With three or more nights, wed really, really recommend splitting up your nights between West Glacier (either inside or outside the park) and Many Glacier (or Duck Lake, if you cant get a place to stay inside the park). A small town of just over 500 people, Coram is only 8 minutes from West Glacier. Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post, like hotel links, are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we make a little bit of money if you click through and book. The Ridge at Glacier is located on an offshoot just off of Highway 2, which takes you up onto the ridgeline where youll find several cabins with great views. Two popular hikes in this region are the Grinnell Glacier trail and the Iceberg Lake trail. Oh excellent!

If youre looking for a bit more luxury, you will need to stay outside of the park! Like mentioned above, book your hotels for Glacier National Park early! No, to get gas, you will need to leave Glacier National Park. They have rooms inside the historic lodge itself, and there are also cabins and other buildings with more room options. Be warned, the road leading to the valley is undergoing repair in the summer of 2020 and may be jammed with travelers slowed by construction.

Gas can be found by visiting one of the nearby cities listed above. Custom Cabin Minutes From Glacier National Park ( 2 bedrooms / 1 bathroom): Newly built, modern, and spacious, this place would make a fantastic home base. Secluded Cabin Near Glacier Park ( 2 bedrooms / 1 bathroom): Just 10 minutes away from the entrance to the park, this cabin is well-thought out and has two bedrooms, a full kitchen, and a nice outdoor patio complete with fire pit and Adirondack chairs. Glacier is home to the largest population of grizzly bears in the Lower 48 states and 25 glaciers, which, according to the park service, are disappearing thanks to warming global temperatures. The cabins are our pick, mostly because each one has its own kitchen facilities, which is important to us when were traveling. Its 45 minutes away, which is kind of a long drive, but its got some beautiful cabins for rent, a nice campground or two, and, to be honest, you really dont have another choice. Distance from the Apgar Visitor Center: 15 minutes / 12 miles. I include the Many Glacier valley in my tally of East Glacier hikes. If you have two days at Glacier, it can be done. Its located on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and offers a rich cultural and historical significance to the Blackfeet Tribe. This makes it possible to drive through the middle of Glacier National Park. This typically happens in late June or early July but is fully dependent on the weather. Each life zone has its own geography that helps sustain it. If youve never been, well be the first to tell you that its everything you think it is a hikers paradise, gorgeous rocky peaks towering over blue and green alpine lakes, a haven for wildlife and more. Situated 43 minutes southwest of Glacier National Park, Kalispell offers the closest airport to Glacier National Park. Its a million acres bigger than the state of Rhode Island and for my money, a lot prettier too. A simple 21 minute drive to the western side of the park, Columbia Falls is a perfect home base for anyone looking for lodging near Glacier National Park. 2009 alaska north Heres an overview of the options outside the park in order of proximity to the park entrance (well get into details in each section below): Distance from the Apgar Visitor Center: 8 minutes / 2.5 miles. The most noted views on this section of the Sun Road are Jackson Glacier and Saint Mary Lake with Wild Goose Island. Planning a trip to Glacier National Park? Find full details on the shuttles in Glacier National Park. Youll love it! The east side of the park has plenty of forests, but they arent as dense as those in the west. That isnt the best location, but it is still only a 10 minute walk / three minute drive away from town. After 7.5 miles, youll see Granite Park Chalet. iceberg antarctic glacier mertz bbc climate change formation vast threatens marine february b9b Were Matt and Alysha, the two endlessly curious gluten free foodies behind Wheatless Wanderlust. In the guide below, youll find suggestions on where to stay on the western side of Glacier, on the eastern side of Glacier, and near Many Glacier for a range of budgets and styles. Scout the options before you decide to drive or ride! Camping in Glacier National Park is only permitted in designated campgrounds. There are some restaurant options, a supermarket, a Conoco gas station, and plenty of bars, saloons, and even a distillery! This makes staying on the east side of the park the best option if you are visiting the area solely for Glacier National Park. The Jewel Basin Hiking Area, a very rugged mountainous region, is located in the Flathead National Forest. They have a range of cabin sizes between one and three bedrooms, so theyre a great choice for groups from one to two people (or a couple) all the way up to bigger groups of six to eight. So are the motel rooms. If youre looking at doing an all day activity, for example, hiking 12 miles or more, you will want to either get a very early start to your day or stay relatively close to the activitys location. Some are out and back, some are loops, and others are parts of the Continental Divide Trail. Of course, the lodging options in Glacier National Park do fill up, so book in advance! When