By Lisa T. Bergren

We returned to Many Glacier—my favorite part of Glacier National Park—last summer for a mini-family reunion. And this time, we splurged and spent the night at the grand old lodge, rather than truckin’ it all the way back to Kalispell at the end of the day (2.5-3 hours).

Leave Yourself Time…You’ll Want It

I highly recommend spending at least one night in East Glacier. It allows you time to meander through West Glacier, over what the Blackfeet called “the backbone of the world” (Logan Pass) and not have to rush on out when you fall in love what you see here—spectacular lakes with ice-hewn mountains plunging into them.

There is plenty of wonderful hiking on this side too, from easy, family-friendly trails (Grinnell Lake is a good one) to the more challenging (Iceberg Lake), both of which dump you out at some amazing locations. But bring the bug spray—the mosquitoes adore fresh meat options—bear bells (they grow ‘em big here) and rain gear. The weather can change radically within the hour. If hiking’s not your thing, there are boat rides, canoes and kayaks to rent, horseback rides and fishing.

We reserved our room at Many Glacier Hotel, not knowing much about the old lodge, built in 1914. Until last year, we’d just peeked into the grand, public spaces. The rooms are basic, but comfortable enough. Think historically accurate for turn-of-the-century with modest updates—that’ll keep your expectations in line. Tell kids there are no TVs or pools—the park is your playground, from dawn until dusk. After that, it’s cards or board games out by the massive fireplace.

How to Score the Best Rooms

• Start early; people are reserving as early as March, when reservations open
• Best weather in this part of Montana is the end of July/first of August
• Be advised that the six “family rooms” are on the fourth floor of the annex with no elevator; good space for our family of five
• 4th floor rooms can be up under the dormers/eaves, which might partially impede your view of Swiftcurrent Lake. (This was our experience. Next time, we’d opt for two regular rooms, side by side, instead; but our kids are ages 7 and up)
• Some 1st floor rooms have doors out to the grounds, a nice option for families with kids who like to run (a bad option for other families who need to keep kiddos contained)
• Some rooms have balconies. I’d want one of these, next time. When you reserve a room, request a balcony; according to the manager, “Be insistent they write it down.” Oddly, few have chairs; bring some camp chairs to take full advantage of this feature
• I snooped and here are the #s of some rooms I thought were the best: 100, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 140, 144, 148, 150, 152, 154, 210, 212, 310, 312, 502-518 (even #s). #562 has a cool old fireplace, but it’s not working
• Ask to be on the lake side of the building! Other side is pretty, but nothing compared to the Swiftcurrent side
• Many Glacier out of your price range? Check out Swiftcurrent Lodge (motel) and cabins

Been to Glacier National Park? Where’d you stay? Please comment below!