Glacier Guides and Montana Raft Company

Need More Information?

2012-02-29T22:19:00.006-08:00

Okay, so this isn't as much of a blog as it is a list.
Many of the things/places listed below have links.

I hope that it is useful for those who are planning a trip.

Restaurants

West Glacier

Bonecrusher Bistro/Glacier Guides and Montana Raft (B/L) - great homemade food to go
The Belton Chalet (B/D) - casual taproom and more upscale dining ($$)

Rawhide Trading Post (B/L/D) - diner

The Higland Restaurant (B/L/D) - good "diner" food (homemade pie)
West Glacier Restaurant (B/L/D) - diner

"The Canyon" (Coram, Hungry Horse, Martin City) (10 minutes)

Glacier Grill (B/L/D) - diner food and pizza
The Trapline (B/L) - diner

Columbia Falls (20 minutes)

Montana Coffee Traders (B/L) - local favorite

The Palette (B/L) - seasonal menu with fresh, local ingredients

The Three Forks Grille (D) - local favorite, seasonal menu using fresh, local ingredients

The Back Room (D) - our meat eating locals love this place for it's ribs

Truby's (L/D) - wood fired pizza is their specialty, but there's something for everyone

Whitefish (40 minutes)

Loula's (B/L) - made to order, upscale diner

The Buffalo (B/L/D) - a local favorite for breakfast

The Tupelo Grill (D) - Local favorite with a Cajun flare (save room for the bread pudding).

Wasabi and Ginger Grill (D) - Sushi in Montana?? YES!

Whitefish Lake Restaurant (D) - Local favorite (for special occasions $$)

The Boat Club (L/D) - right on Whitefish Lake

Mambo's (D) - Italian. Not great for large parties.

East Glacier (1 hour - east side)

Serrano's Mexican Restaurant (D) - Real guacamole and great margueritas! Expect a wait.

Two Medicine Grill (B/L) - diner

St. Mary's (2 hours - east side)

The Park Cafe (B/L/D) - Everybody's favorite. "Pie for strength" (so make sure you leave room for it).

Two Sisters Cafe (D) - A little something for everyone.

Transportation

Picture taken from GPI website

Car Rental
Airport: Avis 406-257-2727 (local)
Airport: Budget 406-755-7500 (local)
Airport: Hertz 406-758-2220 (local)
Airport: National / Alamo 406-257-7144 (local)
Off Airport: Dollar 406-892-0009 (local)
Off Airport: Enterprise 406-755-4848 (local)
Off Airport: Thrifty 406-257-7333 (local)
West Glacier: 406-387-4141 (local)

East Glacier: Dollar

Transportation Services

Glacier Transportation, Columbia Falls - 406-892-3390
Airport Shuttle Service, Kalispell - 406-752-2842
Kalispell Taxi and Airport Shuttle, Kalispell - 406-752-4022
Wild Horse Limousine, Kalispell - 406-756-2290
Brown Bear Charters - 406-892-9822
Red Bus Tours
Sun Tours - cultural tours of Glacier from the Blackfeet perspective

Airports
Glacier International Airport (Kalispell) (20 minutes)
Missoula (2-3 hours)
Great Falls (3 hours)
Spokane International (4.5-5 hours)
Calgary International (5-6 hours) *must have passport
Boise, ID (9 hours)
Butte, MT (5 hours)
Seattle-Tacoma International (12 hours)
Salt Lake City International (14 hours)

Visitor Information/ Local Events

Picture taken from the Farmer's Market homepage

Flathead Events Calendar
Local Farmer's Markets

gateway2glacier
Columbia Falls Chamber of Commerce
Bigfork Chamber of Commerce
Whitefish Chamber of Commerce
Flathead Convention and Visitor Bureau
Glacier Country
Montana Events Guide
Glacier National Park Website Visitor Center
Montana State Tourism

National Parks

Glacier National Park
Glacier Park Website
US Park Service Glacier National Park
Facebook
Twitter
Flickr
Glacier Fund
Glacier Association
Glacier National Park Associates
Glacier Institute
All Glacier

