Missoula to West Glacier
 

We have never been in this part of Montana, and was wondering which route to go from Missoula to West Glacier.
Hwy 83 has the scenic dots, but is longer than Hwy 93. Is the scenery enough to go the extra miles? THANKS for any help you can give.

Moved to United States Forum and tagged for Montana

If you have the time, why not go the extra mile? According the Google, the difference is only 17 miles and under 3 hours in either case.

Thanks for that information Michael. Have you driven either one, Just wondering if they were different. We have driven Hwy's that were so awesome but never had dots on them. I would always say STOP to the oohs and aaahs in the car, telling them, this is not scenic...no dots!!!

Are you coming back to Missoula airport from West Glacier? If you are, use 83 on the way back. Taking US 93 turn in Polson and take 35 on the east side of Flathead lake. My favorite lodging spot in that area is the Meadow Lake Lodge in Columbia Falls MT.
What month were you planning on visiting Glacier NP? Nearly half of the year you can't make it over the Logan Pass on the Going to the Sun Road.

Planning a several week long vacation in Sept. Flying in and out of Helena, and going as far north as Jasper. Just starting the plans, but so far 3 nites in Helena, 3 in Butte, 2 in Missoula, 2 in West Glacier, 1 in East Glacier, 4 in Banff, 3 in Revelstoke, 3 in Jasper, 3 in Calgary, 4 in Drumheller 1 in West Glacier and last night in Helena to fly out. Will check out Meadow Lake Lodge..THANKS Tomfuller

Sounds like a fantastic trip. Make sure you are allowed to drive your US rental car into Canada and that you have proper insurance for the time you are in your rental car.
A couple of the towns in Montana I would not spend even a second night in.

I drove in that area but do not remember the particulars. My theory is that the smaller the road, the more likely it is to be scenic. State numbered roads tend to be smaller than roads in the national system.

Thanks Tom, Was wondering if you were thinking of Butte or Missoula as far as not staying 2 nites? Are there any towns in that area that we shouldn't miss? The furtherest into Montana we have ever been in our travels was Bozeman after a Yellowstone trip. THANKS SO MUCH for taking time to respond.

I think it depends on what you're interested in doing, but you may not need three nights in Helena, and you're backtracking to go to Butte from Helena and then on to Missoula. Butte has an interesting history, and the Mining Museum is impressive, so I understand wanting to visit. There has been a lot of revitalization in the uptown area of Butte, too. New breweries and distilleries. Let me know if you want restaurant reservations for Helena, Butte, or Missoula. I might be tempted to shift a night in Helena and/or a night in Butte to add one in Whitefish.

September is a good time to visit. Less crowded and it's very pretty when the aspens and tamaracks start turning yellow.

Edited: Hwy 83 is a beautiful drive. Check out Holland Lake Lodge It's gorgeous in September. Maybe consider a night there. If you took Hwy 83 out of Helena, you'd bypass Missoula (and Butte). Maybe consider it on your way back to Helena. http://www.hollandlakelodge.com/

Not on the way, but you may want to drive up to Polebridge when you are in West Glacier -
Home - The Polebridge Mercantile and Bakery

As you leave Helena, you may enjoy a visit to Gates of the Mountains -
Gates of the Mountains - Boat Tours and Marina
(kureiff's daughter recommended it to us)

One more thought - I can't recommend where to "lose" time to make this possible, but I love Great Falls. If there's a way to redesign your loop so you could spend a couple of nights there, I would make that change.

I would add in Heads-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump (along your route in Canada) or First Peoples State Park just outside of Great Falls to your plans. Personally, I'd add in both.
https://headsmashedin.ca/
http://stateparks.mt.gov/first-peoples-buffalo-jump/

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Will be adding all that on. We are retired and can add days and routes I love fodors forum people, so generous with their travel experiences. THANK YOU!!

Another recommendation for Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. I found the whole concept fascinating. starrs - don't they have some prehistoric bison skulls on display? I had no idea that there were different body types of bison and how the present-day specimens came to exist until we visited this place.

83 is a pretty drive. The day we drove it they were doing controlled burning which made parts of it hazy and smoky. This was in late September so maybe check before you go. We've also driven 93 to 35 and that's scenic around Flathead Lake.

I can add some more ideas for you to consider, off your route but you could shorten your time somewhere else or add more days. Also, I have a friend who has a beautiful airbnb place on an historic ranch out of Helena. If you are interested, I can PM you some info. I definitely recommend seeing the gorgeous cathedral in Helena and stopping at the Big Dipper ice cream store. Nice little downtown for shopping. In Glacier NP, I highly recommend you take one of the red "jammer" tours. I've driven the GTTS road on my own, but it is SO much nicer to sit back and enjoy the view while someone else drives the wonderful historic buses. And be sure to go to the Columbia Icefields in Canada.