danen5

I am looking for suggestions for lodging in Glacier Natl Park for Labor Day weekend. We are doing an overnight hike into Granite Park Chalet on 9-7 but need lodging for the 3 nights prior to this. Where is the best location in the park to be based? What is the nicest of the lodges? This is our first wedding anniversary so we'd like someplace special but not too pricey. Thanks

enzian

All of the lodges are pretty rustic, but my favorite for location is the Many glacier Hotel.

Here is a view out your window if you have a lakeside room:

http://www.kentucky40.com/images/GNP...odge%20(1).JPG

And here is a photo of the hotel in its spectacular setting:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8430129@N06/2763305686/

There are some great hikes in the area---Grinnell Glacier and Iceberg Lake are two of the favorite hikes in the park.

The rooms are small and basic, but the location more than makes up for that.

You might spend your first night on the west side of the park, perhaps at Apgar Village or West Glacier, then drive across the park on the Going to the Sun road to reach Many Glacier.

There are several routes in to Granite Park Chalet---do you know where you will start and finish?

danen5

thanks, Enzian --I like your idea to stay one night on the west side (any particular lodging recommendation there?) Do you have a favorite hike into or out of Granite Park Chalet? We are very active, fit, and up for any level of difficulty. Sure appreciate the help!

enzian

Hi danen---we hiked to Granite Park Chalet as a dayhike, starting with the Highline Trail from Logan Pass. This trail is spectacular and I highly recommend it. It is not a difficult hike---about 8 miles with very little elevation gain or loss. Near the end, maybe 1.5 miles from the chalet, here is a lookout you could visit as a sidetrip, looking over into the Grinnell Glacier basin. That would be well worth the effort.

From the chalet, we descended about 2400 feet to meet the road at "the Loop". I would not recommend going that way if you can avoid it, unless you love hiking downhill through burned-our forest. I would return by the Highline Trail rather than go that way---even if it is backtracking, you will see different wildlife and views.

Or, I believe there is another route over a pass to the Swiftcurrent/Many Glacier area. I will check my maps, which are at home.

We spent most of a week staying on the west side, but in private lodging, so I do not have personal experience with the lodges there. But we are returning this summer, so I did some research. The Village Inn at Apgar, although it doesn't look very charming in the photo, gets good reviews and has rooms directly facing lake McDonald. I'd choose an upstairs one:

http://www.glacierparkinc.com/Lodgin...tails.asp?id=6

There is also the Apgar Village Lodge, which has some cabins on the creek flowing into the lake, and might be more "anniversay worthy". However, most of the cabins have a 2-night minimum.

It might help you decide to see the map of the two lodges. click on the "map" link on the bottom of this page:

http://www.westglacier.com/apgar_village_lodge.php

See that long rectangle on the lakeshore, parallel to the top of the map and just to the right of Cabin # 6? That is the Village Inn. The rest of the property is Apgar Village Lodge. Note that you would not want one of the AVL motel rooms that are right on the parking lot---numbers 24 to 34.

There is also Lake Mcdonald Lodge, which is one of the historic log lodges, located close to the other end of the lake. I think a lot of tour groups and busses use it; we walked around the grounds and it seemed Ok but everyone I have consulted so far seems to prefer the Apgar area.

You were very fortunate to get that Granite park Chalet reservation! I hear it is almost as hard as Phantom Ranch at the Grand Canyon.

John

You are indeed fortunate. As you may know, Sept. 7 is the last day the Chalet is open this year.
Also, you should be aware that the shuttle buses will stop running on Labor day so there will be no public transport after that day.
And of course there is the possibility the the GTSR will be closed periodically due to weather that time of year. There is ongoing construction on GTSR the next 6 years so you may want to check the Park website before you leave.
Can't give you info on places to stay as I live in Kalispell and so do not stay in local hotels.
Have a great trip, you'll love GNP

enzian

If the shuttles stop running on Labor Day, you might want to do an "out and back" from Logan Pass on the Highline Trail, leaving your car in the parking lot there and returning to it.

But if you have trailhead transport, or if can use the shuttle to get to the trailhead at Logan Pass, you could leave your car at Swiftcurrent and return to it via the Swiftcurrent Pass trail. I checked my maps and hiking book, and this looks like a good route. The one-way trip from Granite Park Chalet to Swiftcurrent complex is 7.6 miles, with less than 1000 feet of gain to the pass (maybe 700? I can't tell exactly from my map), and then 2200 feet or so of descent to Swiftcurrent.

While I haven't hiked that section of trail, I have hiked in the area, and from the map it looks like it would be a great hike.

But out and back on the Highline would be good too.