visiting Glacier National Park, staying inside the park will eliminate a lot of needless driving. Planning a trip to Glacier NP after mid-September, during the winter months, or even in spring can limit what you are able to do in the park. Where should I stay when visiting Glacier National Park? Glacier National Park is a real treat. But where should you stay? That being said, we would never recommend something to you that we dont stand behind 100%. Reserve up to six months in advance (we did it within fifteen minutes of the window opening, and sites were mostly booked within the next thirty minutes or so). This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible and/or for marketing purposes. Search all hotels in East Glacier Park, Montana. Its the domain of the parks elk. If youre up for camping, youve got a plethora of campground options on the west side of the park. For most people, the best time to visit Glacier NP is between late June/early July and early to mid-September. To enjoy the park, there are more than 750 miles of hiking trails and the stunning Going-to-the-Sun Road, which climbs up and over the Continental Divide. Wed recommend using West Glacier and Many Glacier as your home base for exploring the park, splitting your time and staying in each place (which are about two and a half hours away from each other). During the peak season in Glacier National Park, you may also need reservations to drive the Going to the Sun Road Corridor and the North Fork Vehicle Reservation Area. Located in the the northwest corner of Montana, Glacier National Park sits fairly remote from any big cities. Spend the first day driving from Apgar to St. Mary along Going-to-the-Sun Road, and spend the night in Many Glacier. Can I sleep in my car in Glacier National Park? In some cases, we may be the publisher, in other cases, a third-party may be the publisher. Brand new cabins! The thing to know about booking a place to stay inside Glacier National Park is that reservations open 13 months in advance, and thats when youre going to need to make your reservations if youre coming over the summer (unless you happen to get lucky and snag a cancellation). If youre looking for a variety of activities for family members of all ages, the West Side of Glacier Park will keep you entertained for days. This website uses various third-party Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, the most popular pages, and how visitors interact. Distance from the Apgar Visitor Center: 35 minutes / 28 miles. This is where the options get a little more robust, with a nice variety of places to stay from a historic lodge, to glamping, to upscale cabins for families and groups. Just across the road, Apgar Village Lodge and Cabins is the other option, and youll choose between cabins with a kitchen, cabins without a kitchen, and motel rooms. Not to mention youll find ample restaurants and alternate activities available in the quaint downtown of Kalispell, Montana. The park is full of wild animals, and your mission is to see as many as possible. This region contains two gorgeous glacial finger lakes, Bowman Lake and Kintla Lake. How did a rain forest end up in the northern Rockies? Youll also be near the Many Glacier area of the park. Most such forests are on the coasts of Oregon, Washington, and northern California. Its worth noting that the one bedroom cabins have two queen beds AND a sofa bed, so they can really sleep up to six people if youre willing to share a relatively small space. You have plenty of options inside the park both camping and hotels/lodges and just outside the park entrance in the towns of West Glacier, Hungry Horse, and Coram, and the bustling mountain town of Whitefish, which is the furthest out that wed recommend. This makes it increasingly challenging to get around and youll miss some of the best parts of the park! Its a canvas tent elevated off the ground in, you guessed it, a tree. Located just a mile away from the west entrance to the park, Great Northern Resort is about as close as you can get to staying inside Glacier National Park (without paying the premium or having to book a year in advance). With so many lodging options around Glacier National Park, its difficult to determine where to stay. You will get wonderful views of many mountain peaks that include Heavens Peak, Stanton Mtn, Bearhat Mtn, Haystack Butte, Mt Oberlin, Mt Cannon and the Continental Divide ridge which contains Mt Gould, Bishops Cap, Pollock Mtn, and more. Theres also some fun places to stay north of town on Whitefish Lake, which will add time to your drive into the park, but make up for it with waterfront accommodations where you can watch the sun set over the lake. Your best bets are going to be either camping, or finding a nice cabin along the lakeshore. Additionally, these cookies are required for you to be able to use important features on our website, such as; logging in, submitting forms, joining newsletters, placing orders, etc. The latest I would recommend visiting Glacier NP is over Labor Day, at the beginning of September. As a bonus, this small town of under 5,000 residents is frequently ranked as one of the best and safest places to live in Montana! Choose between standard king rooms (with one king bed), a room with two queen beds, or a room with a king and a twin bunk bed. The shuttle connects all parts of the park, including West Glacier, Apgar, Lake McDonald Lodge, St. Mary, and Many Glacier.

