Communities: West Glacier

West Glacier is found on Highway 2, the primary highway that winds its way along the southern edge of Glacier National Park. This picturesque, historic town is at the west entrance to Glacier National Park and is located 25 miles east of the Glacier International Airport in Kalispell and 55 miles west of East Glacier. Great Falls, another international airport location, is 187 miles away. Amtrak stops here twice a day and West Glacier is, once again, the primary jumping off spot for Park visitors coming by rail.

Bordered by Glacier National Park to the north and the Great Bear Wilderness Area to the south, with the sparkling Middle Fork of the Flathead River running through the town, West Glacier is perfect for enjoying from a dozen different vantage points. Like most of the communities along the Northern Continental Divide Scenic Loop, wildlife is part of the culture. Elk, deer, black and grizzly bears, moose and mountain goats are sighted as regularly as the hikers, fishermen, and hunters. Winter changes the mix when the bears hibernate but the snowmobilers and cross country skiers make up the difference.

West Glacier is a magnet for history buffs. When Glacier National Park opened in 1910 it was an exhilarating time. Preserves were opening all over the West as railroads made mountain travel easier. The Great Northern Railroad had just built Belton Chalet, where well-heeled tourists could alight with their trunks and servants to experience the wonders of the West in comfort. But after World War II, when the interstate highway system knocked the wind out of the railroad industry, the park was suddenly the province of middle America, which had no need for exclusive hotels. The inn changed hands many times through the years, began to deteriorate and closed in the 1980s. But that all changed in 1999. After three years of intensive work, the Belton reopened under new ownership and now a whole new generation is able to have an immaculate 1910 tourist experience.

With a hundred years of history embedded in the community, West Glacier is keenly aware of the many reasons tourists are drawn to the area. Destinations like Apgar, Lake McDonald and the Going-to-The-Sun Highway are just a few along with the peaks of Glacier, the alpine lakes and the aqua blue Flathead River. One thing is for sure…century long memories are made here.

The following businesses welcome you to West Glacier

Montana Raft / Glacier Guides

11970 Highway 2 East, West Glacier, MT, 59936
406-387-5555
Mail: PO Box 330, West Glacier, MT, 59936
E-mail: info@glacierguides.com
Website: http://www.glacierguides.com