Lodging in Glacier National Park

Glacier Park, Inc. operates five of the six lodging facilities in Glacier, and Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier. Call for reservations at (406) 756-2444. It is a good idea to make reservations six months to a year in advance, particularly for the busy months of July and August. Rooms may sometimes become available due to cancellations, but call early to ensure that you have a place to stay.

Glacier Park Lodge

Glacier Park Lodge amazes visitors with its lobby lined with gigantic Douglas fir pillars. The lodge, located in East Glacier, was built between 1912 and 1914 and now has 154 rooms. A regulation nine-hole golf course and swimming pool entertain travelers as well. There's also a nine-hole pitch-and-putt course running through the landscaped gardens in front of the lodge. Restaurant, coffee shop, lounge, nightly entertainment, heated pool, gift shop, nine-hole golf course, horseback tours, service station. Open June to September.

Many Glacier Hotel

One of the park's largest glaciers looms over its cliffside perch near this Swiss-style hotel. Located in Many Glacier Valley, the hotel's tall picture windows look out at Swiftcurrent Lake. Many Glacier Valley is the center of the largest network of trails in Glacier, with five major valleys leading to glaciers, passes, and lakes. Many Glacier Hotel is the largest lodge in the parks, with 215 rooms. The hotel staff, chosen for their performing abilities, regularly entertain guests with musical and theatrical selections in the lounges and dining rooms. Restaurant, snack bar, lounge, nightly entertainment, gift shop, boat tours, horseback tours, and service station. Open mid-June to mid-September.

Swiftcurrent Motor Inn

Swiftcurrent, just a short walk from the Many Glacier Hotel, has 88 rooms and private cabins. The inn's front door is just a short distance from the Iceberg Lake trailhead, one of the most dramatic hikes in the parks. This facility was built as a rest stop for car travelers when the automobile became a popular mode of transportation in the 1930s. It later added a general store and more motel rooms as the Many Glacier Valley's popularity increased. Restaurant, camp store, laundromat, public showers, plus access to Many Glacier Hotel's restaurants and visitor services. Open mid-June to mid-September.

Rising Sun Motor Inn

The St. Mary Valley, with its beautiful lake and bright red mountains, is the scenic attraction of Rising Sun Motor Inn. The inn has 72 motel and cabin rooms and is located adjacent to Going-to-the-Sun Road on the eastern side of Glacier, close to St. Mary Visitor Center. Coffee shop, camp store, public showers, gift shop, and boat tours. Open mid-June to mid-September.

Lake McDonald Lodge

George Snyder built the first hotel and hunting lodge in the parks here in 1895. Huge logs support the lobby's high ceiling. Famous western artist Charles M. Russell is said to have drawn the pictographs on the lobby's immense stone fireplace. A short walkway leads to the Lake McDonald shore, where tour and rental boats are available. The Lake McDonald complex has 100 rooms in the main building, private cabins, and an adjacent motor inn. Restaurant, coffee shop, lounge, gift shop, camp store, boat tours, horseback tours, post office, and service station. Open early June to late September.

Village Inn

The 36 rooms of this modern motel have panoramic views of Lake McDonald Valley and the Continental Divide. Some rooms contain kitchenettes. Located in Apgar Village, it is near a restaurant, gift shops, and Apgar Visitor Center. You can also rent horses, boats, and bikes nearby. West Glacier's restaurants, whitewater rafting, and services are also nearby. Open mid-May to late September.

Apgar Village Lodge

Built in the early twentieth century, this motel has 48 units, including 23 kitchenettes. It is run by the Lundgren family in West Glacier; call (406) 888-5484 for information and reservations. Rooms have telephones and full baths. No television. Open from early May to late September.

Granite Park Chalet

Granite Park Chalet is a national historic landmark hotel reached only by trail. From Logan Pass along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, the chalet is a 7 miles hike along the famed Crown of the Continent Highline Trail, usually referred to simply as the Highline Trail. Much of the trail passes through the scenic Garden Wall in Glacier National Park. The chalet is also accessible via the Loop Trail (4.5 miles, 2300 feet elevation gain) and the Swiftcurrent Trail (8 miles, 2285 feet elevation gain). The trails are for hikers and horseback riders only; no vehicle access is provided.

Granite Park Chalet is a limited services facility and those that spend the night make use of the full service kitchen to cook their own meals. For details about Granite Park, contact Granite Park Chalet at (888) 345-2649 or visit graniteparkchalet.com. Open from July 1 through September 6, 2008.

Sperry Chalet

Sperry Chalet was built in 1913 by James J. Hill and son Louis Hill of the Great Northern Railway, the prime developer of Glacier National Park. Listed as an Historic Landmark, these rustic buildings, built of native rock, have survived their rugged environment relatively unchanged for over 90 years.

The chalet is reached only by trail, via hiking or horseback. The two trails leading to the chalet are the Sperry Trail, which starts at the Lake McDonald Lodge parking lot and stretches 6.7 miles to the chalet, climbing 3200 feet in the process. The other means of accessing the chalet is via the Gunsight Trail, which is a 12.1 mile hike from the Jackson Glacier Overlook on Going-to-the-Sun Road. This hike averages 9 hours.

The chalet consists of two buildings from the Great Northern era: a two story hotel building and a kitchen/dining room building. A restroom facility has been added, but is not part of the historic landmark designation. The dormitory building is built with random rubble masonry and is topped with a large gable roof that has two dormers on either side. The kitchen building is also made of random rubble masonry, but uses smaller stones and appears less striking in its design.

Unlike Granite Park Chalet, Sperry Chalet provides meal services: dinner, breakfast, and either a trail lunch or an ala carte lunch in the dining room. The guest rooms are private, but in line with the backcountry experience, there is no electricity, heat, or running water.

You can find additional Glacier National Park information by clicking on the links below. Enjoy all that Glacier has to offer!

• Glacier Activities
• Glacier History
• Glacier Information
• Leave No Trace
• Bears in Glacier National Park