If youre going to Glacier in the offseason or shoulder season, youll have to stay elsewhere. Sprague Creek is much nicer, but its tiny and fills up by 7am (sometimes earlier on weekends in the summer). We figured, sure, it looks nice, lets spend a week in Oregon on our way up to Seattle. After all, it is a very narrow road winding through the mountains. Theres a small mini-fridge in the room, but no kitchen facilities so youll be eating most of your meals out. Another four miles and the trail dumps you at the main road, where you can ride the shuttle back to the pass. How Boomers Are Blazing Their Own Retirement Paths, 9 Reasons Portugal Is The Perfect Travel Destination For Every Type Of Traveler, 8 Amazing Wellness Retreats In Arizona To Rejuvenate, 10 Things To Know About Hiking To Glaciers Remote Sperry Chalet, 7 Things To Know Before Hiking Highline Trail In Glacier National Park, Why You Must See Glacier National Park In An RV, Stunning Hikes In The North Fork Area Of Glacier National Park (And Why You Should Visit), For details on Quillt's privacy and cookie policies, please visit our, why I spend my summers as a Glacier Red Bus driver, national parks requiring changes for visitors. Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler. Mike Owens worked for decades as an investigative reporter in St. Louis television and also practiced law before retiring. The farther east you go into the park, the greater the elevation. I was actually born in Sacramento. The highest peak in the park is Mount Cleveland, at over 10,400 feet. Located just minutes from the Saint Mary Visitor Center, you can reach the Logan Pass Visitors Center in just 35 minutes from the town of Saint Mary. If you are a family with kids, they have options to have a separate, smaller kids tent with two twin beds set up next to the main tent. The subalpine tundra is a bit lower in elevation. Not to mention you will also likely struggle to find parking. We write detailed travel guides to help you forge deeper connections when you travel, and well hopefully help you discover something new along the way. The cabins, which are either two or three bedrooms, are all equipped with a kitchen that has everything you need to cook meals for you and the group (including dishes and utensils) and a propane fireplace for those slightly chilly nights (there will probably be at least one while youre in Glacier). You are able to explore at your own leisure without having to work around the times and limitations of the shuttles in Glacier National Park. Currently, the reservations are in effect from May 27 September 11, 2022 for driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road between 6am 4pm and the North Fork area from 6am 6pm. Maybe pick the two bedroom cabins if youre traveling with your inlaws. When booking hotels for Glacier National Park, youll need to take into consideration the time of year youre visiting. There are two other regions of Glacier Park on the East Side Many Glacier region and Two Medicine region. In fact, from West Glacier its over a two hour drive one-way. A less traveled trail in this region, but along small lakes and waterfalls, is the first 4 miles of the Swiftcurrent Pass Trail into Bullhead Lake. If you want to stay near Many Glacier which wed absolutely recommend youve essentially got two options. The Village Inn at Apgar is a simple motel-style lodging option. This can make the eastern side of Glacier more desirable. Glacier National Park really is a little slice of heaven! There are only really three good options here. Located about 12 minutes north of Saint Mary, Babb is the closest place to stay for the Many Glacier part of Glacier National Park. However, its a small price to pay to spend less time driving each day! Recently, the park has seen a huge influx of visitors, which is straining their systems and making it essential that you book your accommodations early. Their three bedroom cabins have room for up to ten, with two separate living areas. Be prepared for cool weather and be ready to