Yellowstone National Park (6 hours)
All Yellowstone

Grand Teton National Park (9 hours)
All Grand Teton

Kids Stuff

Glacier's Junior Ranger Program
Montana Kid's Activities
The Amazing Fun Center (Coram) - bumper boats, maze, mini golf
Big Sky Waterslide (Columbia Falls)
Stumptown Art Studio (Whitefish) - paint your own pottery, art classes

Stuff to do outside Glacier

Whitefish Mountain Resort (Whitefish) - scenic lift rides, alpine slide, walk in the treetops

Boat Cruise on Flathead Lake (Lakeside) - byob and food if you want

Weddings and Events

Glacier Guides and Montana Raft - great for unique weddings, parties and reunions
Getting married in Glacier

The Cuisine Machine - Mobile Catering, fresh local menu (can be found at WF Farmer's Market)
Lindsey Jane Photography

Heaven's Peak (West Glacier)

The Montana Concierge

This list does not contain everything (otherwise it would be the phonebook). It's just a starter list, to help you get going. I will probably add to it over time.

Good luck making the best vacation possible!

Glacier National Park Travel Tips Part 2. The East-side

2012-01-31T15:08:00.161-08:00

You can't visit Glacier Park without spending some time on the east-side (well you can, but we don't recommend it).
For this blog we will give you the quick low-down for the east-side of the Continental Divide.

This includes Goat Haunt, the Belly River, Many Glacier, St. Mary, Cutbank Valley, and the Two Medicine / East Glacier area.

The east-side tends to be drier, cooler and windier and the base elevation is higher than the west-side of the park.

On a cultural note: The east side is home to the Blackfeet, a First Nations tribe. This reservation runs along the entire eastern border of Glacier Park. There are a plethora of uniquely named locales in the area (my personal favorite being Bad Marriage Mtn) each with an interesting story or person behind it. If you are interested at all, there are several good books to check out (ie. Walter McClintock's The Old North Trail or Let the Mountains Sing: Place Names of Glacier-Waterton by Jack Holterman).

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GOAT HAUNT
Goat Haunt is located along the border of the United States and Canada. The only way to access this area is from the town of Waterton (inside Canada's Waterton National Park) via boat (the International) or a 10 mile hike.

The "International" with the Prince of Whales Hotel in the background.

This region is home to Mt. Cleveland, the tallest mountain in Glacier Park at 10, 466 feet.

View from the boat (Mt Cleveland is in the clouds on the left).

The U.S. / Canadian border.

Most people visit Goat Haunt as a day trip, however, for the more adventurous this is the beginning or end of a multi day backpacking trip. There are some nice day hikes from this area, or you can choose to take the boat back with no hiking.

The view from Lake Francis (a backpacker's favorite).

Anyone who stays to hike will need their passport, there is a U.S. Customs station here.

The Goat Haunt boat dock.

QUICK GUIDE to Goat Haunt:

Recreation: Hiking, Backpacking, Camping (in Waterton), Lake Cruise
Lodging: None. Otherwise there are many options in Waterton (Prince of Whales Hotel).

Restaurants / Bars: None (many options in Waterton)

Shopping: None (several gift shops in Waterton)

Transportation: Lake Cruise (the International), Hiking, Backpacking

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THE BELLY RIVER

The Belly River is only for people that motivate to have an "out of car" experience.
There are no roads, and therefore no amenities.

View from the Belly River trail.

What it lacks in facilities, it makes up for in waterfalls, wildlife, lakes and amazing views.

View of Glenn's Lake with Stoney Indian Pass in the background.

If you are looking for total solitude, you may not get it here.
It is a favorite among backpackers (for good reason).

Belly River Ranger's Station.

It has many great backcountry campsites with several passes in which to access this area.
The valley is home to a few of Glacier's most prominent mountains, Mt. Cleveland, Mt. Merritt and Chief Mountain.

QUICK GUIDE to the Belly River:

Recreation: Hiking, Backpacking, Horseback Riding (private trips only)

Lodging: None

Restaurants / Bars: None.

Shopping: None.

Transportation: Hiking

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MANY GLACIER

Mountains. Glaciers. Wildlife. Hiking Trails. Wildflowers. Glacial lakes. Amenities.
Many Glacier has it all.

