Best Hotels Near Glacier National Park: Stay Near the West and East Entrances

Finding that perfect combination of comfort and convenience when you’re experiencing the wildness of the Glacier National Park in Montana isn’t difficult considering the number of hotel options available near the park gates. While most hotel options in the area are a bit rustic, and you should expect that your connectivity to the outside world will be limited due to weak cell service, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find a variety of options for soft beds and places to eat that fit your budget.

These accommodations boast the most important amenity of all, which is proximity to Glacier for early morning starts on your adventures.

Built during the same time period as the in-park lodging in 1910, this National Historic Landmark harkens back to the heyday of the Great Northern Railroad. It echoes the same Swiss chalet-style architecture that you will see at the park lodges, but with the addition of a casual-yet-sophisticated dining and tap room. The chances of getting a late booking here? Not high—it fills up quickly.

Honeymooners will find it ideal for avoiding the crowds, while also offering easy access to park amenities due to its close proximity to West Glacier. Want even more privacy along with a kitchenette and fireplace? Two cottages, the Lewis and the Clark, are also available to book.

Located a 17-minute drive from the West Entrance of Glacier, Beargrass Lodging and RV resort has several types of lodging available, from RV hookups to cabins designed for couples and families to a dozen motel rooms. If you are looking to save some money but you don’t want to compromise on location, the options here strike a nice balance—although the slow quality of the Wi-Fi is a price you pay for the lower rates.

If you are set on renting a cabin for your Montana trip, then these can be a lower-cost alternative to some of the prohibitively expensive options located nearby. Coin laundry, which you might need after a long hiking day and is a rare amenity in this region, makes a stay feel slightly less rugged. When you stay here, you are close to some of the park’s best facilities, such as the Apgar Transit Center and Visitor Center and the south shore of Lake McDonald.

For those who want to keep nature coming after spending a day in the park, Glaciers Mountain Resort has six cabins nestled in aspen and pine trees. Each one is slightly different, but all of them have a kitchen, at least one bathroom, Wi-Fi, and a private deck where you can look out over a well-manicured lawn. Only one cabin houses more than four people (the Sun Road Cabin sleeps eight) so don’t expect to host a family reunion here.

However, you are only seven minutes’ drive away from the west entrance of the park. If you're a honeymooner looking for alone time with your significant other or you're searching for peace under Montana skies, then you’ll find it in this secluded area—it's set back from from Highway 2, the main road to Glacier. 

Average rate in July: $355 a night

GglacierMountainResort.com/; 406/270-0984

Under Canvas Glacier aims to provide luxury glamping and a community feel with shared grills, volleyball courts, and hammocks distributed throughout the property. Under Canvas looks great on social media, and every detail, from the wool blankets draping the beds to the handcrafted wooden signs directing you around the complex, seems meant for Instagram.

You have a short, 12-minute drive back from the park’s west entrance to your warm modernized tent, each of which even has a wood-burning fireplace. This means you’ll be back in time to join in on the campfire gathering they have available in the evenings.

Kitchens and a washers and dryers can be found in this series of five cabins located 11 minutes away from West Glacier. While billed as luxury cabins (that might be a stretch), they also have details that lend them an approachable, homey feel, such as art from local artists. Each cabin has views of piney forests and mountains in the distance and large windows bring in a lot of light to the kitchen and living room areas.

You have the option of booking a cabin that can accommodate six or eight people, each with its own front porch ideal for spotting wandering wildlife. A major highlight? The propane fireplaces in each cabin—they’re the perfect backdrop for enjoying a board game during the cool nights in the mountains when the sun sets.

Moving over the east side of the park, there are fewer accommodations, and due to that scarcity, rooms book up faster than what you find over by the west gate. However, considering Glacier Park Lodge has 162 rooms, there is a fair chance you can secure a room here in the summer with some advance planning. 

A historic hotel, this one built in 1913, Glacier Park has rooms might feel a tad outdated since not many changes have been made since its original build—you’ll find several rooms still retain fireplaces from that period. Groups could have difficulty with the amount of space in the “Family Room” quarters, where there are three beds crammed into one shared room.

A highlight is the Great Northern Dining Room restaurant, which serves up locally sourced meals. When you take a break from exploring the park, a nine-hole golf course is also available for a different kind of outdoor adventure, and the hotel aims to keep the spirit of the historic Great Northern Railway (which built it) alive with a shuttle to and from the Amtrak station located in East Glacier. Altogether, this makes it a popular choice for retirees and other visitors seeking a classic national park lodge experience.

It’s not glamorous, but it does put you right in the action for east side adventures. About 15 minutes from the Two Medicine area and 80 minutes from the Many Glacier area, you can scope out some pretty impressive mountain views from here. The truth is that with limited accommodation options by the east entrance, Circle R is by default one of the top options. There are no closets or desks in the rooms, and you will be competing for parking spaces with non-guest hikers looking for trailheads. 

What you lack in luxury you do make up savings (this area is getting more expensive to visit every year) as well as in the ease of getting to local restaurants like the Two Medicine Grill. Amtrak riders can also get off at the East Glacier stop and walk over to a stay here, making it a solid choice if you don't plan on renting a car.