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Picture this. It's cold, it's raining, it's the very end of August in Montana, and I'm trying to get three kids into wetsuits. If you've ever tried to put a wetsuit on a five-year-old... you know.

Ten years ago, my husband and I went to Glacier National Park as newlyweds. Ever since that trip, I've had this dream of coming back with our kids. This summer we finally did it, with seven nights in northwest Montana and our three kids, who were 9, 7 and 5.

I'm sharing the whole trip in a three-part podcast series. This post goes with Part 1: our first three days in West Glacier.

First things first: Glacier is huge

I had it in my head that we'd book one place and figure it out from there. I remembered really quickly that you can't do Glacier that way. The park has different sides, and getting from one to the other can take hours, so where you stay ends up deciding a lot of what your days look like. We split our trip between West Glacier, Whitefish and Kalispell, and West Glacier was our adventure basecamp.

The campground that had been on my Pinterest board for years

Our flight landed at 1 p.m. after a full travel day, so we kept day one simple on purpose. We checked into West Glacier KOA Resort and let the kids play. That's it.

And I mean it when I say this place had been pinned on my Pinterest board for years. I'd actually booked it once before and had to cancel the trip, so walking in felt like a dream come true. It exceeded my expectations. Our deluxe cabin with bunk beds was tiny, but we were out all day, so it was really just a place to sleep. A short walk away were the playground, a family pool and an adult pool, and the Bear Garden, an outdoor common area with Adirondack chairs, fire pits and live music every night.

And then there's the food. The Lazy Bear Café is right on the property and open to non-guests too. Grab a Montana Coffee Traders coffee and a huckleberry cinnamon roll in the morning. I'd highly advise two rolls for a group of five. For dinner, my daughter and I had the ribeye, and we were in Montana cattle heaven. My husband had the prime rib special. I'm an NA girly, so my drink of choice was the huckleberry lemonade from the Bear Stream, a vintage Airstream turned into a little bar.

After a big day, my kids actually wanted to go back to the campground. On an adventure-heavy trip, that makes a huge difference.

Rain, parking, and the one thing I forgot to pack

Day two, we woke up to cold rain, so I pivoted and we headed to Trail of the Cedars. Fair warning: plan on parking being a nightmare. We circled for 20 to 30 minutes, and we knew it was coming.

I had packed waterproof gear for everybody and was very proud of myself. And I forgot waterproof gloves. Cold, wet hands are a very effective way to learn that lesson.

Trail of the Cedars is short, easy, and beautiful, and in the rain it had these moody, rainforest vibes I really loved. It won't take your whole day or wipe out your kids before lunch, so pair it with something else on the west side.

Afterward, we went to warm up by the big fireplace at Lake McDonald Lodge, and so did everyone else in the park. The lobby was packed, so we dried our gloves a little and moved on.

Remember the wetsuits?

That afternoon we rafted the Middle Fork with Glacier Guides Montana Raft. Getting three kids into wetsuits in the cold was hands-down the most stressful part of the day. There was whining. There was complaining.

And once we pushed off, it was 100% worth it. We spotted a bald eagle, my kids spotted fish the entire time, and when we hit the bigger rapids it was just shrieks of delight. Our guide was so patient with the kids and leaned right into their fish-spotting, telling them stories about the fish in the river. My boys loved her.

The best parenting decision I made on this trip was adding the dinner. We got off a cold river with three hungry kids, and grilled chicken, steak, homemade salads and dessert were waiting for us in the pavilion. Five stars from this mom.

Letting someone else drive Going-to-the-Sun Road

On day three we took the Red Bus Western Alpine Tour. My husband drove Going-to-the-Sun Road ten years ago, and by drove, I mean white-knuckled. This time we both got to look. It started out chilly, and by midday the top was open under a blue sky with the mountains towering above us. Each bench had a Pendleton wool blanket, and the kids took photos the whole ride with their Camp Snap cameras.

A few things I'd want another mom to know: bring layers and snacks, and know that the stop at Logan Pass is short. We got about 25 minutes, enough for the bathroom, a few pictures and the Continental Divide sign. It's not enough time for the Hidden Lake hike, so we came back for that later. That story is in Part 2.

Lake McDonald, take two

Since it was such a gorgeous day, we gave Lake McDonald another shot. The lodge dining room line was practically out the door, so we grabbed two pizzas from Jammer Joe's (my husband is never a one-pizza man) and ate at a picnic table overlooking the lake.

Then we walked down to the rocky beach and let the kids explore after hours on the bus. They skipped rocks, wandered the shoreline, and my oldest braved a very chilly cold plunge. My husband and I sat and watched them play, and it ended up being one of the sweetest afternoons of the entire trip. Sometimes a place deserves a redo.

What I'd tell another mom planning West Glacier

Pick one anchor adventure a day. For us, that was rafting on day two and the Red Bus on day three. Everything else was extra.
Build in margin for parking, weather and the lodge that's way too crowded. That margin is what let us go back to Lake McDonald.
Pick a place to stay your kids will love coming back to. At the KOA, my kids swam, ran around the campground, did the nightly activities and made s'mores, and I didn't have to plan one more thing.

Want our full Glacier plan?

I couldn't fit every detail into a podcast or a blog post. Parking times, booking windows, the packing list and our day-by-day plan are all going into the Glacier with Kids Guide. Join the waitlist to get it first.

Listen to Part 1 above, and come back for Part 2: Many Glacier, two boats, a couple of bears and a return-boat mistake I don't want you to repeat.

Our stay at West Glacier KOA Resort and our rafting trip with Glacier Guides Montana Raft were hosted as part of content partnerships. All opinions are my own.

Glacier National Park with Kids: West Glacier, Whitewater Rafting & the Red Bus Tour