When Glacier National Park was established in 1910, train travel was the epitome of high-class transportation. The Great Northern Railway knew that passengers expected stately accommodations, both on and off the tracks, leading to the construction of some of the park's most iconic lodges — and legacies of hospitality that have endured for more than a century.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Great Northern Railway was rapidly expanding west. Committed to promoting new tourism opportunities (and capitalizing on visitors' travel needs), railway president Louis W. Hill launched the “See America First” campaign, showcasing the spirit of adventure out west. The campaign's goal was to attract affluent American tourists who were otherwise traveling to Europe, where a large sector was drawn to the Swiss Alps. When the First World War halted a vast majority of European travel, Hill's branding of the Rocky Mountain range as the “American Alps” helped reroute tourism across the continent rather than across the ocean.
As the railway expanded, Glacier's hotels took shape. The Belton Chalet, the first of the iconic lodges built by the Great Northern Railway, opened in the summer of 1910 — just months after Glacier National Park was established in May. Located just outside the park boundary but within walking distance of what is now the West Glacier Amtrak Station, the Belton became the gateway to the park’s west entrance, and Glacier's premier destination for luxury lodging.
The Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier followed, debuting in June 1913. The massive structure was inspired by the Forestry Building at the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, Oregon, and was constructed using towering old-growth trees. Custom tracks and train cars were built to bring the logs to the hotel’s front door, where 75 workers hoisted the frame with only horses, chains and pulleys.
Over the next few years, the Great Northern Railway built or bought several other chalets and lodges within the park. These properties — St. Mary, Going-to-the-Sun, Many Glacier, Two Medicine, Sperry and Granite Park — were a draw for adventurers, but as many were only accessible by horseback or on foot, their guests were largely limited to hardier travelers. By contrast, guests at luxury properties like the Belton Chalet and Glacier Park Lodge enjoyed extravagant amenities, including front-door arrival by train, bellhop service and chef-prepared meals.
When the United States' 18th Amendment threatened to interrupt the dining experience of guests who enjoyed a drink with their meal, the Great Northern Railway offered a cross-border solution. In 1927, the Prince of Wales Hotel opened in Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park as a scenic spot to escape enforced temperance. Today, this historic railway lodge pays homage to its roots with a Prohibition-inspired cocktail menu.
While many of Glacier’s original lodges have been lost to time, others endure. The St. Mary and Going-to-the-Sun Chalets were dismantled in 1943 and 1948 respectively. Around the same time, lodging at Two Medicine Chalet was discontinued, though its dining hall still serves as a camp store.
In the backcountry, Sperry and Granite Park Chalets continue to welcome hikers, while in the front country, Many Glacier Hotel, Prince of Wales, Belton Chalet and Glacier Park Lodge still welcome thousands of guests each year — standing as living love letters to a bygone era.
To this day, Glacier Park Lodge (also known as the Big Tree Lodge) features an enormous cedar log archway, and a towering main lobby with old-growth Douglas fir columns. Similarly, the Belton Chalet still features its original Swiss-style ornamental finishes, including prominent gable ends, wide eaves and corbels, numerous balconies and delicate fretwork.
While both lodges' origins are preserved in their details, historic paintings and other lobby artifacts, there's a performative element that keeps that heritage alive, too. At Glacier Park Lodge, bellhops dressed in period attire serve as greeters, luggage porters and guides for daily Bellman Tours. On Glacier's west side, the Belton team pauses to greet arriving passenger trains from the front deck.
Glacier's modern guests have endless travel options for reaching the once-remote national park, but the Empire Builder scenic train still arrives daily at the east and west entrances of Glacier National Park. The slow experience of train travel delivers the charms of yesteryear and a unique opportunity to travel through the Rocky Mountains as the park’s earliest visitors once did.
Visit one of Glacier's historic hotels for a timeless adventure of your own. All aboard!
About the Author
Sarah Ericson is a writer based in northwest Montana, where you’ll often find her walking, biking or skiing in the woods, floating down rivers or sitting in her garden. She is an associate editor for Whitefish Review and she’s always looking for new places to explore — both on the page and in real life.
