Glacier Park from the Southeast

[Muttley]

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[RichNY]

I flew there from NY last year. I was also planning to head for Cut Bank then west. There is a 4 lane highway that I wanted to keep nearby as I crossed the mountains. Head northwest and pick up the road on your GPS or visually and stay in gliding distance. No need to head towards Cut Bank.
Also, try S27 airport south of GPI. I went to Red Lion FBO.
I just looked at Skyvector. Follow RT 89 to Browning and the road through the mountains starts there.

 

[Ghery]

14,000 MSL in a 182? No thanks. Find a lower alternative. You'll be much happier.

 

[peerlesscowboy]

Kind'a depends on how much high remote wilderness you wanna' fly over.
If you're going IFR you gotta' cross the continental divide somewhere and that usually means MEAs of 13,000 to 14,000 feet. The airway between Great Falls and Kalispell crosses quite a lot of high remote wilderness, beautiful country but if you go down the grizzly bears will prob'ly have you for lunch before you're found. I've made the crossing many times IFR and VFR between Cut Bank and Kalispell, up over Marias Pass (that's the route of the old Great Northern Railroad, lowest pass in the northern rockies, eight thousand will clear the next ridge west of the pass and from there it's all downhill into the Flathead valley. Prob'ly the most civilized (and lowest route VFR) would be head southwest out'a Great Falls right over the big square butte and up over Rogers Pass, thence over Lincoln and down the valley into Missoula, from there pretty much straight north up to Kalispell. That route's a little out of your way but it'd keep some semblance of civilization under you MOST of the way.

John C. Saubak
Peerless, Montana

 

[Pilawt]

I've made the crossing many times IFR and VFR between Cut Bank and Kalispell, up over Marias Pass (that's the route of the old Great Northern Railroad, lowest pass in the northern rockies, eight thousand will clear the next ridge west of the pass and from there it's all downhill into the Flathead valley.

That is a pretty trip. Followed US Hwy 2 and the railroad westbound through Marias Pass in a 160-hp Grumman Cheetah a few years back. In good weather it's easy.

 

[poadeleted21]

As another option, has anyone followed Interstate 90 to Missoula then north to Kalispell? Anything to watch out for?

Looks like a longer trip through more hills, but if it's a good day and the wind behaves it could make for some good scenery.

No, been that route several times. You can make it at 5500'. Consider klaispell city S27 in lieu of GPI. They need the support. Just watch out for the tower.

If you're uneasy with big granite and unforgiving terrain, crossing the bob and the mission mountains probably isn't the route to take.

Though if you're comfy there, you gotta stop at benchmark, 6000' paved backcountry strip in the middle of it all. I'd recommend going in on a flight sim to know what to expect before trying it out though.

 

[pericynthion]

2nd the recommendation for S27. I've never approached from the east so don't have any advice there, sorry.