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Montana

Raft, Ride & Slide in Glacier National Park With Your Grandchild

Program No. 20884RJ

Alongside your grandchild, raft the Flathead River, look for wildlife, enjoy a gondola ride up Big Mountain and race down on an alpine slide on this national park adventure.

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6 days

5 nights

13 meals

5B 3L 5D

Check-in, Orientation, Welcome Dinner

Kalispell

Aerial Adventure, Gondola Ride, Alpine Slide

Kalispell

Glacier National Park, Wilderness Camp, Lake McDonald Lodge

Kalispell

Wild Wings Center, Glacier National Park, Scenic Raft Trip

Kalispell

Wetland Program, Going-to-the-Sun Road, Hiking at Logan Pass

Kalispell

Program Concludes

Kalispell

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At a Glance

Discover the majestic peaks, sparkling rivers and green gullies of Glacier National Park and the Flathead Valley on an adventure with your grandchild! Learn about magnificent wildlife like the mountain goat, bighorn sheep and bears on instructor-led walks and visits to many favorite spots in the park. Raft along Glacier's southern border, hike trails full of flora and fauna and look out over valleys, lakes, rivers and glacier-carved mountains in this beautiful, rugged landscape.

Activity Level

Outdoor: No Sweat

Expect full days with lots of activity. Hike 2 miles daily on maintained dirt trails in mountainous, uneven, and rocky terrain. The ability to get on and off a motor coach and on and off a raft is required. Standing during trail-side lessons. Elevations of 3,000-7,200 feet.

Best of all, you’ll…

Soar to new heights aboard the gondola to the Big Mountain summit and feel the wind in your hair as you slide down an alpine slide.
Experience Glacier National Park with a spectacular drive on the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Develop your teamwork skills on a raft journey down the Middle Fork of the Flathead River on Glacier's southern border.

General Notes

Program is for grandchildren ages 8-12. For a comparable family adventure for all generations, check out "Raft, Ride & Slide in Glacier National Park With Your Family" (#22729).

Featured Expert

All trip experts

Josh Gubits

Josh Gubits is an environmental scientist for Whitefish Lake Institute. While in school, Josh worked as a fishing guide on the Blackfoot, Clark Fork, Bitterroot and Missouri rivers. After receiving his environmental studies degree from the University of Montana, he worked for the Audubon Society to develop education and outreach programs in Santa Fe, N.M. Before joining WLI, Josh worked for the Watershed Education Network as the field programs coordinator where he taught teachers, students, and volunteers about water quality, through the collection of chemical, biological, and physical data on stream sites across Western Montana. Josh is a certified Montana Master Naturalist, and in 2009 he was the recipient of the Montana Water Teacher of the Year award presented by the Montana Environmental Education Association.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Josh Gubits View biography

Al Koss View biography

Al Koss has lived and worked in the Glacier Park area for over 30 years. His love for the out-of-doors and passion for hiking was well represented in his career with the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service. Al taught environmental education and is a Master Trainer for the Leave No Trace Program. His experience as a Park Naturalist has given him extensive experience and knowledge of the flora and fauna of the park. He enjoys sharing his passion for natural areas with others.

Suggested Reading List (7 books)

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You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.

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Raft, Ride & Slide in Glacier National Park With Your Grandchild

Program Number: 20884

Wildflowers of Glacier National Park

by Shannon Kimball and Peter Lesica

Wildflowers of Glacier National Park and Surrounding Areas is a user-friendly field guide featuring over 300 of Glacier National Park's most common plant species. From wildflowers to trees to grasses and sedges, this book features beautiful photographs, detailed descriptions, notes on habitat and fun facts for each plant. It's a perfect plant reference for anyone with an interest in the natural history and splendor of Glacier National Park.

Geology Along Going-to-the-Sun Road

by Raup, Earhart, Whipple, and Carrara

With this colorful and lively guide, Glacier National Park visitors can tour the fascinating geologic events that created the park's majestic scenery. Complete with an easy-to-read map that offers a three-dimensional perspective on the area's geology, Geology Along Going-to-the-Sun Road gives lay readers and geologists alike a glimpse into Glacier's unique geologic summary.

KIDS: Going to Glacier National Park

by Alan Leftridge

Designed for children ages 8 to 13, Going to Glacier is packed with fun and fascinating information about Glacier National Park. Authored by Alan Leftridge, seasonal ranger and naturalist, the colorfully illustrated book details the parks namesake glaciers, flora and fauna, dramatic weather, Indians and early settlers, historic sites and structures, and the effects of fire. The book also features maps and interpretive information for hikes that the kids will love. A must-have for families traveling to Glacier National Park!

Grizzly Country

by Andy Russell

The grizzly bear has always inspired awe in man, but the animal's true nature and character has long been shrouded in myth. Few people know grizzlies as Andy Russell does, and in Grizzly Country he shares stories from a lifetime of experience observing them, first as hunter, then as cameraman. In wonderfully engaging prose, he reveals the life cycle of this remarkable creature.

KIDS: Born Wild in Glacier National Park

by Donald M. Jones

Springtime in Glacier National Park is where the wild things are---baby wild things! This charming collection of candid and sometimes comical images by wildlife photographer Donald M. Jones is devoted entirely to the park's junior residents.

Going-to-the-Sun Road: Glacier National Park's Highway to the Sky

by C.W. Guthrie

Traveling Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road is an experience like no other. Laborers toiled for nearly 20 years to complete the 50-mile road that winds an impossible route through the heart of Glacier. One of the most scenic highways in the world, this marvel of engineering set the standard for all national parks. C. W. Guthrie tells the intriguing tale of the history and the construction of the epic Going-to-the-Sun Road. Includes more than 60 black-and-white historic and color photographs, maps.

Glacier - A Natural History Guide

by David Rockwell

Author and naturalist David Rockwell presents in-depth descriptions of the geology, history, flora, and fauna of the park. He explains the park's evolution from the erosion of Siberian mountains more than a billion years ago to the glaciers that gave Glacier National Park its distinctive landscape. He examines the park's great predators-grizzly bears, mountain lions, and wolves-and their complex relationship with their prey. The result is a fascinating and intimate portrait of one of the world's last wild places.

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Raft, Ride & Slide in Glacier National Park With Your Grandchild

Enroll with Confidence

Protecting the Environment

At a Glance

Best of all, you’ll…

General Notes

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