Where Should I Stay While Visiting Glacier?

Glacier National Park is a breathtaking place, complete with craggy mountains, cliff-hugging glaciers, and fantastic wildlife viewing — it’s the perfect place to take a vacation!

Where should you stay while visiting Glacier? If you want to be in the park to cut down on driving, stay along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. If you’re looking for something outside of the park, West Glacier or St. Mary are excellent options.

My name is Ash, and I used to be a park ranger! I’ve spent a lot of time exploring Glacier National Park, and I’m excited to help you decide where to stay while visiting Glacier. Let’s talk about your options.

Glacier Map, Entrances, and Nearby Towns

First, let’s get the lay of the land around Glacier. This park has five official entrances, so you’ve got plenty of options for places to stay while visiting Glacier.

West Entrance of Glacier (West Glacier)

The West Glacier Entrance is an excellent jumping-off point for seeing some of the park’s most popular spots. From here, you’ll have easy access to some fabulous activities along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, such as Lake McDonald, Avalanche Lake, and Logan Pass. The West Entrance is also perfectly placed to get you close to the more remote Polebridge area of the park.

The town of West Glacier is small and has a few amenities, but you can easily drive to Columbia Falls, Kalispell, or Whitefish if you need larger stores, more dining options, or alternative activities.

Because of its convenient location, this entrance is usually my preferred place to stay near the park. However, if I’m visiting the park for more than two days, I always split my lodging reservations between West Glacier and St. Mary.

St. Mary Entrance of Glacier (St. Mary)

The St. Mary Entrance is found on the east side of Glacier, and it’s my favorite entrance! The impressive mountain views that Glacier is famous for start immediately on this side of the park. From here, you get quick access to some of the best trailheads in Glacier, such as Logan Pass and Many Glacier.

The town of St. Mary is small, with limited lodging and dining options, which is why most people don’t enter the park from this direction. I like to spend a few nights in West Glacier and a few nights in St. Mary if I’m staying in the park for several days.

Many Glacier Entrance of Glacier (Babb)

Many Glacier has spectacular hiking trails and amazing wildlife viewing opportunities. This entrance is further removed from the Going-to-the-Sun Road, so you’ll need to make a little extra effort to get to this area on the northeast side of Glacier.

You’ll find many of the park’s best day-hiking options at Many Glacier, including Grinnell Glacier, Cracker Lake, Iceberg Lake, and Swiftcurrent Pass. The boat tour across Swiftcurrent Lake is a popular activity here, as well as horseback riding and wildlife watching.

The town of Babb sits right outside of the road into Many Glacier, and it’s about as small a town as you can get. St. Mary is a short drive down the road from Babb and offers a few more amenities.

Two Medicine Entrance of Glacier (East Glacier Park Village)

The Two Medicine Entrance is located in the southeast corner of Glacier. A short road leads you through the entrance station to the shores of Two Medicine Lake, where you’ll find a boat tour and several hiking opportunities that provide a lot of solitude.

This area is small, and there isn’t a lot to do unless you plan on spending your day out on the trail, but the mountain views are gorgeous! The town of East Glacier Park Village has some dining and lodging options if you’re hoping to stay near this entrance.

Camas Creek Entrance of Glacier (West Glacier/Polebridge)

The Camas Creek Entrance is on the west side of Glacier, near the Fish Creek Campground. The only reasons you’ll be passing through this entrance are if you’re entering the park via the forest service land bordering Glacier’s west boundary or if you’re driving up to Polebridge.

Polebridge is a small community on the northwest side of Glacier. It’s famous for its huckleberry bear claws sold at the Merc and the beautiful views at Bowman or Kintla Lakes. Polebridge has a staffed ranger station that you will need to pass through if you want to drive to the lakes.

If you’d like more information on the best airports and roads around Glacier, including details about getting to each of these entrances, check out How to Get to Glacier National Park.

Staying Inside of Glacier National Park

Glacier is a large and complex national park! There are many wonderful things to do, but this park gets extremely crowded. I recommend staying at a historic lodge or one of the motor inns inside the park if you want to have more opportunities for sightseeing without the crowds. If you can cut down on your drive time by staying near a point of interest, you’ll be able to get out at sunrise or sunset when the main crowds have cleared out.

Hotels and Lodges in Glacier

There are seven lodges in the park, so you’ve got some great options of places to stay while visiting Glacier! Experiencing the park before everyone gets there or after everyone has left is the very best thing about staying in one of these lodges.

National park lodges typically aren’t known for their amenities or comforts, so you’re usually paying for location and ambiance. Glacier lodges are no different — you may not find any televisions or air conditioning in these guest rooms, and you might not even have a private bathroom in some hotels. It’s all about the location and historical significance if you decide to stay in the park.

