I am plan my Big Trip to Izaak Walton Inn in Aug. I need to know few things.1. Is there Bears running around the inn, should I bring Bear Spray? or Pepper Spray? or a Gun to protect against the Bears? Can I kill a bear? 2. Is that Safe to Stay on the Trails around the inn? 2. Should I bring Jackets, Long pants, Coat, Sweater? 3. Wake up service at the inn or should i bring my Clock from Home to wake me up? 4. Is there Gift shop to buy Water, gum, or chips? Depart Essex Mt on Amtrak 8 is the Dining Car is still open at 8:55 A.M. or should i eat at the inn.
For accurate answers to your questions I suggest you contanct the Inn staff. I do know you need to bring your own alarm clock if you have to be up at some specific time. No phones in room, no TV, no cell service last time I was there.
I stayed at the Inn in August, so hopefully I can answer some of your questions. The mornings are a little brisk, so yes bring some clothing to accomodate for that. As the day moves on it does get warmer but if you are planning a trip into the park to view the glaciers take some warm clothing as the wind will be a factor, a chill factor.
The inn arrainged for a tour company to take us into the park for an all day tour. They also arrainged a rental car for us.
Bears, they do show up but for the most part are no threat unless someone looses their common sense about approaching them. They don’t bother you if you don’t bother them. If you should come across one by surprise, scream…it scares them off. We hiked the trails, one particular one we spent most of the day on, Bears were no problem. They avoid you just like you should avoid them. Seen several while there and had no issues.
I would suggest a clock, I stayed in one of the cabooses and we were pretty much on our own. We rented a car and went to a nearby town and loaded up on snacks and such. Did some touring and railfanning while renting the car. As to the dining car may I suggest you contact Amtrak about that. This way your getting it from the horses mouth.
Its a great place, great scenery and nice railfanning in the mountains. Snow sheds are within walking distance for some shots as well. Hope you have great time, my wife and I certainly did.
You have selected a great place to stay! We loved our time there and we found the Dinning Room to be a wonderful place to eat. There gift shop was well stocked and and had some “neat” railroad products. The staff was outstanding and most helpful. I can’t wait to go back!
Our family has vacationed in Europe, numerous tropical islands, Alaska and almost all the other parts of the US–by far the Glacier NP area is our favorite destination with Izaak Walton Inn being a big part of it.
The trains are a big draw for me too but try to make time to visit Glacier by driving or taking a tour along the Going-to-the-Sun highway. Logan Pass has two great hikes, Hidden Lake and the Garden (or is it the Hanging) Wall. On the last one Rocky Mtn Goats will walk past you within arms length.
The gift shop at Izaak Walton is nice. The NP Lodge in East Glacier also has a great gift shop too plus it is worth a trip inside to see the barked columns in the atrium.
We are staying there in the loco for 2 nights in July and travelling from the UK. I had never really thought about bears etc but on recent trips have always just kept an eye on the environment. I always find by looking at Google Earth you can plan in advance, get to know road names etc so you can put it all int your GPS unit. Looking forward to my 3 week trip which will take in Whitefish, Essex, Helena, Great Falls.
If you get a chance travel the Bear Tooth Highway. (To get a taste, google bear tooth highway) It starts at the Northeast corner of Yellowstone NP and angles in a northeasterly direction to Red Lodge, Montana. Hard to describe the scenery as it is just different. Described as the most scenic drive in the USA by Charles Kuralt.
One funny item is upon crossing into Montana from Wyoming the speed limit jumps from 35 mph to 70 mph yet the road is still a very twisting mountain road where 35 mph is still quiet a stretch.
IMHO, going from Red Lodge to Cooke City is a bit more spectacular than Cooke City to Red Lodge. A few miles south of Red Lodge the Hell Roaring plateau looms over the highway, then you hit the switchbacks and after a half dozen or so, you’re across to the plateau and there are more switchbacks to climb. There’s a viewpoint near the end of the switchbacks that gives a grand view of the canyon of the main fork of Rock Creek.
What would have been almost as spectacular was the proposed rail line from Red Lodge to Cooke City via the west fork of Rock creek as part of the Rocky Fork ad Cooke City. Construction only made it to Red Lodge from Laurel, with much of the early traffic coming from the coal mines in Red Lodge.
We will have to try it in that direction next time. On our trips to Glacier NP we usually fly into Jackson Hole then work our way north thru the Tetons, Yellowstone, then Livingston when heading to Glacier and ultimately beyond thru the Ice Fields up to Jasper, BC.
It was during our third or fourth trip using the routing above when we happened to discover the Bear Tooth on our trip north. Next time we will travel it on the the southbound trip back to Jackson Hole.
Jay
BTW, There was a large wild fire in the Red Lodge area when we traveled thru, I believe it was three or four years ago, time travels so fast these days I can not keep up without checking the travel photos.