Literally anywhere you choose to stay in Glacier National Park will lead to an unforgettable experience in one of the nation’s most beautiful parks. However, our personal favorite campground is Two Medicine Lake. Two Medicine is an iconic, stand-alone in the park – both for its scenic views and history. Before the creation of the Going of the Sun Road, Two Medicine used to be the main tourist destination in the park. Now, it’s a semi-secluded gem located on the eastern edge of the park. It’s complete with modern amenities and recreational activities (and with a fraction the traffic of other areas!)
Two Medicine Campground at a Glance
Two Medicine Campground at a Glance- $20 a campsite/night
- 100 wooded campsites available
- Potable Water & Flush Toilets
- Nightly Ranger Led Activity
- Camp Store On-site
- Firewood for Sale
- All sites equipped with a picnic table & fire pit
- Campground Map
If the photos don’t sell you enough, here are seven reasons why Two Medicine Campground is the best place to stay in Glacier National Park.
1. Avoid the Going-to-the-Sun Road Chaos
Thousands of tourists and vehicles flock to the single-lane Going-to-the-Sun Road every day: over-packed cars, monstrous campers, and tourist shuttles all trying to navigate sharp curves and cliff edges. Trail heads, campgrounds and tourist shops line sections of the Going-to-the-Sun Road creating miserable traffic that moves slowly at peak times of the day, often resulting in a traffic jam as soon as a wild animal is spotted. Don’t get me wrong, It’s breathtaking, humbling, and easily the most iconic thing and beautiful thing to do in Glacier National Park. It is definitely worth your time and should be on the top of your trip list, however it is not the best location to base your Glacier National Park adventure from.
Furthermore, the “most popular” campgrounds are located off the Going-to-the-Sun Road, so staying away from the quintessential tourist locations removes you from the one & done tourist pile ups and also allows you to have a more authentic and peaceful stay in the park. Skeptical? When you drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road you will know exactly what we are talking about.
2. A Beautiful Balance of Convenience and Seclusion
Located 13 miles south of the East Glacier entrance and about 60 miles from the West Glacier entrance, Two Medicine Campground occupies a happy middle location for visitors looking to explore the southern and northeastern portions of the park. Although it’s a little bit of a drive to get to different points in the park, the routes are filled with gorgeous views and lush scenery. The driving inconvenience is easily made up by the seclusion and opportunity to get in touch with the park’s natural beauty.
Since the main tourist focus has shifted towards visiting the Going-to-the-Sun Road, Two Medicine see’s less tourist traffic as it retains its beauty and allure that once made it the “must-visit” destination in the park. Words can do nothing to describe its beauty and photos can only capture so much. Away from the touristic chaos and just close enough to everything else, Two Medicine offers the best of both worlds: accessibility and seclusion.
3. Breathtaking Scenery and Wildlife
The mountains, the lakes, the lush conifers & the perfectly-placed historic chalet along the banks of Two Medicine Lake. Need we say more? It’s absolutely beautiful. The colorful sunrise and low hanging fog over the lake makes waking up early absolutely worth it. Make your morning coffee and take it all in.
Additionally, the area’s seclusion and low-traffic also makes it a prime location to see some wildlife. We saw a few beavers swimming in the lake and were lucky enough to witness a moose fight on one of our hikes around the area!
4. Hiking near Two Medicine Lake
For adventures by land, Two Medicine is next to the many trail head for some spectacular hikes around the lake and into the mountains. It serves as a good point for back-country hikers and day trippers as well. We hiked around Two Medicine Lake but wish we had more time to hike further into the mountains near Dawson Pass. You can find the hiking maps here.
5. Two Medicine Lake Recreation
Regardless of its location, Two Medicine Lake is a destination in itself. The Chalet offers rentals for almost any water activity you can dream of: boating, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming and fishing.
Glacier National Park also hosts a nightly ranger program in the campground where you can learn a bit more about the park, conservation efforts and other specialized topics. We learned about wolverine tracking and glacier monitoring from a chat we went to. The rangers were very engaging and informative and we learned a lot!
6. First Come First Serve Campsites
First Come First Serve campgrounds are essential for a spontaneous trip to Glacier. Many other campsites are booked months in advance or if they are FCFS, eager campers fill them right away. Two Medicine Campground is often not everyone’s first choice since campsites near the Going-to-the-Sun Road seem more attractive for a quick visit. This allows a little more flexibility to get a campsite in the park – and maybe to even be a little picky! After checking the campsite fill times every day we timed ourselves to arrive to the park early and had our site picked and set up by 8 am. The early start and set up meant that we still had a full day to head to the west entrance and enjoy the park.
Glacier National Park posts what time their campgrounds fill each day so you can anticipate your ideal arrival time to snag a site. Plan to check the NPS website daily for fill times and openings leading up to your trip so you can plan your arrival accordingly. Link found here.
7. Spacious and Private Campsites
Lots of trees and plant-life separate most sites, adding privacy and beauty to the campground. All campsites here are equipped with a picnic table, fire pit, potable water taps, and flush toilets. To further add to the peacefulness, most of the campground is generator free, minimizing the unnatural buzzing and mechanical noises. If you can, try to avoid the campsites next to the bathrooms. At night, bright lights from the bathroom shine out into the surrounding campsites. We stayed in site 25.
**We want to note that Two Medicine Lake does not have any showers – like most of the other campgrounds. Due to the minimal infrastructure of the park, they are unable to install showers at all camping locations. We used the shower facilities located at the Rising Sun Campground after completing a hike nearby.
