Glacier National Park, and nearby towns (Whitefish, Essex, East Glacier, West Glacier)

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I just got a pop-up ad for Whitefish, and thought this would be a good time to post my picture of Whitefish. Here's the eastbound Empire Builder on January 10, 2017 running with three locomotives, two sleepers and two coaches in the Seattle section, and an extra SSL deadheading on the rear.

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So this train had TWO sightseer lounges?!? I've never seen the EB run with 2 such lounges, though at times I've seen more than one sleeper on the front half (Seattle section), and ditto with the Portland section as well. As was the case (2 Portland sleepers, & 2 Seattle sleepers) when I rode it last week, to Glacier NP.
 
Yes the Izaak Walton Inn is open all year and I understand that they do a good business in the winter catering to cross country skiers who use the trails in the national forest. The hotels in the park (and many businesses and facilities outside the park) do not open until June. There is only one restaurant open all year in East Glacier and none in West Glacier so things are pretty quiet until the season starts.
 
We're going to stay 2 nights at the Izaak Walton in October, stopping off on New York to Seattle trip. We're not planning any serious hikes but hopefully will be able to do a couple of not too strenuous walks and some chilling watching the trains. Very much looking forward to it.
 
We're going to stay 2 nights at the Izaak Walton in October, stopping off on New York to Seattle trip. We're not planning any serious hikes but hopefully will be able to do a couple of not too strenuous walks and some chilling watching the trains. Very much looking forward to it.
I hope you will give us a review of your stay there. Hope you have a good time and that the weather is good.
 
Thank you Rasputin. I will try to remember to do a review. These forums have so much useful info for planning.
 
Yes the Izaak Walton Inn is open all year and I understand that they do a good business in the winter catering to cross country skiers who use the trails in the national forest. The hotels in the park (and many businesses and facilities outside the park) do not open until June. There is only one restaurant open all year in East Glacier and none in West Glacier so things are pretty quiet until the season starts.

Speaking of Izaak Walton(and thanks for this earlier reply), do you know approximately when in September or October that leaf colors start to change on trees around Glacier, and also the Flathead National Forest? It'd be cool to see the leaf colors change, in the fall. Would be cool to revisit that area, and see leaf colors change out that way during the fall season.
 
Speaking of Izaak Walton(and thanks for this earlier reply), do you know approximately when in September or October that leaf colors start to change on trees around Glacier, and also the Flathead National Forest? It'd be cool to see the leaf colors change, in the fall. Would be cool to revisit that area, and see leaf colors change out that way during the fall season.

I haven't been to Glacier in September for many years so I don't know the answer to that. I would suggest a call or email to the Park or to the Inn or to the Whitefish Convention and Visitors Center might provide some information. In September and October there might be some snow especially at the higher elevations. Not sure when you would likely see some snow at the lower elevations such as around the Inn.

For Barb's trip in October, I would suggest that if possible they rent a car for the day and drive to the Two Medicine area and the Many Glacier area in the Park and also drive up the Going-to-the-Sun road as far as it is open. Those will provide far superior scenery than can be seen at Essex. Perhaps the Park's visitors center at St. Mary will also be open. I might also suggest a stop at the Museum of the Plains Indians in Browning. Bring some warm clothes (or buy some at the Inn gift shop) but if there is a snowstorm, enjoy Essex instead of driving around.
 
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For Barb's trip in October, I would suggest that if possible they rent a car for the day and drive to the Two Medicine area and the Many Glacier area in the Park and also drive up the Going-to-the-Sun road as far as it is open. Those will provide far superior scenery than can be seen at Essex. Perhaps the Park's visitors center at St. Mary will also be open. I might also suggest a stop at the Museum of the Plains Indians in Browning. Bring some warm clothes (or buy some at the Inn gift shop) but if there is a snowstorm, enjoy Essex instead of driving around.