Lake Josephine in the morning.

It has the most accessible glacier in the park (yes, there are still some left). In fact you can catch the trail for it right from the hotel.

Grinnell Glacier Trail.

It is also one of the easiest places to see animals. Mountain Goats, moose, bighorn sheep and everybody's favorite...bear.

I have, in fact, seen bears right from the deck of the Many Glacier Hotel, binoculars in one hand, and a cocktail in the other.

Mountain Goat.

For these reasons, along with its jaw dropping beauty, this is one of the busiest places in the park.

Glacier Lilies on the Iceberg Lake trail.

The trails are busy and so are the hotels. If you are looking to get a room here, get on the horn. Dates book up to a year in advance. If you want high-end luxury, this is not it.

The Many Glacier Hotel.

The Many Glacier Hotel is historical, and the location is priceless.

QUICK GUIDE to Many Glacier:

Recreation: Hiking, Backpacking, Horseback Riding, Camping, Boat Cruise and Rentals

Lodging: Many Glacier Lodge or Swiftcurrent Motor Inn (Reserve EARLY!!)

Restaurants / Bars: Same as above

Shopping: A couple of gift shops as well as a small grocery store.

Laundry: Yes

Transportation: Red Bus Tours

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ST. MARY

St. Mary is the eastern side of Going-to-the-Sun Road.

It has the largest Visitor's Center in the park.

Hiking along St Mary Lake on the Sun Point Trail.

The scenery is fantastic. This is a great place to hike, either day-hiking or backpacking. From easy to hard, there are hiking trails that meet almost anyone's needs. And if you like waterfalls, this is the place to be, especially in June/July when they are running at their fullest.

Virginia Falls.

Although there is a large lake here, there is not much private boating due to the high winds that frequent the east side.

There are some amenities inside the park as well as in the town of St. Mary (on the Blackfeet Reservation). This is one of the best eastside options if you will not have transportation during your stay, since you will have access to trails, boats etc...via the park's free shuttle (check schedule of when it runs).

Hanging out by Baring Falls.

There are a couple of campgrounds in the valley (big and small). The bigger campground is one of the few that take reservations and it is good for all sizes of campers/RV's.

QUICK GUIDE to St. Mary:

Recreation: Hiking, Backpacking, Fishing (at Duck Lake outside park), Boat Cruise and Rentals, Camping

Lodging: Rising Sun Motor Inn (or limited others outside park in St. Mary)

Restaurants / Bars: Same as above (The Park Cafe and Two Sisters are good outside the park). *Bars frequented by tourists are recommended in this area.

Shopping: Gift shop at motor inn or several in St. Mary. St. Mary also has a good sized grocery store and gear shop.

Laundry: Yes

Transportation: Sun Tours, Red Bus Tour, Glacier's free shuttle service

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CUTBANK

Cutbank is great if you are looking for some peace and quiet. There is one small, forested campground here (for tents and small campers only) and limited hiking trails.

Hiking in on the Cutbank road early season.

For most, it is a starting point for multi-day backpacking trips.

QUICK GUIDE to Cutbank:

Recreation: Hiking, Backpacking, Camping
Lodging: None

Restaurants / Bars: None

Shopping: None

Transportation: None

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TWO MED / EAST GLACIER

Two Medicine is a diamond in the rough.

The Sinopah on Two Medicine Lake.

It is beautiful, cultural and is less crowded than most of the other valley's that have amenities.
There are no glaciers left here, which is why the waters are a deeper blue than the rest of the park.

My favorite wind-gnarled tree on the Scenic Point trail.

The campground here is large and can accommodate any size camper/RV. It is also nice because it is located next to the lake.

The view from the beach by the campground.

Two Med has great day-hikes and is a nice place to start a backpacking trip as well.

Twin Falls, a great day-hike.

There is a ranger's station here to get information or permits.

A good way to wait for the boat after a long day-hike.

Most people visiting this area stay in East Glacier (about 20 minutes away) at the Glacier Park Lodge.
This lodge was one of the first built by the Great Northern Railroad. It is located on the Blackfeet Reservation directly across the street from the train station (wonderful if you are travelling by rail).

