Explore Glacier National Park through your lens….

Come explore the vast beauty of Glacier National Park with renowned Nature Photographer, Dawn Wilson.  This immense park is known for its abundant wildlife and breathtaking landscapes.  Expect to see a wide variety of species, such as Grizzly Bears, Black Bears, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, American Pika and much more.  This trip coincides perfectly with wildflower season, allowing for some extraordinary landscape photography opportunities.  Glacier National Park is also home to 26 glaciers, 175 mountains, 762 lakes and 200 waterfalls. There is no shortage of things to photograph on the landscape.

Mid-summer is also dry season in Montana, late afternoon rain showers are always a possibility, meaning clearing storms at sunset could make for some dramatic photos.  

You will be traveling along some of the prettiest roads in the country but there will also be plenty of opportunity to stretch your legs on some easy to moderate trails in pursuit of photographic opportunities.

About your leader…

Dawn Wilson is a professional and award-winning nature photographer specializing in images and stories about wildlife of high latitudes and high altitudes of the Rocky Mountains and Alaska. With more than 600 bylined articles and photo credits, Dawn’s text and photography has appeared in numerous regional and national publications, including Colorado Life, Colorado Outdoors, Wyoming Wildlife, Outdoor Photographer, MotorHome magazine, Nature’s Best Photography, and many others. In addition to her editorial work, Dawn leads multiple workshops each year in North and South America to photograph wildlife, such as brown bears in Alaska and birds of Louisiana. She also leads photo tours in Rocky Mountain National Park. She served two terms as President of the North American Nature Photography Association and has been the co-host of The Nature Photographer Podcast. Learn more at dawnwilsonphotography.com.

5 Participants

$3,900

$500 Single Supplement

Day 1 (Aug. 1st)

• Dawn will meet the group at the airport in Kalispell, Montana (KGPI) to pick up luggage and take everyone to our lodging in Whitefish or Lake McDonald
• We will start the workshop by meeting at noon on Thursday to have lunch in Kalispell before driving to our lodging. 
• After checking into our lodging, we will head out Lake McDonald for sunset photography. This is one of the iconic lakes in the park with colorful rocks, crystal clear water and ample views, including boats and a dock, around the lake. 

Day 2 (Aug. 2nd)

• You will start with a sunrise shoot at Lake McDonald before hiking the Trail of the Cedars, a short 0.7-mile loop trail along a boardwalk through a rainforest. You will be out until at least midday before heading to Lake McDonald for lunch. 
• After lunch, the group will hike the Johns Lake Loop Trail, an easy three-mile roundtrip hike to see two waterfalls and possibly some wildlife. Sunset will be at Logan Pass and Hidden Lake Overlook where you may also see wildlife, such as mountain goats, bighorn sheep and bears. This also will be blooming with the peak of the wildflower season blanketing the landscape with fireweed, paintbrush and other alpine flowers.

Day 3 (Aug. 3rd)

• The morning’s adventures will include another visit to Logan Pass to catch the views and look for wildlife. Mornings can be calm on Hidden Lake, so this will be a priority for sunrise photography. 
• After photographing Hidden Lake, the group will head to a second lodging on the east side of the park (Many Glacier Lodge?). 
• After arrival and check-in, the group will explore the many photo opportunities around Swiftcurrent Lake, which has a 2.3-mile nature trail around it, before heading up Going to the Sun Road for sunset at Big Bend.

Day 4 (Aug. 4th)

• St. Mary’s Lake is the other iconic lake within Glacier National Park, with a wide scene that catches morning light and a small island in the middle of the large lake.  
• After sunrise, the group will explore the lake area and its shoreline, and then head back to the lodge for some rest and lunch.
• The afternoon will be spent looking for wildlife in the Many Glacier area, one of the premier areas in the park to look for moose, bighorn sheep and bears. Exploration will include a 3.6-mile easy hike along the Redrock Falls Trail, which includes opportunities to photograph two lakes, a waterfall and possibly bears and moose.

Day 5 (Aug. 5th)

• The day will start with a sunrise shoot at Swiftcurrent Lake, which is the lake where the lodge is located.
• After the sunrise shoot, the group will take a hike to St. Mary’s Falls and Virginia Falls, both along a 3.6-mile roundtrip trail near Swiftcurrent Lake. St. Mary’s Falls in particular has a striking turquoise color, making it a unique waterfall to photograph.
• We will take a break in the middle of the day for lunch and rest before heading out in the afternoon to photograph scenes and waterfalls along Going to the Sun Road.

Day 6 (Aug. 6th)

• The morning will start with a sunrise shoot at Two Medicine Lake in the southeast corner of the park.
• After the morning shoot, the group will return to Kalispell for return flights home.