In East Glacier Village, there's also an art gallery (____? (forget first name) Clarke Art Gallery) of Native American art that seems like it would've been interesting to visit per online reviews, had it been open longer than just until 6pm. And as I recall, opened at something like 10 or 11am. It's free to visit, per the signage I saw outside the door. Like other seasonal places in this area, I think that's only open till sometime in September or October, so keep that in mind.
 
If anyone is looking for intercity transit out of Whitefish, the Confederated Tribes of the Salish and Kootenai runs a bus from Whitefish to Missoula, once a day.

http://www.csktdhrd.org/transportation/flathead-transit

The problem as the schedule currently stands is that the bus leaves Whitefish at 4 in the afternoon, meaning its a long wait from when the train drops off. Also, since that leg is the second one, if you go south, you have to spend the night.

Still, if you want to go to, say, Polson, spend the night or weekend, and then head back to Whitefish to get back on the train, this is a good way to do it.
 
If anyone is looking for intercity transit out of Whitefish, the Confederated Tribes of the Salish and Kootenai runs a bus from Whitefish to Missoula, once a day.

http://www.csktdhrd.org/transportation/flathead-transit

The problem as the schedule currently stands is that the bus leaves Whitefish at 4 in the afternoon, meaning its a long wait from when the train drops off. Also, since that leg is the second one, if you go south, you have to spend the night.

Still, if you want to go to, say, Polson, spend the night or weekend, and then head back to Whitefish to get back on the train, this is a good way to do it.

I rode it in 2015 and was thankful that it did not leave till 4 pm, as Train 28 was delayed by a derailed freight between Pasco and Spokane. Departing SPK after 8 a.m., we enjoyed the great scenery that used to be covered by the Mainstreeter and the Western Star, but a bit later and I would have had to use the print-out of Whitefish lodgings that I carried as a back-up.

Amtrak's station stayed open long enough to get luggage and then closed from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., meaning that I and another passenger had to wait outside. The bus was a noisy truck chassis conversion, but everything else went well. I had previously ridden Rimrock Trailways on the same route, but the scenery is worth another trip. (My complete trip was PDX - WFS - Missoula - Billings - DEN.)
 
Speaking of Izaak Walton(and thanks for this earlier reply), do you know approximately when in September or October that leaf colors start to change on trees around Glacier, and also the Flathead National Forest? It'd be cool to see the leaf colors change, in the fall. Would be cool to revisit that area, and see leaf colors change out that way during the fall season.
We went in mid-September in 2018 and hit fall colors at their peak.
 
If you have a rental car you can see great fall colors somewhere within an hour anytime in that timeframe.

The east side of the pass is both higher and more windblown/colder; the aspens between the summit and East Glacier can very well be done by the 3rd week of September some years. But between Whitefish and Libby, the larches are barely started the first of October, and peak in mid to late October depending how low down and how cold of a fall. On any given week the peak colors will push farther down and farther west.
A bonus of going from 2000 feet (Libby) to 3000 (Kalispell) to 4000 (hills above the Flathead Tunnel) to 5000 (Marias Pass).
 
So I was thinking eventually in a year or 2, I wouldn't mind doing an Amtrak trip to Whitefish, and of course from there go to Glacier National Park. Hadn't decided if I also should try to visit nearby Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta(and bring my passport), or not. I was thinking Whitefish over Essex, since it seems to have more local amenities(motels/hotels, car rental places, etc) vs. Essex(not sure if there's anything there, except the Isaac Walton Inn). I know I also could go from East Glacier Village into the national park, but am still leaning towards Whitefish.

Anyway, I have some dumb questions to ask(forgive me, lol!), based on early Googling and various message board threads I've read. Are there any free shuttles within this national park(i.e. Zion National Park), or is it better to rent a car and drive to the portions of Glacier National Park I was interested in? I was worried at first the best option would be to rent a car after arriving in Whitefish or East Glacier(though probably I'll do Whitefish), but I do wonder how extensive the shuttle system is within this park. And in the opinion of those who've gone here, what would be the best months to visit this park? It does seem like from road closures if you go in the winter, that probably the best time to visit would be sometime in the mid-late spring or early-mid fall. And perhaps, that you run into slightly less crowds vs. summer. But who knows? Back to the rental car question(I have a license, but just haven't actually rented a car before), do any of the rental car companies allow one to cross the border to Alberta(just for Waterton Lakes) and back? I assume they would, but won't be surprised if they charge an extra fee if you want to do that. Knowing how rental car companies(from what I've researched) can nickel and dime you, over certain minor things.

