Glacier Park makes top-10 Lonely Planet list

Lonely Planet, the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world, has selected Glacier National Park for its Top 10 U.S. Travel Destinations for 2013.

The Park ended up in 10th place after, from first to ninth, Louisville, Ky.; Fairbanks, Alaska; San Juan Islands, Wash.; Philadelphia, Pa.; American Samoa; Eastern Sierra, Calif.; northern Maine; Twin Cities, Minn.; and Verde Valley, Ariz.

“Every year, our U.S.-based editors team up with Lonely Planet’s expert authors to compile a list of U.S. destinations that are prime for the next year,” Lonely Planet author Robert Reid explained in his Dec. 5 article.

Reid explained that Lonely Planet’s group of U.S. editors and authors didn’t spend much time debating whether to make Louisville No. 1. And while noting that Glacier Park’s 25 glaciers could be gone by 2030, thanks to climate change, they praised its other features.

“One of the countries wildest, most remote and pristine national parks, Glacier is everyone’s favorite national park who’s been,” the Lonely Planet piece said. “Its jagged, snow-blanketed ridges and glacier-sculpted horns tower dramatically over aquamarine lakes and meadows blanketed in wildflowers.”

A photo by Bill Weaver of Swiftcurrent Lake centered on Grinnell Point accompanies the article.

“Most visitors stick to the drive along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, so it’s easy to escape crowds by venturing beyond it,” the article continues. “A relatively new shuttle system offers an eco-friendly alternative.”

Lonely Planet’s promotion of the Park seems to run counter to departing Glacier Park superintendent Chas Cartwright’s warning about too many visitors loving the Park during the busy summer season — especially those delivered to trails along the Sun Road by the Park’s free shuttle buses.

Lonely Planet is owned by BBC Worldwide. For the complete Lonely Planet article, visit online at www.lonelyplanet.com/north-america/travel-tips-and-articles/77583.