Glacier National Park
Location: Northwestern Montana. Area: 1534 square miles. Season: June 15 to October 1. Address of Supervisor: Belton, Montana.
Railroad Connections
Glacier Park is the only National Park that is on the main line of a transcontinental railroad—the Great Northern. Areas east of the Continental Divide are reached from Glacier Park Station, while the portion of the Park west of the Divide is accessible from Belton.
Stopovers are allowed at Glacier Park Station and at Belton during the season on all tickets reading through these points. Stopovers are also permitted on through sleeping-car tickets. Round-trip excursion rates in effect during the season are as follows: Chicago, $48.00; St. Louis, $45.00; Kansas City, $37.50; Denver, $35.00; Seattle, $26.95; San Francisco, $60.90. Tourists’ tickets from Denver and points east of that city may be purchased to include Yellowstone Park for $10.00 in addition to the fares quoted above. All tickets from eastern points may be made to read via Denver in one direction without extra charge.
Tourists holding transcontinental tickets reading via Northern Pacific Railway should obtain stopover at Helena or Butte and purchase excursion tickets to Glacier National Park via Great Northern Railway. Fare, Helena to Glacier Park and return, $13.15; Butte to Glacier Park and return, $13.35.
Tourists holding transcontinental tickets reading via Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway should obtain stopover at Butte and purchase excursion ticket to Glacier National Park via Great Northern Railway.
Click on the map to enlarge it
By permission of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior
TRAVEL-GUIDE MAP OF THE
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK MONTANA
After Topographic Map of Glacier National Park by the U.S. Geological Survey
Automobile Routes
Tourists traveling on the Yellowstone Highway may reach Belton, the western entrance to Glacier Park, from Missoula, Montana. The total distance is 167 miles. From Yellowstone Park the following routes may be taken to Glacier Park: From Gardiner (northern entrance) through Livingston, Butte, and Missoula; total distance 509 miles. From Yellowstone, Montana (western entrance), through Butte and Missoula (482 miles), or through Bozeman, Butte, and Missoula (519 miles).
Hotels and Camps
In Glacier Park are camp and hotel accommodations that range from the teepee to the modern steam-heated hostelry. Two hotels—the Glacier Park and the Many Glacier—are operated by the Glacier Park Hotel Company, whose address is Glacier Park, Montana. The Glacier Park Hotel is located at Glacier Park Station, while the Many Glacier Hotel is on the shore of Lake McDermott, 55 miles to the north by automobile road. Both these hotels have been constructed within recent years and are modern in every respect. The rates range from $4.00 and $4.50 per day, without bath to $5.00 and $7.00 per day, with bath. On the shore of Lake McDonald is the new Glacier Hotel, owned by J. E. Lewis, Lake McDonald, Montana; connected with it are 20 log cabins which furnish comfortable accommodations. Rates range from $3.00 to $5.00 per day. Other places on Lake McDonald are The Park Hotel, address, Belton, Montana; rates $2.00 to $3.00 per day; and the National Park Cabin resort, address Belton, Montana; rates $2.00 to $3.00 per day. The hotels on Lake McDonald are reached by stage from Belton to the lake, thence by launch. The National Park Cabin resort is at the foot of the lake and the launch trip is not necessary. Chalets are maintained by the Glacier Park Hotel Company at or near Two Medicine Lake, Cut Bank River, the lower end of St. Mary Lake (St. Mary Chalets), the narrows of St. Mary Lake (Going-to-the-Sun-Chalets), Lake McDermott (Many Glacier Chalets), Granite Park, Sperry Glacier, and Belton Station. Rates at the chalet groups are uniformly $3.00 per day. Each of these chalet groups consists of log or stone buildings, attractively grouped, in the vicinity of a central structure used for a dining- and lounging-room. Most of the dormitory chalets have one or more attractive lounging-rooms, equipped with large stone fireplaces. The service is less conventional than at the hotels, the aim being to furnish clean, comfortable beds, plain food, well cooked, plenty of it, and served in family style.
Teepee camps are maintained by the Glacier Park Hotel Company at or near Two Medicine Lake, Cut Bank River, lower end of St. Mary Lake, narrows of St. Mary Lake, and Lake McDermott. All these teepee camps are near the chalets in the same locality; the rates are uniformly 50 cents a person a night.
All teepee camps are equipped with cookstove and cooking-utensils and dishes for serving meals. Food may be purchased at reasonable prices at the near-by chalets, the tourist being permitted the free use of the range, cooking-utensils, and dishes.
