Not sure where to stay in Glacier National Park? We share our lodging advice along with the best in-park lodging plus great hotels in nearby gateway towns.
Figuring out where to stay when visiting Glacier National Park can be a challenging task. It’s a popular national park and reservations fill up quickly.
Living in Bozeman, MT, we visit the park often and help friends and family find lodging. If at all possible, I always recommend staying in the national park.
It really adds to the uniqueness of your national park vacation and has the added bonus of minimizing driving times and enjoying the quiet of the park after the crowds have left for the day.
However, lodging inside the park books quickly, so you might need additional options in surrounding towns. We’ve got you covered there too!
Here are our recommended places to stay both in and outside of Glacier National Park.
Too busy to plan a vacation? See our 3 Perfect Days In Glacier National Park! A detailed 3-day itinerary detailing our favorite hikes, what to see, and tips learned along the way.
Our Lodging Strategy When Visiting Glacier National Park
If you have 2-3 days in Glacier, our lodging strategy is to stay on the west side of Glacier National Park and tour all the sights and hikes nearby and then make your way east, by way of the infamous Going To The Sun Road, to your next lodging which will serve as your base to explore the St. Mary and Many Glacier areas of the park.
The Going To The Sun Road is the only road traversing the park and connects its two main entrances from West Glacier (the most popular entrance) to the St. Mary Entrance.
If staying on the west side of the park, it would take about 2 hours to drive its 50 miles to reach the sites and hikes on the east side near St. Mary.
And granted, it is an amazingly scenic drive but it makes for a really long day with lots of car time. A challenge with kids for sure!
It is really difficult to get lodging in the park- rooms book quickly. But if you can, you should. Make reservations as soon as possible at Xanterra’s Glacier National Park Lodges (up to a year in advance.)
Staying Near West Glacier Entrance vs. Staying Near the St. Mary Entrance
You’ll have the best chance of finding lodging near the west entrance to Glacier simply because there are more lodging options here as compared to the more remote east entrance at St. Mary.
The west entrance to Glacier is the most popular entrance to the park. If amenities are important to you, the western side offers more tourist-oriented amenities, especially in the nearby towns of Whitefish and Columbia Falls, MT.
The east side of Glacier National Park is quieter and more remote and although it too sees lots of crowds it is less crowded than the Apgar Village area of the park’s west side.
I like the more remote Many Glacier area for its fantastic hiking trails, mountain vistas and alpine lakes, and I also like the hikes along St. Mary Lake on the Going To The Sun Road.
Therefore, I generally look for lodging near the eastern side for more hiking choices and less people and traffic congestion. And, in my opinion, it’s the most scenic part of the park.
All that being said, I really like both sides of the park and would take ANY lodging I could find inside the park.
Tip: If you can’t immediately find lodging within the park, keep checking online. Cancellations happen often. My last two reservations were made within 60 days of our visit.
Know that the lodging inside the park is very basic and fairly rustic yet very expensive. You are paying for the beauty and convenience of the location.
Hotels in nearby towns will offer better value but you will have longer drives to the attractions in the park.
Our Top Choices At A Glance
My first choice for lodging in the park is located on the east side of the park in the Many Glacier area: Many Glacier Hotel (expensive) or Swiftcurrent Motor Inn. We have also loved the central location of Rising Sun Motor Inn located across from St. Mary Lake on the Going To The Sun Road.
On the west side of the park, the best place to stay is the Village Inn at Apgar (right on Lake McDonald!). Again, preferably stay on the west side one night and east side for 1-2 nights.
If you can’t get lodging inside the park, I would recommend staying in one of the nearby towns- Whitefish, MT or Columbia Falls, MT near the West Glacier Entrance with Whitefish being my first choice of the two. Each of these options and pros and cons is described in more detail below.
Lodging Near West Glacier Entrance
Staying near the west side of Glacier allows for convenient exploration of the park’s Lake McDonald area and the popular Trail of Cedars and Avalanche Lake hikes.
Inside The Park
Apgar Village (Glacier National Park)
Apgar Village anchors the south end of Lake McDonald and offers a variety of lodging as well as restaurants, the Visitor Center, boat rentals, and more.
The location is terrific as you’re within walking distance of everything including the shore of Lake McDonald.
Apgar Village is one mile from the west entrance to the park. Note that although it is located within the national park boundaries, you still have to drive through the gated checkpoint to continue on the Going To The Sun Road.
From Apgar Village, it’s about 30 minutes on the Going To The Sun Road to the popular Trail of Cedars/Avalanche Lake and an hour to the popular Hidden Lake Trail at Logan Pass. See our 3 day itinerary for details on both of these trails.