Also, any local things/points of interest worth stopping at in this immediate area surrounding Whitefish(and etc. with the towns nearby) besides Glacier National Park? And of course, any recommended nearby places to eat that are decent would be nice to hear about. I was still trying to do Tripadvisor/Yelp/Google research, to figure out what I can on this area. My bigger question mark I want to find out, is if the national park has any shuttles to get to various parts of this park. Or is it only that a few of the nearby motels/hotels, have shuttles that'll get you to various parts of this park? Thanks to someone, who can clarify my confusion on that.

I saw a YouTube recently that said shuttles were cancelled within GNP for 2020 -- including the red buses. Related to C-19. Best bet is to arrange for a vehicle rental well in advance and establish your own daily itinerary. You can do a lot more that way. Rentals can be arranged whether you stay at Whitefish, Kalispell, Essex, or within the Park.
 
If anyone is looking for intercity transit out of Whitefish, the Confederated Tribes of the Salish and Kootenai runs a bus from Whitefish to Missoula, once a day.

Flathead Transit

The problem as the schedule currently stands is that the bus leaves Whitefish at 4 in the afternoon, meaning its a long wait from when the train drops off. Also, since that leg is the second one, if you go south, you have to spend the night.

Still, if you want to go to, say, Polson, spend the night or weekend, and then head back to Whitefish to get back on the train, this is a good way to do it.

I didn't realize there was a bus that ran, between Whitefish and Missoula. That is interesting to learn that such a bus runs, myself. That link shows the schedule, but weirdly doesn't mention what the fare is to each of the communities along that route. Wish I could find that info, somewhere. Plus with that schedule, it'd ensure for those coming east of Whitefish that you'd have to overnight there to use that bus, the next day. Lucky for those who are coming from west of Whitefish, since it wouldn't require an overnight stay to use that bus in Whitefish.

I saw a YouTube recently that said shuttles were cancelled within GNP for 2020 -- including the red buses. Related to C-19. Best bet is to arrange for a vehicle rental well in advance and establish your own daily itinerary. You can do a lot more that way. Rentals can be arranged whether you stay at Whitefish, Kalispell, Essex, or within the Park.

That's sad to hear, but doesn't totally surprise me considering so many things have been cancelled as a result of COVID. Also, the NPS website as of now(6/20/20) says that the eastern entrance into the park from Saint Mary, MT is still closed, due to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation not yet opening road access in that area to non-residents. The current status of things open at Glacier National Park, is shown on this page: Glacier National Park Status Update - Glacier National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
 
East side of Glacier Park will not open at all for 2020: Blackfeet close eastern border of Glacier for remainder of 2020 season

Make plans accordingly if you intend to get off the Builder in East Glacier this year (will they even keep the stop at East Glacier rather than Browning?). The west side of the park remains open, though the Going to the Sun Road is a few weeks away from being open to Logan Pass. If you come to Whitefish/West Glacier/Essex, it will be in an in-and-back-out visit to the park from the west side.
 
Be aware if booking to East Glacier that there are (1) no tour buses available from there this year, (2) the advance park shuttle tickets are sold out (you have to trust that when they open seats 48 hours out that you will get one), and (3) there are no rental cars available in East Glacier. So you can get off the train in East Glacier, but you may not be able to visit the park.

The only option I can see is to get off the train in Whitefish/West Glacier, get a taxi to the airport, and get a rental car there (limited availability). There are also some Turo cars in that area.

Then you have to hope you can get a ticket to enter the park, or plan on entering before 6am or after 5pm (no tickets required). Recommendation from others is to go early, as the lines at 5pm are long.

