Wild thing: rugged and untamed, affordable and uncrowded, Glacier National Park is full of surprise

Sunset, July, 2002 by Lora J. Finnegan

Like the lake it sits on, Lake McDonald Lodge is lovely in a cozy, approachable way. The rustic, 12-room Snyder Hotel went up on this site in 1895. In 1906, when Montana businessman and fur trader John Lewis took it over, nightly room rates were $3. But after Glacier became a national park, Lewis foresaw the tourist boom. By 1914 he had moved the Snyder Hotel and erected the grand Swiss-style building we see today. Designed to be reached by boat, the lake side of the hotel was once its front entrance: Sitting on the porch here, drinking in the sunset, is an essential Glacier experience. And the lodge's evening programs, run by the park staff, will get you charged up about Glacier's geology and Native American history.

Lake McDonald is also the western starting point for Going-to-the-Sun Road (see page 84). If you're up for a lung-busting hike, don't miss the 6.4-mile (one way) Sperry Trail to Sperry Chalet. The work of the Great Northern Railway, it is one of two still-operating survivors of a chain of backcountry chalets built in the early 1900s-reminders that at Glacier, man and nature can coexist beautifully.

RELATED ARTICLE: Glacier National Park Travel Planner

* Glacier National Park is in northwestern Montana, accessible via U.S. 2; key gateways are Kalispell (with the nearest airport, served by Delta, Northwest, Horizon, and Big Sky), Whitefish, and the whistle-stops of West Glacier and East Glacier Park. You can also get there easily by train (see "Transportation" below). There are car rentals and shuttle service at the Kalispell airport, Whitefish, and various park points.

Weather. Summer daytime temperatures can hit 90[degrees], but higher reaches of the park are often 15[degrees] cooler, and it can snow anytime.

Park facts. Park entry is $10 per vehicle, good for seven days. The Logan Pass section of the Going-to-the-Sun Road generally opens in late May or early June. Glacier National Park: (406) 888-7800 or www.nps.gov/glac.> Visitor centers. Rangers are on hand with information, plus there are bookstores, maps, and nature programs at these visitor centers: on the west side near Lake McDonald (Apgar Visitor Center), midway on Going-to-the-Sun Road (Logan Pass Visitor Center), and on the east side off U.S. 89 (Saint Mary Visitor Center).

Camping. There are some 1,243 sites in the park, plus many others for hikers and bikers; nightly fees are from $12. Sites in two campgrounds are reservable: Fish Creek on the west side and St. Mary on the east (800/365-2267). For campground status, check www.nps.gov/glac/whatsnew/recupd.htm.> LODGING

Most hotels are open seasonally, generally from May through October. Rates are based on double occupancy; ask about discounts for shoulder season (June, October). For reservations or information on in-park lodging, contact Glacier Park Inc. (406/892-2525 or www.glacierparkinc.com).

Landmark lodges. Glacier Park Lodge (from $135; 406/892-2525). Lake McDonald Lodge (from $92; 406/892-2525 or www.lakemcdonaldlodge.com). Many Glacier Hotel (from $111; 406/892-2525 or www.manyglacierhotel.com).