on the John's Lake trail that begins near the McDonald Lake Lodge. We parked at the Apgar Visitor Center and took the park tram to the lodge. Many others also got off the tram there.

It felt like we were hiking in a rain forest, everything was so green. And dark.

As you can tell if you look closely at the above photo, the trail is very muddy. It goes right by the horse rental facility and is used daily for trail rides. That is probably the activity that brought so many people to the tram stop.

We enjoyed our 4 to 5 mile hike, especially since we didn't see any bears. Would you believe we even saw a sign offering to rent bear spray? They must feel the odds are pretty good the renter won't have to use it.