Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks
Helena is conveniently located between two of America’s most treasured national parks. Glacier National Park is just 185 miles northwest of Helena, while Yellowstone National Park is 175 miles south. If you’ve come to Montana to visit the Parks, you’ll want to enhance your visit with a stop in Helena.
Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872, making it our country’s oldest national park. With its abundance of its thermal features, many feel it is also the most exciting. Yellowstone is home to a large variety of wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and elk. Preserved within Yellowstone are the legendary Old Faithful and an enormous collection of the world's most extraordinary geysers and hot springs, as well as the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Glacier National Park is a million-acre park featuring enormous mountains, gorgeous lakes, pristine forests, alpine meadows, lush valleys, a handful of glaciers and more than 700 miles of trails. Many of Glacier’s most spectacular sites are along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. This 50-mile long road follows the shores of the park's two largest lakes and hugs the cliffs below the Continental Divide as it crosses Logan Pass. Numerous turnouts and exhibits along the way allow travelers to stop and enjoy the park at their own pace. Glacier National Park has so many wondrous sites, it will take numerous trips to see it all.
