Planning a trip to Banff National Park and Glacier National Park

[tonka96]

Hi,

We are planning a trip from Michigan traveling through the U.P. to Minnesota, west and crossing in to Canada at some point and visiting Banff National Park as well as Jasper. Then crossing back in to USA and going to Glacier and on to Grand Teton etc. My question is, what is the best crossing to cross over in to Canada and also back to the USA. Also what can be taken across? Just starting t o plan trip and finding conflicting answers. Thinking smart to stay in USA as long as possible before crossing in to Canada due to higher gas prices. Thanks so much for any help you can give.

[GuyG]

Check this out. It's "straight from the horse's mouth."

Canada Border Services:

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-v...c-rnc-eng.html

[twogypsies]

If you do a 'Google' you can find a site that lists all the Canadian crossings with their times of openings/closings. The same goes for what you can and cannot carry.

When crossing, don't engage border patrol in conversation. Don't offer comments. Just answer a short one or two words. Take off your sunglasses and look at them directly. They don't want jokes.

I'd recommend staying in the U.S. as long as you can - cheaper fuel. Of course it depends if you want to see anything else in particular in Canada as to what crossing to take.

You could cross at Coutts Alberta crossing - from Montana I-15 north. Then head to Lethbridge Alberta via 4 then west to Fort Macleod via 3 and north on 2 to Calgary then west to Banff.

From Banff just head north to Jasper on 93.

After Jasper return south on 93 to Lake Louise then west on 1 to Golden and south on 95/93 exiting via the Roosville crossing and you'll be on the west side of Glacier NP.

After Glacier to Yellowstone from Columbia Falls or Whitefish, Montana take either 93 to Polson and on to I-90 east or 83 at Swan Lake to 200 east to 141 to 12. From there you'll have multiple highways taking you into West Yellowstone; I-90 to 287 to Cameron or I-90 to Bozeman and 191 south or if entering the North Entrance - I-90 to Livingston and south on 89.

[Nrbsr]

We traveled to Alaska last summer from Upstate NY. Went through the U.P. and followed Route 2 west and crossed into Canada at Sweet Grass, MT. I was apprehensive about the 2 lane road but wanted to avoid Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit etc. I found Route 2 to be decent traveling and we're glad we chose that route.
On our way back from Alaska we came through Jasper and followed the Icefields Parkway to Banff, then to Calgary and back to Sweet Grass. Without a doubt, the 200 miles between Jasper and Banff was the most scenic section of our 12,000 mile trip.

[SteveJ.]

Waterton Lakes NP in Alberta is worth a stop just to see the lodge.