Planning a trip to Glacier in September 2019. We've never been. Any advice on where to stay is appreciated. We'll pretty much stay anywhere. Thanks!

My preference would be Many Glacier area. I'm not really picky, so any of the motels and lodges are perfectly fine by me.

Thanks! We're the same way. Not picky!

It depends on what you're more interested in. With us, we like the park, but it's not the sole focus of our trip. We want a more rounded experience, so for us, we're definitely staying in or near Whitefish.

edit: We went last year for the first time. Wife and I, and we stayed at a B&B. This time it's the whole fam and we rented a house on the Flathead River south of Columbia Falls for 10 days.

Day hikes, landscape and wildlife photography are our interests.

Is the grouse mountain lodge still in whitefish? What about the Izaak Walton inn in Essex (for train enthusiasts).

I'll second the Many Glacier area and the Many Glacier Hotel. I prefer the eastern side of the park - it's fantastic.

Check your dates - Many Glacier Hotel closes down for the season sometime in the 2nd half of September.
Two Medicine Lake is also a nice area - only been to that section once but it seemed to get less visitor pressure.

Grouse Mountain Lodge is still there and it was still pretty good when I stayed two years ago. (Company has a startling good corporate rate with them.)

Many Glacier or MacDonald lodge depending on which side of the park you want to explore.

BNSF?

Grizzlies are obviously my main interest in the area. Many Glacier and Two Medicine are fairly reliable for grizzlies. I also like the Belly River area, Many Glacier is pretty easy access to there.

On the west side, I like anything north of Polebridge, but lodging-wise you would likely have to check out some of the cabins around Polebridge (the FS has cool cabin immediately north of Polebridge, but I suspect competition for it is stout.)

Yep, BNSF.

Heard the Glaciers may not be there in 2019, so you might want to go somewhere else.

There's a B&B way north of polebridge called the way less traveled. It's a nice place

I second many glacier in the park. Also east glacier lodge is great. I'm not sure what's going on with both lake McDonald lodge and the park in waterton following the fires last summer, otherwise those would be at the top of the list.

Whitefish and Bigfork are cool if you're looking to get out of the park for a change of pace

The lodge is nice but service at the restaurant was AWFUL, at every meal we had there(summer 17)

It is also quite the haul to the park and back.

Many glacier is beautiful. You can stay cheaper with vrbo airbnb whatever. Just depends on price versus location.

Anyone heading to Glacier N.P., let me know when you are coming through.

Take Exit 126 off I-90 between Bearmouth and Clinton, head 10 miles up Rock Creek Road, make a travel break, say Howdy and check out Blue Damsel Lodge.

I've camped in the park in a tent and stayed several places on the east and west side. If you can swing it, spend a few days staying on either side. If you want to save some $, the cabins at the KOA campgrounds aren't bad at all. Most of them require using the camp showers, but they're not bad facilities. There's other private campgrounds with similar cabin rentals. AirBNB or whatever for a cabin would be nice too. I really like the solitude of the Polebridge area, but unfortunately people have discovered it and it will be growing steadily. Well, in the summer at least. In the winter it is snowmobile/machine access only I think.

I think it's good to try to visit every valley in the park at least a day.

ursusguy said:

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My preference would be Many Glacier area. I'm not really picky, so any of the motels and lodges are perfectly fine by me.

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I've been several times. This is the best advice

KOA at west side is nice and it is close to park

One of my favorite places on Earth. You will have a blast.

87Flyfisher,

We are up there every year. Unfortunately, we fly into Kalispell because we have a place in Big Fork we stay at, looks like you are down near Missoula. Based on username, I am always interested finding new spots to fish and hike if ever want to make the drive farther north.

We were up there a couple summers ago with my parents, brother and his family, and sister and hers. We spent 3-4 days on the east side and 3-4 on the west. We were able to rent a four cabins in the Rising Sun area. The cabins were really neat. Saw black bear walking right through the "campground" as well as a grizzly on the Going to the Sun road. On the east side we stayed in Apgar Village Lodge, which was ok, but location was great. The Village Inn at Apgar looked nicer and has views of the lake. We had such a large party so we had to book the rooms and cabin almost a year in advance. Good luck...it's about the prettiest place I've ever been.

87, the family and i will be up there in July. Am I right that you're a fishing guide?

This thread gets my heart pumping! A trip to Glacier is on my wife's bucket list! I shall never forget (cause I have a photo of it) the mirror image of the mountain peak north of Lake McDonald. When I looked at the photo, I could not determine which was the reflection and which was not! The lake was smooth as glass that day. Won't be this year, but we'll be there next year this time, if not before!

I went there last summer and had an absolute blast. We split time between Whitefish and East Glacier. We went into the Many Glacier Lodge several times and while it obviously was showing its age it was a fun stepping off point for the parks various offerings.

Went to GNP last summer and had a blast. Stayed in Kalispell which was fine since it's close to the airport, but when I go back, I think we'll choose Whitefish.

This is my favorite National Park. To the person who recommended Two Medicine, I second that. My favorite hikes were in that area. Didn't make it over to to East Glacier. The park is so massive and you really have to plan out your days because the drive from Lake McDonald on the west side to the East side is something like 2 hrs one-way if I remember correctly.

I believe ursus mentioned polebridge that place is a neat stop for a cocktail and to see one of those authentic Montana settlements.

You will have a blast. Highly recommend renting kayaks for Lake McDonald, too. It's a workout in the middle of the lake due to the wind, but it is just so beautiful. It's also really cool to see areas of the park where wildfires were and the recovering vegetation in that area.

Have fun!

Yes, I am a fly fishing guide. While I am in Montana I only guide guests at the lodge my wife and I manage. We are located southeast of Missoula. Info is in my profile.

Check recreation.gov

i've rented NPS owned cabins on site before in WY and MT that were awesome.

Wife and I like to drive and cover as much area as we can with short jaunts. We started in White Fish and drive the entire southern loop, the did a full drive through Polebridge up to the Canadian border. No traffic up there. Exactly what we wanted.

Going to the Sun was awesome, but we both enjoyed the solitude on the Western side.

I'm definitely following this thread. This has been on my bucket list for a while now, and I would love to go hiking/backpacking in GNP. Looking at doing it Summer '19.

Following this for early Sept trip. Anyone know anything about East Glacier Lodge????

The history is pretty cool. I have walked through it each time I have been up there and it is really something.......that said, each time I have been up there has been on the cheap, so I have never actually stayed there.

Alvarado Times said:

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Following this for early Sept trip. Anyone know anything about East Glacier Lodge????

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book now. those places book up early