bundle up. As soon as you disembark from the ferry and set foot on the island, it feels like stepping into a completely different world. Search all hotels in West Glacier, Montana. Along this section of the Sun Road, you will get views of Lake McDonald, Bird Woman Falls, the Weeping Wall, the Triple Arches, the West Side Tunnel (a uniquely designed tunnel), and Logan Creek and McDonald Creek Valleys. The full 50 miles of the Going-to-the-Sun Road will take about 2 hours to drive. You will also find golf courses in Columbia Falls, Whitefish, Kalispell, and Bigfork. The Two Medicine region is vertical real estate, and will be a bit less populated. There are new views of Saint Mary Lake, which is part of one of the most iconic views in the park: a postcard shot of Wild Goose Island. This allows you to spend the most time exploring and enjoying the park and its amazing scenery. The easiest access to both chalets in Glacier Park Granite Park Chalet and Sperry Chalet is also provided from this section of the Sun Road. The western half of Glacier National Park is the most visited part of the park, featuring most of the places youve seen in the brochures and travel guides about Glacier like Lake McDonald, Going-to-the-Sun road, the Loop, the Highline Trail, and more. All four of the rafting companies are located in the West Glacier vicinity. Glacier National Park is in northwestern Montana, situated just south of the Canadian border in the Rocky Mountains. We arrived a day early and spent our day relaxing and walking around town. Its been called the most stunning 50 miles of road in the United States. It reminds me a lot of places like Bend, Oregon in that its clearly a gateway to amazing outdoor recreation, but stands on its own as a cool town even when you put the location aside. Determining where to stay in Glacier National Park requires understanding the bigger picture of how to get around the park and the surrounding areas. This stretch is the best blend of location and amenities. The dipper frequents fast-moving water and actually submerges and uses its wings and tail to fly underwater. Some of the mountain peaks youll see from this section of the Road are Going-To-The-Sun Mtn, Heavy Runner Mtn, Piegan Mtn, Mahtotopa Mtn, plus several others. However, there are very, very limited amenities here, and youll be paying a premium for the ones you do find (namely, gas and groceries). We want to inspire you to explore new destinations, discover new experiences, and savor the journey. A few of these golf courses are designed by PGA professionals and subsequently challenging. Truly incredible. We used the shuttle system in Zion and it was easy to park outside and not have to drive ourselves through the hiking areas. This is so helpful! The Ultimate Guide to Glacier National Park Hotels: Where to Stay for Glacier NP, How to Decide Where to Stay for Glacier National Park, Staying in the Many Glacier Region of Glacier National Park, Where to Stay West of Glacier National Park, Where to Stay East of Glacier National Park, Visiting Glacier National Park in Off Season, Additional Details for Hotels near Glacier National Park. Since then, guess how much time Ive spent in Sacramento? Most of the east side of the park including eastern entrances will likely remain closed for the 2020 season. The only one that you can reserve in advance is Fish Creek Campground, and its super competitive. Another walk, which starts at Logan Pass but heads west, is the Highline Trail. Keep in mind, because theyre canvas tents and Glacier gets COLD, the season is mid-June through mid-September. Plenty to cook a few simple meals over the course of a couple of days of exploring. Theres not a whole lot going on when you leave the east entrance of the park, but the best place to stay, by far, is going to be near Duck Lake. The east side also was hit by a roadside wildland fire in 2015, which drastically changed the views in the park as the Reynolds Creek Fire burned about 5,000 acres.

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