Glacier’s Village Inn at Apgar is my first choice of lodging in Apgar Village. All the rooms here have fantastic views of Lake McDonald because the Inn sits right on the shore of the lake.
Overall, we loved our stay here. You can walk to a restaurant for dinner, rent a kayak, or just sit outside your room and take in the views of the lake. You could be happy just spending the day here.
The rooms here are a tad bit outdated but clean- more like a “retro motel” style which was fun. If you need more space, some of their suites sleep up to 6.
Tip: Try to get a room on the 2nd floor for sweeping views of the lake. You also won’t have to worry about noise from the level above. The Family Rooms (2 Queens and 1 Twin) are all located on the 2nd floor.
Located right next to the Village Inn with all the amenities of Apgar Village, Apgar Village Lodge & Cabins has an equally great location and can be less expensive than the Inn. I recommend the cabins here as the lodge rooms have really thin walls.
Tip: Request a cabin near the creek for best views.
If you want something a bit more modern and some space, a good option is the Apgar Lookout Suites which sit above Eddie’s Mercantile in Apgar Village.
Lake McDonald Lodge
Another option on the west side of the park is Lake McDonald Lodge which offers a historic stay on the east shore of Lake McDonald. It also has restaurants, a lounge, boat cruises, and other activities.
Note that it is located on the western side of the park but is not located in Apgar Village (see map below). You’ll have easy access to the impressive clear water and colorful rocks of Lake McDonald and it’s a quick drive to the popular Trail of Cedars/Avalanche Lake hikes.
I’m a sucker for historic lodges and love the lobby here with its grand fireplace. One advantage Lake McDonald Lodge has over lodging in Apgar Village is that you won’t have to contend with waiting to enter the park gates since it is located past the park entrance.
Lodging In Nearby Towns Near West Entrance
Whitefish, MT and Columbia Falls, MT are the closest towns to the West Entrance of Glacier and each has a variety of lodging options, restaurants, etc.
Whitefish, MT – 35 minutes to West Entrance
If you can’t get lodging inside the park, staying in Whitefish, MT is my first choice outside the park when visiting the west side of Glacier.
I would choose Whitefish over Columbia Falls. Whitefish is a small, quaint tourist town with plenty of restaurants and shops (loved Jersey Boys Pizzeria) and is located just 26 miles away (roughly 35 minutes) from Glacier’s west entrance.
You’ll also find plenty of things to do right in town, and you could easily spend several days of your vacation in Whitefish without venturing into the park.
We loved our day at Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort where you can hike, bike, zip down the mountain on an alpine slide, or take the zipline adventure course. P.S. The alpine slide was super fun!
And swimming in Whitefish Lake was a cold but fun experience!
From Whitefish, it takes 35 minutes to get to Glacier National Park’s West Entrance and about one hour to reach the parking lot for the popular and highly recommended Trail of Cedars/Avalanche Lake hike.
See our 3 Perfect Days In Glacier National Park for details on this hike and more.
We stayed at Whitefish Riverfront Hotel in Whitefish which is walkable to restaurants and shops, offered a nice pool, game room for the kiddos, and free use of their outdoor gear (kayaks, paddle boards, and bikes). Check prices and availability here.
For Whitefish, it is reasonably priced for its location and amenities.
You can paddle around in the Whitefish River from the dock behind the hotel or bike 30 minutes on the paved trail to reach Whitefish Lake.
We would definitely stay here again- lots to do from the hotel itself and so close to downtown Whitefish . The rooms were nice (and clean) with high ceilings and an outdoor balcony. A basic breakfast was included in the rate.
You’ll also find plenty of vacation rentals in Whitefish. Tip: I would recommend staying near downtown Whitefish if your main goal is visiting Glacier National Park. That way you can walk to restaurants upon your return each day without hopping back into the car again.
Hygge Chalet w/Mountain Views, 10mins to Skiing & Hot Tub. 2 bedroom, excellent location. 10 min to the mountain, 1 min to the lake and beaches, 1 min to downtown. Access to saltwater pool in summer.
Luxe In-Town Modern LARGE Condo, Walk Everywhere, Glacier National Park Avails! 2 bedroom sleeps 4. Brand new and close to everything.
Columbia Falls, MT – 25 minutes to West Entrance
The town of Columbia Falls is another option for lodging on the west side of Glacier.
Columbia Falls is generally less expensive than Whitefish and will have everything you need: places to eat, shop, and it’s a tad closer to the west entrance of the park.
Cedar Creek Lodge– This well-reviewed modern mountain lodge is a great option if you can’t get lodging inside the park, and it is walkable to shops and restaurants.