All teepees are wooden floored and each equipped with two single cot beds and bedding. They will be found very comfortable by those who desire to enjoy an inexpensive outing.
The only place in the extreme western portion of the Park where accommodations may be obtained is at Adairs, on Flathead River, about 2 miles south of Logging Creek.
Rooms with bath and bathing facilities for tourists occupying rooms without baths are provided at the Glacier Park Hotel and Many Glacier Hotel. There is a large plunge pool at the Glacier Park Hotel. Detached shower and tub baths are provided at Two Medicine, St. Mary, Going-to-the-Sun, Many Glacier, and Belton Chalets, for which a charge of 50 cents per bath is made.
The distances between the hotels and chalets are as follows:—
| Miles | ||
| Glacier Park Hotel to | ||
| Two Medicine Chalets, road | 12 | |
| Two Medicine Chalets, trail | 11 | |
| Cut Bank Chalets, road | 22 | |
| St. Mary Chalets, road | 32 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel, road | 55 | |
| Two Medicine Chalet to | ||
| Glacier Park Hotel, road | 12 | |
| Glacier Park Hotel, trail | 11 | |
| Cut Bank Chalets, trail | 18 | |
| Cut Bank Chalet to | ||
| Glacier Park Hotel, road | 22 | |
| Two Medicine Chalets, trail | 18 | |
| St. Mary Chalets, trail and road | 16 | |
| St. Mary Chalets to | ||
| Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, launch | 8 | |
| Cut Bank Chalets, road and trail | 16 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel and Chalets, road | 23 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel and Chalets, trail | 16 | |
| Glacier Park Hotel, road | 32 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel and Chalets to | ||
| St. Mary Chalets, road | 23 | |
| St. Mary Chalets, trail | 16 | |
| Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, trail | 22 | |
| Granite Park Chalets, trail | 9 | |
| Going-to-the-Sun Chalets to | ||
| St. Mary Chalets, launch | 8 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel and Chalets, trail | 22 | |
| Sperry Chalets, trail | 17 | |
| Sperry Chalets to | ||
| Going-to-the-Sun Chalets | 17 | |
| Glacier Hotel on Lake McDonald, trail | 7 | |
| Glacier Hotel, on Lake McDonald, to | ||
| Sperry Chalet, trail | 7 | |
| Granite Park Chalets, trail | 18 | |
| Granite Park Chalets to | ||
| Many Glacier Hotel and Chalets, trail | 9 | |
| Glacier Hotel, on Lake McDonald, trail | 18 | |
Tours
From Glacier Park Station an automobile road leads to St. Mary Chalets and Many Glacier Hotel and Chalets, with side roads to Cut Bank and Two Medicine Chalets. From Belton there is an automobile road to the foot of Lake McDonald. There is also a wagon road along Flathead River from the foot of Lake McDonald to the northern border of the Park. There is no road across the Continental Divide, and all trips in the mountain region must be by trail.
Transportation between Glacier Park Hotel, Two Medicine Chalets, Cut Bank Chalets, St. Mary Chalets, and Many Glacier Hotel and Chalets is by automobile. There is launch service on St. Mary Lake between the St. Mary and Going-to-the-Sun Chalets and on Lake McDonald between the foot of the lake and the hotels near the head. There is also a trail between Going-to-the-Sun and St. Mary Chalets, on Lake St. Mary, as well as between the foot of Lake McDonald and the hotels at the head of the lake. Trails furnish the only means of communication between the other chalet groups and between the chalets and the hotels on Lake McDonald. On the trails the only transportation is on horseback or afoot. The following rates are authorized in the Park:—
| One way | ||
| Automobile fare between— | ||
| Glacier Park Hotel and St. Mary Chalets | $3.50 | |
| Glacier Park Hotel and Many Glacier Hotel | 6.50 | |
| St. Mary Chalets and Many Glacier Hotel | 3.00 | |
| Glacier Park Hotel to Two Medicine Chalets | 1.50 | |
| Belton and Lake McDonald | .50 | |
There is no regular automobile service to Cut Bank Chalets; a rate of $5.00 for the round trip is made for a minimum of 4 fares.
| Launch rates are as follows:— | ||
| Between chalets on St. Mary Lake | $.75 | |
| Between points on Lake McDonald | .75 | |
Guides, saddle- and pack-horses can be secured from the Park Saddle-Horse Company, at Glacier Park Station, Many Glacier Hotel, Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, Glacier Hotel, and Lake McDonald at the following rates:
| Per day | ||
| Parties of 1 to 5 people:— | ||
| Saddle- and pack-horses, each | $3.00 | |
| Guides, including horse and board | 5.00 | |
| Parties of 6 or more people:— | ||
| Saddle- and pack-horses, each | 3.00 | |
| Guides, including horse and board | 3.00 | |
Park rules require 1 guide for every 10 persons or fraction of 10. Pack-horses are not needed for short one-day trips, but are necessary for long trips of several days. One pack-horse will carry the dunnage of 10 people.