The gardens at Glacier Park Lodge.

QUICK GUIDE to Two Medicine / East Glacier:

Recreation: Hiking, Backpacking, Camping, Boat Tours and Rentals, Fishing (on your own)

Lodging: None in Two Med. Several options in East Glacier (Glacier Park Lodge, Backpackers Inn)

Restaurants / Bars: None in Two Med. Several option in East Glacier (Serranos, Two Medicine Grille). *Bars frequented by tourists are recommended in this area.

Shopping: Two Med camp store. There are several gift shops in East Glacier as well as a small grocery store (for a unique stop check out the Spiral Spoon).

Laundry: Yes

Transportation: Red Bus Tours, Sun Tours

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Hope our "Cliff Notes" version of the east side of Glacier National Park will help you with your travel plans.

Stay tuned for more tips and info...

Glacier National Park Travel Tips Part 1. The West-side

2012-01-12T13:16:00.000-08:00

Wading through page after page of information on the internet can get overwhelming when researching Glacier.
I talk to people every day about rafting, backpacking, fishing, and lodging in Glacier National Park and find that most folks could use a quick summary of Glacier and what each part of the park has to offer.

This is our atempt to help...

Map of Glacier National Park

Map with key west-side regions.

First, the Continental Divide splits the park into eastern and western halves, and the following information is about the west-side of the Continental Divide.

(I am starting here since that is where Glacier Guides and Montana Raft is located.)

The west-side includes the Middle Fork/Nyack region, the West Glacier/ Lake McDonald area, the North Fork Valley and the Logan Pass/ Highline region.

West-side weather tends to be wetter, the temperatures milder and the wind calmer.

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WEST GLACIER

West Glacier, Montana is the most popular entrance to Glacier National Park. Its proximity and easy access to Glacier International Airport in Kalispell makes it the best place to start or end your trip.

Town of West Glacier from Apgar Lookout

QUICK GUIDE to West Glacier:

Recreation: Hiking, Rafting, Fishing, Golf, Horseback Riding, Biking, Camping (KOA and Glacier Campground)
Lodging: Several options (...Glacier Guides Lodge)

Restaurants/Bars: Several options (Belton Chalet, the Highland, West Glacier Restaurant/Bar)

Shopping: Yes (West Glacier)
Laundry: Yes

Transportation: Shuttle (with fee), Rental cars (from Kalispell)

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LAKE MCDONALD / APGAR

Lake McDonald/ Apgar is minutes away from West Glacier and has several restaurants, hotels, campgrounds, gift shops, as well as horseback riding, boat tours/rentals and hiking. Farther down the lake (about 20 minutes) is another lodge with restaurant options, gift shops and even an adjacent post office, as well as a campground.

Lake McDonald in autumn

The forests around the lake are some of the oldest in the park, with gorgeous cedar and hemlock, although there have been forest fires on the western side of this area within the past decade.

Forest on west-side

QUICK GUIDE to Lake McDonald / Apgar:

Recreation: Hiking, Rafting (in West Glacier), Fishing, Horseback Ridi ng, Boat Rentals, Red Bus Tours, Camping

Lodging: Yes (Glacier Park Inc)

Restaurants/Bars: One in Apgar, Two at Lake McDonald

Shopping: Yes (gift shops in Apgar and Lake McDonald Lodge)

Transportation: Red Bus Tours

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MIDDLE FORK / NYACK

The Middle Fork/ Nyack region is one of the least visited areas (due to thicker forest and less trail maintenance). If you are looking for hiking in wilderness, this is as close as you will get in Glacier.

The solitude of the Nyack

South of this region is the boundary of the park and a corridor that connects West Glacier and East Glacier.
This corridor is home to the Burlington Northern Train, Hwy 2 and the Wild and Scenic Middle Fork of the Flathead River. All of the local rafting companies use the Middle Fork for their rafting trips (although we use others as well). There are a few smaller places to stay along the highway, most with restaurants and bars.

