Avalanche Campground sits about 16 miles up the Going-to-the-Sun Road from the West Entrance, in a magnificent stand of old-growth western red cedar and hemlock along Avalanche Creek, roughly midway between Lake McDonald and Logan Pass. Its location makes it one of the most sought-after campgrounds in Glacier: it puts you right on the Sun Road corridor and steps from two of the park's best short hikes.

The campground has about 87 sites, some of which can take RVs up to 26 feet, with flush toilets and drinking water available. Sites include picnic tables, fire rings and bear-resistant food storage, and the campground is on the reservation system, so booking ahead is strongly advised in the busy summer season. It typically opens only once the Going-to-the-Sun Road has been plowed and cleared, usually not until June, and closes in early fall.

Right from the campground you can walk the Trail of the Cedars, a flat, wheelchair-accessible boardwalk loop through towering ancient cedars, and from it branch onto the Avalanche Lake Trail, a moderate two-mile climb to a stunning cirque lake ringed by waterfalls pouring off the Sperry Glacier basin. The area is thick, green and often cool and damp, a striking contrast to the park's alpine heights, and it is excellent for spotting wildlife. Being mid-corridor on the Sun Road, it is also a convenient base for riding the free park shuttle up to Logan Pass without dealing with the notorious parking crunch.