Nearby Towns

There are a number of towns and gateway communities that surround Glacier National Park, offering lodging, restaurants, shopping, and amenities. Each town has it's own unique character and may offer visitors the extra services that are difficult to find within the park boundary.

Glacier National Park is a nature preserve for more than 1,000,000 acres of forests, alpine meadows, and lakes. It boasts a diverse habitat that is home to 70 species of mammals and more than 260 species of birds. The amazing glaciated landscape is perfect for hikers, with 700 miles of maintained trails traveling deep into a unique ecosystem.

The park has about 350 structures listed on the National Register of Historic Sites, including six National Historic Landmarks.

Nearby towns are: Waterton, Whitefish, Kalispell, St. Mary, East and West Glacier, and Apgar.

Waterton was formed in 1895 before Glacier National Park in Montana became the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park in 1931. Now the park is one of the most pristine areas in the region, consisting of prairie terrain and mountainous wilderness. Go hiking, fishing, horseback riding, and golfing in the summer; cross-country skiing is popular in the winter.

Whitefish is encompassed on three sides by gorgeous mountain peaks and the Whitefish Mountain Ski and Summer Resort. This alpine village has both summer and winter activities available, including a scenic gondola ride in the northwest, hiking, horseback riding, a kid's day camp, chuckwagon dinners, village and summit dining, and music festivals in an outdoor amphitheater.

St. Mary is in the northwestern part of Montana, located at the east entrance of Glacier National Park. St. Mary is nestled between Upper St. Mary Lake, within the park, and Lower St. Mary Lake in Glacier County. Going-to-the-Sun Road (also listed in the National Register of Historic Places) connects St. Mary on the east side of the park with the western entrance at West Glacier.

East Glacier can be found on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, which covers a staggering 1.5 million acres of land all the way from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains. This is a great place to start (and end) your visit to Glacier National Park.

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