QUICK GUIDE to the Middle Fork / Nyack Region:

Recreation: Hiking, Backpacking, Rafting (from West Glacier), Fishing
Lodging: Limited (Isaac Walton Inn)

Restaurants/Bars: Limited (Isaac Walton Inn)

Shopping: No

Transportation: Train (Amtrak)

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THE NORTH FORK

The North Fork Valley is one of the most remote areas of Glacier.

The North Fork from Hornet Lookout

A dirt road is the only way to access this valley. The road parallels the North Fork of the Flathead River, which is the western boundary of the park. This river is great for float trips and fishing. The only amenities are located in the small town of Polebridge, which has a mercantile and the Northern Lights Saloon. There are a few rustic options for lodging (this area is "off the grid," aka, no electricity) and there are several campgrounds.

Downtown Polebridge

There are also several large lakes in the area on which to boat (low or no horsepower only)

Chillin' in Bowman Lake

and the hiking is great, with most trails winding through dense timber.

Upper Kintla Lake from Boulder pass trail

QUICK GUIDE to the North Fork:

Recreation: Hiking, Backpacking, Camping, Fishing, Boat Rental (from the North Fork Hostel)
Lodging: None / Limited outside of the park (North Fork Hostel, Road Less Traveled)

Restaurants/Bars: One (Northern Lights Saloon and Eatery)

Shopping: Polebridge Mercantile (try the baked goods!)

Transportation: None (unless with fishing or hiking guide companies)

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GOING TO THE SUN ROAD / THE PASS

The west-side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road (Apgar to Logan Pass) is spectacular, and most all visitors come to drive it (for good reason).

It is open throughout the summer and into the fall. The exact dates of it's opening and closing depend on snow (this is a blog topic all of it's own). There are length and width restrictions for vehicles (aka...no huge RV's, 18 wheelers, etc...). There is a free shuttle during the busiest months of the summer that goes from West Glacier to St. Mary and carries anyone wishing to be car free. A fun, historical way to see the road is via a Red Bus.

View from Big Bend on Going to the Sun Road

There are also 2 historic backcountry chalets (accessible only by trail).

Granite Park Chalet

The highest part of the road - where it crosses the Continental Divide - is Logan Pass, home to Logan Pass visitor center.

Logan Pass Visitor Center

The views from trails here are some of the best in the park.

Highline Trail

QUICK GUIDE to Going-to-the-Sun Road:

Recreation: Hiking, Backpacking, Camping
Lodging: Lake McDonald Lodge (along Lake McDonald), Granite Park and Sperry Chalets

Restaurants/Bars: Lake McDonald Lodge

Shopping: Lake McDonald Lodge and Logan Pass Visitors Center

Transportation: Glacier Park Shuttle, Red Bus Tours, Sun Tours

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This has been your "Cliff Notes" version of the west-side. We hope that it has helped.
Stay tuned for the "east-side" blog...

Tales from the Trail

2011-12-21T15:10:00.000-08:00

We're looking for some writers and photographers for our upcoming project...
(don't be shy, you don't have to be a professional).

Tales from the Trails: 30 Seasons of Glacier Guides

Have you ever been on a trip with Glacier Guides and have a story or picture that you would like to share?

Unique experience? Cool animal sighting? Funny antics? Pictures of guides/guests?

Send us your best photo or nonfiction narrative.

Selected submissions will be shared in an online format. Depending on the number of submissions, it may also become available in print.

One submission will be randomly chosen to receive $100 "Glacier Guides Bucks" (good towards anything Glacier Guides).

- Guides and guests may submit.

- Submit photos in jpg format.

- Nonfiction narratives should be no longer than 7,000 words.

- Title document as follows: Genre_Last name_title of work.doc

Example: Nonfiction_Smith_BearChase.doc (or) Photo_Smith_BoulderPassOuthouse.jpg

- Send submissions to corrie@glacierguides.com.

- Include your full name and email address (if chosen, we will contact for short bio).

- Submission deadline is March 1st, 2012.

Welcome!

2011-12-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Glacier Guides and Montana Raft's new blog site!

We are happy that you've come.

Winter is here

and we are excited to start posting pictures and stories of adventures from our friends near and far.

Check back soon for new posts.

"This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship..."