All saddle-horses are required to be equipped with waterproof slickers, which outfitters supply free.
Glacier National Park contains many beautiful camping-spots, and camping tours independent of hotels or chalets are popular for tourists who like to “rough it.” The Park Saddle-Horse Company will furnish complete outfits at following prices for trips of 10 or more days:—
Rates for complete camping tours
| Cost per day per person | |
| 1 person | $25.00 |
| 2 persons | 15.75 |
| 3 persons | 12.65 |
| 4 persons | 12.40 |
| 5 persons | 11.30 |
| 6 persons | 10.60 |
| 7 persons | 10.00 |
| 8 persons | 9.70 |
| 9 persons | 9.60 |
| 10 persons or more | 9.50 |
The above rates include the necessary guides, cooks, saddle-horses, pack-horses, provisions, tents, cooking-utensils, stoves, and everything except blankets. Tourists are advised to bring their own blankets or bedding, or they can rent blankets from the outfitters at $1.00 per pair.
The rates below are for the most popular trips that are taken. In all cases meals and lodgings will be extra at the hotels, chalets, or teepees at the regular rate:—
| One-day trips:— | ||
| Glacier Park Hotel to Two Medicine Chalets by automobile, and return | $3.00 | |
| Glacier Park Hotel to Going-to-the-Sun Chalets by automobile and launch, and return | 8.50 | |
| Glacier Park Hotel to Mount Henry and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 4.00 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel to Iceberg Lake and return, horseback | 3.50 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel to Grinnell Lake and return, afternoon trip, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 3.50 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel to Grinnell Glacier and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 4.00 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel to Cracker Lake and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 4.00 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel to Granite Park Chalets and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 4.50 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel to Ptarmigan Lake and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 3.50 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel to Morning Eagle Falls and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 4.00 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel to Going-to-the-Sun Chalets via Piegan Pass, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 4.00 | |
| St. Mary Chalets to Red Eagle Lake and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 4.00 | |
| Going-to-the-Sun Chalets to Roe’s Basin and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 4.00 | |
| Going-to-the-Sun Chalets to Sexton Glacier and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 3.50 | |
| Going-to-the-Sun Chalets to Gunsight Lake and return, horseback (minimum 3 persons) | 4.00 | |
| Going-to-the-Sun Chalets to Many Glacier Hotel via Piegan Pass, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 4.00 | |
| Head of Lake McDonald to Sperry Glacier and Sperry Chalets and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 4.00 | |
| Head of Lake McDonald to Lincoln Peak and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 4.00 | |
| Head of Lake McDonald to Avalanche Basin and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 4.00 | |
| Head of Lake McDonald to Snyder Lake and return, horseback (minimum, 3 persons) | 4.00 | |
| Two-day trips:— | ||
| Glacier Park Hotel to Many Glacier Hotel and St. Mary and Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, and return, automobile, and launch | 14.50 | |
| Glacier Park Hotel to Two Medicine Chalets via road or Mount Henry trail, and return (minimum, 3 persons) | 8.00 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel to Granite Park Chalets and return, horseback | 8.00 | |
| Going-to-the-Sun Chalets to Glacier Hotel on Lake McDonald, horseback (minimum, 5 persons) | 8.00 | |
| Head of Lake McDonald to Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, horseback (minimum, 5 persons) | 8.00 | |
| Three-day trips:— | ||
