River Otter Family Camp

Enjoy a weekend with your family and spend time exploring Big Creek!

This camp features hiking, wilderness skills, outdoor activities, and fun evening programs. Together families will have the opportunity to learn about the natural diversity of the area, look for wildlife and make exciting discoveries along the trail. The camp is a great introduction for families to connect with the outdoors in a safe, fun and educational environment.

Come to the North Fork Valley and experience summer camp as an entire family!

June 27-29, 2009 - Saturday-Monday

For parents (grandparents, aunts, and uncles too!) and kids. Ages 8-12 are welcome with an adult.

$200 for parent and child, $85 for each additional family member

National parks to offer fee-free weekends

On three weekends this summer, the National Park Service will offer fee-free weekends to encourage cash-strapped families to visit the parks.

All 147 National Park Service sites that charge entry fees will waive them for June 20 and 21, July 18 and 19, and August 15 and 16. Those fees range from $3 to $25.

This is the perfect opportunity to join the Glacier Institute for one of our exciting outdoor adventures including:

June 20
Orchids: Glacier's Precious Beauties

June 20-21
Wolves of the North Fork Valley

July 18
Glacier's and Glacial Geology

July 18
Glacier Close Up: Focused Photographs

July 19
Nature Journaling

August 15
Glacier's Grizzlies and Black Bears

Join us for LEARNING GONE WILD!

Spring Wildflowers along the Rocky Mountain Front

June is the ideal month to view the bold blooms of Glacier’s prairies and foothills.

Walking around Marias Pass area, one of the most beautiful and least visited areas of Glacier, we’ll see the details of shining penstemon, prairie smoke, and blue camas among others. Perfect for beginner to experienced wildflower enthusiasts.

Join us for this amazing course taught by our expert instructor Ellen Horowitz. She has conducted field courses and natural history tours for more than twenty-five years. Her work as a teacher, guide, writer and consultant focuses on the plants and animals of the Crown of the Continent ecosystem. She has published articles in Montana Magazine and Montana Outdoors.

Thanks to our AMAZING volunteers

Our recent Work Weekend was a tremendous success with volunteers, staff and Board members showing up from all over the States and Canada. Thanks to all of you for making the trek and working so hard to help prepare our field sites for the upcoming summer.

Trails around the field sites were rebuilt, bathrooms were cleaned, grounds cleanup was done and our Big Creek Outdoor Education Center and Glacier Park Field Camp look all spiffed up and ready for student use.

Again, great big thanks to you for all the help! Our volunteers and donors make all the difference and your help is greatly appreciated!

Join us again for a course this summer and more LEARNING GONE WILD!

We had a great Biking for Bears course last weekend. Great people, great scenery and lots of great information.

One of our students sent in a photo of Glacier National Park taken during the course that I thought to share. Even on rainy, overcast days, the Park is absolutely beautiful.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for this exciting course. We hope you had as much fun as our staff did spending the day with you.

Don't forget that our summer season is just around the corner and we have many other educational adventures planned.

Join us in Glacier National Park for more Learning Gone Wild!!

Glacier National Park 2009 Campgrounds Dates Announced for Glacier National Park

The 2009 operating dates and nightly fee schedule for Glacier National Park’s 13 front country campgrounds are now available. Dates listed represent the first day and the last night of camping for each category.

Send a kid, get a “kid”

We seek your help in assisting families who have experienced a recent employment hardship by providing a scholarship to a child!

• One hundred percent of your donation goes toward sponsoring a child to camp!
• You will receive our soft ‘camp kid’ as your gift with sponsorship.
• The Glacier Institute is a 501(c) 3 and your gift is tax deductible.

Campership levels range from $115 - $375 - Please Send A Kid to Camp Today! Contact us for more information on the Campership Program at 406-755-1211 or register@glacierinstitute.org.