Two Medicine is one of the oldest developed parts of Glacier National Park. Before the “Going to the Sun” road was completed, Two Medicine was the most visited part of Glacier National Park.
Smoke chokes the sky on the eastern border of Glacier National Park
The Blackfeet Nation:
Notably, the eastern part of the park, including Many Glacier and Two Medicine, is considered a sacred place to the Blackfeet Nation.
As you head south from Saint Mary, you’ll come upon some steel Native American themed artwork on the roadside.
  
Visiting Two Medicine
Two Medicine Campground:
The drive to the Two Medicine Campground from the town of Kiowa, Montana (south of Saint Mary) will take about 30 minutes at about 15 miles.
The drive itself is extraordinarily scenic, and the areas that surround the Two Medicine region are among the most beautiful in the park.
Because my original plan for Glacier National Park didn’t involve a visit to Two Medicine, I hadn’t done any research about this part of the park.
What I discovered was Two Medicine, like Many Glacier, was a jumping-off spot for backpackers in Glacier National Park. Two Medicine apparently had many trail-heads to some of the most popular trails the park had to offer, including Pitamakan Pass.
Hiking Running Eagle Falls:
The sun was rapidly setting but I calculated I’d have just enough time for one final little hike: The Running Eagle Falls trail.
At only 0.3 miles, this popular hike is more of a nature walk. You pick up the trial from the large parking lot before the trail immediately leads you into heavy forest where you may start to wonder why you left the bear-spray in the car.
Yep, the sign calls for bear-spray alright
After a couple of minutes, you’ll arrive at a clearing with a small foot bridge over the creek. From here, the Running Eagle Falls come into view.
Close-up of the falls
The trail is a very quick and easy walk, suitable for people of all ages. Just make sure to bring the bear-spray and/or walk in a large group as Grizzly Bear encounters are not uncommon in this part of the park.
The Glacier Park Lodge:
After leaving Two Medicine for the town of East Glacier, you’ll come upon the Glacier Park Lodge. Surprisingly, this official park lodge technically lies just outside of the park’s boundaries.
Originally built by the Great Northern Railway in 1913, this is the first and oldest of the Park’s lodges.
Glacier Park Lodge at sunset
Everything you need, and nothing you don’t: Wifi and Beer
Outside of East Glacier, down Highway 2, you will enter the Lewis and Clark National Forest and come upon the Lewis and Clark monument obelisk.
Lewis and Clark monument
The long action-packed summer day had finally come to its end
Final Impressions on Visiting Two Medicine and East Glacier:
Due to the forest fires raging in Waterton Lakes National Park and Glacier National Park, almost nothing this day went according to plan.
But, sometimes going off-script leads to new discoveries. And that’s exactly what happened to me here. I had no intention of visiting Two Medicine, Many Glacier or the town of East Glacier, but I was ultimately lucky that I did. I discovered each of these places was a place worthwhile and a place I needed to come back to to properly explore and hopefully backpack one day.
Although most people now visit the park from the West Entrance, I can confidently say that you should make sure not to miss the beauty of the east side of Glacier National Park.
Cheers!
