Where to stay to visit Glacier National Park
 

my wife and I are planning a visit to GNP and would like recommendations either in or outside the park for nice accommodations. It appears from the park's website everything in the park is pretty rustic. Our best bet may be outside so I would appreciate anyone's thoughts.

East side or west side? Time of year?

sorry, Summer, probably June. Having not visited the area I don't know which side. I think the best accommodations available will determine that.

June would be quite early for GNP. Going to the Sun Road may not be opened at that time due to weather.

Accommodations on the west side outside the park would not be as rustic as the east side. Almost all properties IN the park will be rustic and spartan.

Kalispell and Whitefish, both approximately 35 miles from the west entrance, would offer all "name" brand hotels/motels. Motels range from Super 8 to Hilton.

Fly into Kalispell, Montana, serviced by Delta, Alaska Air, United and Allegiant.

If you are going to do a lot of hiking, GNP is a hiking park with over 700 miles of trails, the east side offers the best hikes though there are good hikes on the west side.

I should mention that from the Kalispell/Whitefish area to the Many Glacier area on the east side is about a 3 hour drive one way.

We stayed in Columbia Falls which was about 20 minutes to the park entrance. But as mentioned above its then a further drive to hike or see any sites. It took us about an hour to drive the Going to the sun Rd to The visitors center.

From Columbia Falls it is about a 20 minute drive to the WEST entrance. The Apgar Visitors Center is about 2 miles from the west entrance. You can be hiking in 30 minutes from Columbia Falls.

The visitor center you are talking about, I presume, is at Logan Pass along GTTS road.

Yes, Logan Pass Visitor Center.

My favorite in Columbia Falls is the Meadow Lake Resort.

You might be better off going in late july or august where most of the roads are open and free of snow. We stayed in Many glacier and Lake McDonald. Both accommodations are in the park and great location and access esp with Many Glacier but you have to book months or a year in advance. The apgar area would be nice too.

I stayed at the Apgar Village Inn, Lake McDonald Lodge and Many Glacier Lodge.

They are not fancy but all were very comfortable. My rooms faced the lakes at all three locations. Just beautiful.

IMO, if you're visiting a national park you should really stay inside the park. There's something very special about the parks' inns. Rustic is part of what the parks are all about.

No doubt, stay inside the Park. I understand you must book months, even a year to do this, so plan ahead.