We canceled our trip and are going to try again next year, hoping tours more available. COVID really affected tour operations.
 
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is worth a visit. The park straddles the border between the US and Alberta, Canada. About a 2 hour drive from the Amtrak stop at East Glacier Park, Mt. I visited the park in the early 1970's. Top attractions would be the village of Waterton, the Prince of Wales hotel, and a guided boat trip along the northern portion of Waterton Lake, where you can cross the border between Canada and the US along the way.

https://is.gd/J01mMB
Boat trip on Waterton Lake.



Prince of Wales Hotel



Richard
 
Reviving this thread as I'm looking into a July trip to Glacier Nat'l Park via the Empire Builder and particularly into what one can see and do without renting a car. Because rental cars ain't cheap, one of us shouldn't be stuck looking at the road rather than the scenery, and I've heard Going-To-The-Sun Road is definitely busy and can be hairy driving-wise.

It seems there are shuttles, but it also seems they're not all that convenient. Park Service free shuttles from St. Mary's in the east to Apgar in the west, BUT it's a bit of a hike from the station and hotels in West Glacier to Apgar, and St. Mary's is not at all near the station and hotels in East Glacier Park.

There's a rather expensive ($50) private shuttle between Glacier Park Lodge (GPL) and St. Mary's, but it's only two round-trips a day and the last shuttle back to GPL is at 2pm if I'm reading the website correctly. :oops: There's a significantly cheaper but not any more frequent shuttle on the west side.

Tours by the old red buses look interesting! There's a 8-hour loop (with stop for lunch) from GPL which isn't cheap but seems comprehensive and thus probably worth it. :)

So, does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? Something I've missed about a car-free trip to Glacier Nat'l Park?
 
I will definitely recommend a Red Bus tour along the "going to the sun" road. I think you need reservations if you drive the road, yourself. Also, there are many car accidents due to people admiring the view rather than paying attention to the road. The last time I was at Glacier, I took the Red Bus tour from West Glacier to Logan Pass, which is on the Continental Divide. Tremendous scenery along the way. Also, if you have time, don't miss the little town of Whitefish.

https://is.gd/LQgoyW
 
Glad to hear that you are going to Glacier Park. It is a great place.

It sounds like you have done a lot of homework and I assume you have checked out the Park website as well.

As you have discovered, visiting Glacier without a car is not easy. If you decide to rent a car, you will need to acquaint yourself with the Park vehicle reservation system and get a reservation for the Sun Road (and maybe other Park roads) this year.

As you may know East Glacier is not within the Park and the Park boundary is some distance away. Many of the hotels at East Glacier are within walking distance of the Amtrak station. We have stayed at the Circle R and at the Mountain Pine Motel and they were both fine. The Two Medicine part of the Park is a great place to visit from East Glacier.

At West Glacier, we usually stay at the Glacier Highland which is right across the highway from the Amtrak station. The last that I knew East Glacier handled checked baggage but West Glacier did not (and there is no agent at West Glacier.)

I will second Northwestern's recommendation of a Red bus tour. They are great ways to see the Park and learn about the Park and will stop at various spots, such as Logan Pass. I am not sure what tours are offered from East Glacier but I would look for one that takes in most of the Sun Road or a tour that goes to the Many Glacier Hotel. The Red Bus tour that I intend to do on my next visit is the one that leaves West Glacier/Apgar in the morning, goes over the Sun Road and continues on to the Many Glacier Hotel for lunch and then returns. These tours are a bit pricey but in my opinion they are well worth it.

The free Park service shuttles are good when they work well. We have used them to reach hiking trailheads before and were lucky that we had no problems on the days that we used them. However I can tell you by personal observation and by complaints I have read, that sometimes the wait for buses and the waiting lines can be very long. They are not a narrated tour of the Park and you could spend 2 or 3 hours waiting for a bus with space.

I would also recommend trying to get a room at the Many Glacier Hotel during your stay. It is right in the Park in the middle of a very scenic area and right at a number of trailheads of varying degrees of difficulty.

Hope your trip goes well and please post a report.
 
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