| Glacier Park Hotel to St. Mary Chalets, Many Glacier Hotel, Iceberg Lake, and Going-to-the-Sun Chalets and return, automobile, horseback, and launch | 18.00 | |
| Glacier Park Hotel to Two Medicine Chalets, Mount Morgan Pass, Cut Bank Chalets, Triple Divide Peak, Red Eagle Lake, and St. Mary Chalets, horseback (minimum, 5 persons) | 13.25 | |
| St. Mary Chalets to Glacier Park Hotel, reverse of preceding trip (minimum, 5 persons) | 13.25 | |
| Four-day trip:— | ||
| Glacier Park Hotel to St. Mary Chalets, Many Glacier Hotel, Iceberg Lake, Granite Park Chalets, Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, St. Mary Chalets and return to Glacier Park Hotel, automobile, horseback, and launch | 22.50 | |
| Five-day trips:— | ||
| Glacier Park Hotel to Many Glacier Hotel, Iceberg Lake, Granite Park Chalets, Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, St. Mary Chalets, and return to Glacier Park Hotel, automobile, horseback, and launch | 26.00 | |
| Glacier Park Hotel to Two Medicine Chalets, Mount Morgan Pass, Cut Bank Chalets, Triple Divide Peak, Red Eagle Lake, St. Mary Chalets, Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, Piegan Pass, and Many Glacier Hotel, horseback (minimum, 5 persons) | $18.00 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel to Glacier Park Hotel, reverse of preceding trip (minimum, 5 persons) | 18.00 | |
| Going-to-the-Sun Chalets to Piegan Pass, Many Glacier Hotel, Swift Current Pass, Granite Park Chalets, Garden Wall Trail, Glacier Hotel on Lake McDonald, Sperry Glacier, Sperry Chalets, Gunsight Pass, and return to Going-to-the-Sun Chalets (this trip cannot be taken until the completion of the new trail over the Garden Wall, about August 1, 1917; minimum, 5 persons) | 20.00 | |
| Many Glacier Hotel over route described above and return to Many Glacier (minimum, 5 persons) | 20.00 | |
| Hotels at head of Lake McDonald over route described above and return to head of Lake McDonald (minimum, 5 persons) | 20.00 | |
| Six-day trip:— | ||
| Glacier Park Hotel to St. Mary Chalets, Many Glacier Hotel, Iceberg Lake, Granite Park Chalets, Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, Sexton Glacier, and return to Glacier Park Hotel; automobile, launch, and saddle-horse | 30.70 | |
| Seven-day trip:— | ||
| Glacier Park Hotel to Many Glacier Hotel, Iceberg Lake, Granite Park Chalets, Cracker Lake, Going-to-the-Sun Chalets, Sexton Glacier, and return to Glacier Park Hotel, automobile, saddle-horse, and launch | 34.70 | |
Points of Interest
| Miles | ||
| Reached from Glacier Park Hotel:— | ||
| Mount Henry, trail | 7 | |
| Reached from Two Medicine Chalets:— | ||
| Trick Falls, road | 2 | |
| Upper Two Medicine Lake, trail or boat and trail | 4 | |
| Bighorn Basin, trail | 4 | |
| Dawson Pass, trail | 6 | |
| Mount Henry, trail | 4 | |
| Reached from Cut Bank Chalets:— | ||
| Red Eagle Lake, trail | 16 | |
| Cut Bank Pass, trail | 7 | |
| Triple Divide Peak, trail | 8 | |
| Reached from St. Mary Chalets:— | ||
| Red Eagle Lake, trail | 8 | |
| Red Eagle Pass and Glacier, trail | 16 | |
| Reached from Going-to-the-Sun Chalets:— | ||
| Roe’s Basin, poor trail | 6 | |
| Sexton Glacier, trail | 4 | |
| Piegan Pass, trail | 12 | |
| Reached from Many Glacier Hotel:— | ||
| Appekung Basin, trail | 4 | |
| Iceberg Lake, trail | 7 | |
| Cracker Lake, trail | 7 | |
| Grinnell Lake, trail Footpath to Grinnell Glacier 2 miles from Grinnell Lake. | 5 | |
| Piegan Pass and Garden Wall, trail | 10 | |
| Swift Current Pass, trail | 7 | |
| Ptarmigan Lake, trail | 7 | |
| Morning Eagle Falls | 5 | |
| Reached from Glacier and Park Hotels at Head of Lake McDonald:— | ||
| Paradise Cañon, trail; 4 miles from Glacier Hotel, 2 miles from Park Hotel. | ||
| Avalanche Basin, trail; 9 miles from Glacier Hotel, 7 miles from Park Hotel. | ||
| Trout Lake, trail; 8 miles from Glacier Hotel, 9 miles from Park Hotel. | ||
| Stanton Mountain, trail to the summit; 7 miles from Glacier Hotel, 5 miles from Park Hotel. | ||
| Snyder Lake, trail; 4 miles from Glacier Hotel, 6 miles from Park Hotel. | ||
The Glaciers
The most accessible glaciers are the Blackfeet and the Sperry, both of which are on the trail leading from St. Mary Lake to Lake McDonald.