Wonderstone at Glacier– Relatively new hotel just outside of downtown Columbia Falls so a bit closer to the West Entrance to Glacier. Excellent reviews and a Starbucks is close by for that early morning coffee fix.
Meadow Lake Resort and Condos – Resort lodging on the golf course with heated pool and good onsite restaurant.
Lodging Near Glacier National Park’s East Side
As stated above, if you can swing it, try to stay on the west side for a night or two and the east side of Glacier for a night or two.
Inside The Park
Many Glacier (Glacier National Park)
The Many Glacier area of the park has its own entrance and has two lodging options- the historic Many Glacier Hotel and the more affordable Swiftcurrent Inn. Both have on-site restaurants and both have trails right outside your door.
Because this area is not located directly off of the Going To The Sun Road, it’s a quieter area of the park which is a bonus.
On the other hand, it will be a longer drive to the other attractions in the park if this is your basecamp. However, you could easily stay here for the entirety of your visit.
I always recommend staying at the historic Many Glacier Hotel. It is simply beautiful, perched right on Swiftcurrent Lake and surrounded by some of the best hikes in the park like Grinell Lake, Grinell Glacier, and Iceberg Lake.
It’s also a historic landmark and nearly impossible to get a reservation. Know that it is very expensive…
Just down the road from Many Glacier is the park’s Swiftcurrent Motor Inn and Cabins, which is not nearly as grand as the Many Glacier Hotel but has the same fantastic location at a much lower price point. I would stay here just for the location alone.
Tip: When booking, pay attention to which rooms have private bathrooms as some do not.
Rising Sun Motor Inn (Glacier National Park)
We also really enjoy the location of the park’s Rising Sun Motor Inn which sits along the Going to the Sun Road across from St. Mary Lake. It’s the most centrally located of the in-park lodging.
Tip: Rising Sun Motor Inn is a good choice if you want to explore both sides of the park as well as Many Glacier but stay in one place.
Rising Sun is just 25 minutes to Logan Pass, 11 minutes to the St. Mary Visitor Center (the best one in the park), and 51 minutes to the Many Glacier area of the park.
It has a pretty decent restaurant on site (offers a kid menu too) and a General Store if you need any basics (snacks, drinks, etc.).
It also offers easy access to the Sun Point Nature Trail (a great place to watch the sunrise above St. Mary Lake) and the popular trails to Baring Falls, St. Mary Falls, and Virginia Falls. Each of these trails is covered in our blog- 3 Perfect Days In Glacier National Park.
Rising Sun Motor Inn offers small (emphasis on small here) cabins as well as motel-type rooms which were updated, clean, and surprisingly nice given their outside appearance.
We’ve stayed in both the cabins and motel-type rooms and really liked both of them. Note that the cabins are duplex-style so you share a wall with your neighbor. We didn’t have a noise problem but I guess it depends on your neighbor…
Tip: The motel-type rooms at Rising Sun are a bit larger than the cabins.
Rising Sun Cabins 
Rising Sun Motor Inn
Lodging In Nearby Towns Near St. Mary Entrance
The nearest towns to Glacier’s St. Mary Entrance are the TINY towns of St. Mary and Babb, MT— you won’t find any chain hotels around here.
St. Mary Village is the best choice if staying outside the park. It’s located right next to the east entrance to Glacier, just a 1/2 mile from the St. Mary Visitor Center. The location can’t get any closer without actually being inside the park.
It has several lodging choices- (lodge rooms, cabins, and tiny houses) and has an onsite restaurant as well as a scattering of dining options nearby. Overall good reviews, but it’s really all about the location at this property.
You’ll also find a variety of cozy cabin rentals in the area of Babb as well.
My Wrap-Up
Glacier National Park is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. We love the alpine lakes surrounded by stunning mountain peaks, the availability of hiking trails that were fairly easy for the kids yet incredibly scenic, and the high probability of actually seeing wildlife every day of our visit.
To wrap up, my top lodging choices near the West Entrance are the Village Inn at Apgar Village (inside the park) or Whitefish, MT (outside the park.)
My top choice of lodging on the east side of the park is any of the following- Many Glacier Hotel (historic, expensive), Swiftcurrent Motor Inn (also in Many Glacier but less expensive), and Rising Sun Motor Inn (the most central location in the park). Of these 3, take whatever is available!
No matter where you stay, Glacier National Park will be an amazing vacation for your family. Happy Trails! – Amy
Too busy to plan a vacation? See our 3 Perfect Days In Glacier National Park! A detailed 3-day itinerary detailing our favorite hikes, what to see, and tips learned along the way.
Also traveling to Yellowstone National Park? See our Family Vacation In Yellowstone.
