thehighlander

Which would you recommend I can't decide which one to stay in? Which is closer to the Highway to the Sun Road? Which has better rooms? Thanks.

togowest

Maybe you already know this, but Glacier National Park is huge. I spent two weeks there and moved around starting in East Glacier at that lodge, then up to Many Glacier area, and ending up at Lake McDonald. The GTTSRoad is quite impressive, but I traveled it only once in two weeks.

Many Glacier Lodge is in a glorious spot overlooking a lake and set among the mountains. There is good hiking nearby, but just sitting on the porch looking at the view is pretty fine, too. It is more toward the northeastern section of the park as I remember.

Lake McDonald is in the Western section and probably closer to the Going to the Sun Road. I remember it as being "busier" meaning there was more going on.

The three big lodges at Glacier are big, old and beautiful although the rooms were not luxurious when I visited.

If I had to choose just one, I would choose Many Glacier just because I love the setting. But I don't think it's the most convenient lodge if you are there for a short time.

I think Glacier is right there next to heaven. You will have a fabulous trip!

brookwood

If you go for atmosphere they are tolerable. If you go for average AAA 3-star comfort, they are less than ideal.
Both buildings are old and creaky.

karens

Glacier National Park is awesome - it's my favorite. That said, Lake McDonald Lodge was one of the worst places I've ever stayed. The room was clean, the setting nice. However, the room was SMALL. Once our suitcases were on the floor, there was barely any room to walk. The bathroom was even smaller - I had trouble maneuvering (sp?) around it, and I weigh 103. It was also so noisy. All the rooms are in a balcony type arrangement around the lobby - ANY noise in the lobby reaches your room. I think when we go back, we would stay in that gateway town to the west, which is probably about 5 miles or so from Lake McDonald. Sorry to be a downer - you will LOVE Glacier.

brookwood

Frankly, if you want decent accommodatioins, go to Waterton on the Canadian side. On my last trip I used Shintangle B and B. It is set up like a motel with 4 spacious rooms in a separate wing of the house with its own entrance.

Patrick

How long are you staying? If you are thinking of five days or a week, I'd recommend splitting the stay up into two parts and spending half at each place. Yes, the park is huge. Explore two sections from two different bases.

Connie

Hotels are comparable but as far as location, I'd choose Many Glacier. You get mountain scenery you don't get on the west side, the best trails start there and there are fewer people coming and going.

Lake McDonald Lodge is right on Going to the Sun road and Many Glacier is not but it's not that big a deal considering the benefits.

We stayed in Old Faithful Inn last summer and it was incredibly noisy because all the tourist come there to see it. Lake McDonald will be like that where Many Glacier won't because it is a little harder to get to.

karen67

We stayed at the Many Glacier Lodge last summer while it was under construction. The rooms are indeed small and rather "rustic", but we had an excellent view from our corner room. It is an excellent base for some great hikes. The worst part about our stay was the food in the dining room. Breakfast was fine, but dinner was terrible. We opted for dinner the 2nd night at the Resort at Glacier, St. Mary's Lodge, about 30 minutes from Many Glacier, just outside of the park. We liked St. Mary's Lodge so much that we decided to check out of Many Glacier the next day and stayed our third night at St. Mary's (they had plenty of last minute availability so you may still be able to reserve a room). We had a lovely room with a king bed and fireplace. While the view from our room wasn't nearly as nice as the one at Many Glacier Lodge, the room and food available were a big improvement!!