Ryan’s Beach Elopement Glacier’s National Park
Glacier National Park is truly one of the most stunning natural wonders in the United States. Despite there being incredible locations every which way you turn in the park Lake McDonald is easily one of its most iconic destinations. Nestled in the heart of the park, Lake McDonald is a glacier-fed lake surrounded by towering mountains, lush forests, and pristine wilderness. The lake is over 10 miles long and over a mile wide, making it one of the largest bodies of water in the park. The crystal-clear water reflects the surrounding peaks, making for stunning photo opportunities. Naturally that makes it an elopement destination second to none. Glacier has a strict list of where you can have a wedding ceremony inside the park, check out my guide on those locations! Among those locations Ryan Beach is one of the lesser known, and harder to find spots on Lake McDonald is Ryan’s beach. But the location is worth the search.
Kristi and Ben’s Elopement on Ryan’s Beach
Going off the directions on the National Park website we had a little trouble finding the ceremony site. There is an easement through a piece of private property so where you park is technically part of some ones driveway. Make sure not to block the drive and park in the little designated spaces that are obvious once you realize that’s where you need to go. The shoreline of Lake McDonald is an ideal elopement ceremony site. The mountains reflecting in the crystal clear waters is an ideal backdrop for your wedding. Kristi and Ben had their immediate family there to witness there intimate ceremony and heartfelt vows. Afterwards we headed to a nearby picnic area for a little reception picnic.
After we headed out across the going to the sun road to the east side of the park. East Glacier is my favorite section of the park by far. The mountains here rise abruptly and make for a more dramatic and closer landscape. We stopped at Sun Point for some incredible photos atop the cliffs here overlooking Lake Saint Mary. With the storm clouds rolling in behind us we had a moody sky enhancing every photo. I could of spent hours here photographing these two but we had more of the park to explore so reluctantly we headed out for out next stop.
Logans pass is one of the most popular spots in Glacier national park. That being said it can be an absolute nightmare to find parking here, even at sunrise or sunset. Why is it so popular? This high-country destination along the Going to the Sun Road has incredible views everyway you look. But one of the best aspects of this location is the Hidden Lake trail. A short but sweet hike up wooden boardwalks and across mountain meadows. While there are plenty of spots for photos along the way up, the best sites are at the top of the trail. There, views of Hidden lake below make for stunning and romantic photos you’ll never forget. Parking isn’t the only issue at logans pass though. The wind here can be incredibly strong. Halfway back down the trail the wind picked up and nearly toppled us where we stood. It did make for some pretty cool photos though. The final potential roadblock for visiting or eloping to Logans pass is the bears. Grizzlies frequent this area and if they have cubs the national parks service will close down the trail till they leave. There’s no way to predict if this will occur so you' just have to be flexible. A good creed for Glacier elopements in general as wildlife and weather often force plans to change.