I recommend trying to stay along the Going-to-the-Sun Road if you want to be near the main points of interest — the Apgar Village Lodge & Cabins, the Lake McDonald Lodge, or the Rising Sun Motor Inn are all good for that.

If you don’t mind moving around a little, I recommend spending a few days on the west side and then a few days on the east side. Lodge rooms at Apgar or Lake McDonald can be paired with rooms or rustic cabins at Rising Sun Motor Inn or Many Glacier Hotel to dramatically cut down on your drive time between sights if you’re hoping to explore most of the park.

Glacier National Park lodges are some of the most competitive places to stay in any national park! To book hotel rooms, you’ll need to be ready to make your reservations 13 months in advance of your trip.

Glacier Campgrounds

Glacier has thirteen different campgrounds to choose from — some are located in the popular areas, and some are more off-the-beaten-path.

I recommend trying to stay along the Going-to-the-Sun Road if you’d like to be close to Glacier’s can’t-miss activities — Apgar, Sprague Creek, Avalanche Creek, Rising Sun, and St. Mary are great options for that.

If you don’t mind moving around a little, I recommend spending a few days on the west side of the park and then a few days on the east side of the park. Campgrounds at Fish Creek, Apgar, Sprague Creek, and Avalanche Creek can be paired with the campgrounds at Rising Sun, St. Mary, or Many Glacier to dramatically cut down on your drive time between sights.

If you’re looking for a more solitary camping experience away from the park’s major crowds, consider camping at Bowman Lake, Kintla Lake, Quartz Creek, Logging Creek, Two Medicine, or Cut Bank.

All campsites in Glacier, whether reservable or first-come, first-served, are extremely competitive. If a reservable site is available, I suggest snagging it immediately! If you plan on trying for a non-reservable site, be aware that most campgrounds fill by 7 or 8 a.m., and you will need to be there much earlier to get in line for the sites that come available.

To learn more about your camping options and how to snag a site, read all about camping in Glacier.

Staying Outside of Glacier National Park

Because Glacier has five different entrances into the park, it’s easy to stay close to the park without actually being in the park. I recommend staying outside of Glacier if you want nicer modern amenities, cheaper prices, or more dining and activity options.

But here’s the disclaimer — not all towns are created equal! If you stay outside of the park, be sure to pick a town that won’t add a ton of driving to your day. You’ll already be driving a lot to see the sights in Glacier, so it’s best not to add more driving just to get to the park entrance.

Staying in West Glacier or St. Mary

So that being said, the towns of West Glacier and St. Mary are my favorite places to stay outside of Glacier. The proximity of these towns to the Going-to-the-Sun Road is perfect for getting out and exploring the park!

West Glacier is small, but you will find some nice lodging options. If you can stay right in West Glacier, that’s ideal, but if you can’t, I wouldn’t book anything further out than Columbia Falls. In a busy and crowded park like Glacier, it’s CRUCIAL that you position yourself to get through the entrance station quickly so that you can find parking at the popular sights. Trust me on this! Click here to see lodging options in West Glacier.

If you’re visiting Glacier for more than two days, I highly recommend splitting your lodging between the west and east sides of the park. St. Mary is a great place for exploring the east side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, Many Glacier, and Two Medicine. Click here to see lodging options in St. Mary.

Staying in Kalispell or Whitefish

Many people book their lodging in the cities of Kalispell or Whitefish, which might seem like a great spot at first glance. But PLEASE try to get closer to the west entrance if you’re hoping to thoroughly explore Glacier.

Staying in Kalispell or Whitefish will add about 45 minutes of driving each way to reach the west entrance of the park. That’s valuable time you’ll need to find parking and start enjoying the outdoor activities. Finding parking in Glacier should be its own competitive sport. It gets that bad!

Kalispell and Whitefish are both lovely cities with lots of great activities, hotels, vacation rentals, and restaurants. If you decide to stay here and are hoping to get out and hike in Glacier, expect some very early mornings and a lot of extra drive time.

If you prefer to stay in a city with more amenities and don’t plan on spending a ton of time hiking in Glacier, then staying in Whitefish or Kalispell may be a great option for you. Click here to see lodging options in Kalispell or Whitefish.

Staying in Polebridge or East Glacier Park Village

Polebridge and East Glacier Park Village are just outside some of the smaller and quieter areas of Glacier. If you stay in one of these communities, you will not be very close to the Going-to-the-Sun Road (the main road through the park).

You might want to stay in either of these towns if you don’t plan on visiting Glacier’s most popular areas and can’t- miss spots. Or if you want to break up your sightseeing with some peace and quiet.

My recommendation if you want to experience Polebridge or East Glacier Park is to book lodging here in addition to the time you have for your Glacier sightseeing. Spend a night or two here before moving on to lodging that’s closer to the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Click here to see lodging options in East Glacier Park or Polebridge.

I hope you find the perfect place to stay while visiting Glacier National Park. Safe travels!

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