Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Golf
Somewhat surprisingly, the
Glacier Park Lodge
(U.S. 2 and Hwy. 49, 406/226-5642 or
406/892-2525,
www.glacierparkinc.com
,
late-May-Sept. as weather permits, $35 for 18
holes, $21 for rental clubs, $35 for cart, $20 for 9 holes) has a unique nine-hole golf course.
Built in 1927 by Great Northern Railway tycoon James J. Hill, the course is the oldest grass
course in Montana and permits soft spikes only. It was designed by a New York architect,
but because the course was built within the boundaries of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation,
each of the holes is named after a former chief of the Blackfeet Nation. Clubs, carts, and
pull carts can be rented from the pro shop. There is a pitch-n-putt course on-site as well.
Horseback Riding
For horseback riding outside the park on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation,
Glacier Gate-
way Trailrides
(Hwy. 49, across from the Glacier Park Lodge, 406/226-4408, off-season
406/338-5560, $30-185 pp) offers excellent guided rides through magnificent country June-
September. Trips range from one hour to full-day excursions; children must be at least sev-
en years old. The guides are Native Americans, who offer a unique cultural perspective on
places like Looking Glass and Two Medicine River Gorge.
Boating
As on the west side of the park, the
Glacier Park Boat Company
(406/257-2426,
www.glacierparkboats.com
,
tours $12-22 adults, children half price) rents kayaks ($15/
hour), canoes and rowboats ($18/hour), and electric motorboats ($20/hour), and offers
guided tours on their fleet of classic wooden launches. There are excellent cruises on Two
Medicine Lake at least four times daily mid-June-early September.
There are several small, kitschy motels in East Glacier that are ideal for a night or two
before heading into the park, but they are not well suited for a week's stay. The standout
alternative is the stately
M
Glacier Park Lodge
(U.S. 2 and Hwy. 49, 406/892-2525,
www.glacierparkinc.com
,
late May-late Sept., $140-471), which opened to guests in 1913.
An Adirondack-style hotel commissioned by the Great Northern Railway, it was construc-
ted of massive fir and cedar timbers, each weighing at least 15 tons. The local Blackfeet
who watched the structure go up called it
omahkoyis,
or “big-tree lodge.” The grounds are
beautifully manicured—there's even a historic and very playable golf course in addition to
a pitch-n-putt. The 161-room hotel offers fine and casual dining, a cocktail lounge, a gift
shop, an outdoor swimming pool, and a day spa. The rooms are modest but comfortable.