Blackfeet Glacier is 2 miles by trail from Gunsight Lake. This is the largest glacier in the Park, having an area of 3 square miles. The glacier is especially dangerous in the vicinity of the upper cascades. Visitors are not allowed to go upon it unless accompanied by competent guides, who should be supplied with ropes, belts, creepers, alpenstocks, and emergency equipment. Each visitor to the glacier should have an alpenstock or stout stick 6 or 7 feet long. The alpenstock should be used to sound for blind crevasses, and in case a person breaks through the ice the alpenstock should be thrown across the crevasse in order to prevent a fall to the bottom.
Sperry Glacier is 2 miles by trail from Sperry Chalets. While the trail is steep, horses may be used to the foot of the escarpment under the south rim of the glacier; walking is recommended. The escarpment may be climbed by means of an iron ladder bolted to the rock, or by way of zigzag goat trails. Whichever method of ascent is attempted, visitors should be accompanied by competent guides provided with ropes. While this glacier is less broken than Blackfeet Glacier, explorations should not be attempted without a guide.
Clothing and Other Equipment
As the most beautiful portions of Glacier Park are reached only by traveling on horseback or afoot, it is imperative that the tourist limit his equipment to the articles absolutely necessary for comfort. Trunks and other heavy equipment should be left at Glacier Park Station or Belton, as only one piece of baggage, weighing not over 20 pounds, is carried free on the automobile stages. As the altitude is high, the tourist should be prepared for cool weather. The following equipment is recommended: Woolen riding-breeches, flannel shirts, medium- or light-weight woolen underwear, woolen army socks, good walking-shoes, leggings or puttees, sneakers, gloves, saddle slicker, and a felt hat (a hat is preferable to a cap for use in rainy weather); a poncho or other waterproof coat should be taken if the tourist is going to walk; slickers are provided with the horses. The best equipment for a woman consists of flannel middy blouse, woolen riding-breeches, woolen Boy Scout stockings, a man’s felt hat, and the other articles listed above. Women that object to the poncho because of the difficulty in getting it over the head will find a Boy Scout cape a good substitute.
Essential articles of clothing, including boots, shoes, haversacks, slickers, blankets, camping equipment, provisions, etc., may be purchased at commissaries at Glacier Park Station and at St. Mary and Many Glacier Chalets. The Glacier Park Hotel Company, which operates these commissaries, also makes a practice of renting, at a nominal figure, slickers, riding-breeches, mackinaw coats, and other overgarments.
Stores carrying a similar general line of articles most useful in making Park trips are located at Belton, Montana, the western entrance to the Park, and at Glacier Hotel (Lewis’s), at the head of Lake McDonald. A stock of clothing, general merchandise, and camp equipment is carried at Adair’s, on the Flathead River, about 2 miles south of Logging Creek.
The Glacier Park Hotel Company operates a laundry at Glacier Park Hotel, at which complete laundry facilities are provided for guests. Tourists at Many Glacier Hotel, Many Glacier, St. Mary and Going-to-the-Sun Chalets can, if they desire, have their laundry sent out to Glacier Park Station.
Fishing
There is fine fishing in almost all the streams and lakes of Glacier Park, the gamest fish being the cutthroat trout, also known as the black-spotted and native. The rainbow, Dolly Varden, mountain, and Eastern brook trout are also found in the waters of the Park. The best fishing is in Two Medicine Lake and River, Cut Bank River, Red Eagle Lake and Creek, St. Mary Lake and River and the tributary streams, Cracker Lake, Cañon Creek, McDermott Lake, and tributary streams, Swift Current River below McDermott Falls, McDonald Lake and Creek, Avalanche, Bowman, Logging, Trout, and Arrow Lakes, and Flathead River and its tributaries. The flies generally used are the black gnat, professor, brown and gray hackle, royal coachman, queen of waters, Jock Scott, and silver doctor. The trout rise to the fly during June, July, and August; July and August being the best months. Early in June and in September spinners with meat bait or salmon eggs are used. Flies and tackle may be purchased at Glacier Park Hotel, Many Glacier Hotel, and Glacier Hotel on Lake McDonald.
The Mackinaw or lake trout are found only in Lake St. Mary. They are caught with a spoon or with a combination of spoon and bait, as they seldom rise to the fly.
A fishing license is not required.