On the northeastern shore of the lake, this rustic lodge, first built in 1895 as the Glacier Hotel, is the park’s oldest hotel. Replaced by a newer Swiss-style structure in 1913, before any roads had penetrated the region, the current lodge’s imposing entrance was built facing the lake, meaning modern-day road travelers must enter via the back door. It's worth a visit simply to admire the lobby-lounge area with a classic Old West aesthetic, featuring taxidermied wildlife and a massive fireplace.
Lake McDonald Lodge
Glacier National Park
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
9.38 MILES
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29.64 MILES
Here flat prairies collide dramatically with the Rockies, with a sparkling lake and a hilltop castle that may make you wonder if you've fallen into a…
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17.39 MILES
You’ll welcome this handy pit stop on Going-to-the-Sun Rd, with useful tourist facilities including a motel, restaurant, showers, small grocery and boat…
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Located on the park’s dryer eastern side, where the mountains melt imperceptibly into the Great Plains, St Mary Lake lies in a deep, glacier-carved valley…
1.37 MILES
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28.48 MILES
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22.04 MILES
Houses interesting exhibits on wildlife, geology and Native American culture and history, as well as an auditorium featuring slide shows and ranger talks…
Nearby Glacier National Park attractions
1.37 MILES
Greener and wetter than the St Mary Valley, the Lake McDonald Valley harbors the park’s largest lake and some of its densest and oldest temperate…
8.1 MILES
Supporting little more than a couple of lodges, a gift shop or two, a recommended outdoor gear outfitter and a restaurant with an adjoining window for ice…
8.23 MILES
This LEED–certified center with a large parking lot and free wi-fi signal is 1½ miles north of West Glacier at the west end of Going-to-the-Sun Rd. Catch…
8.65 MILES
Standing at the artificially created Weeping Wall, look across the valley to this distant natural watery spectacle; the spectacular Bird Woman Falls drops…
9.13 MILES
In the most magnificent setting of all the park's visitor centers, the building has park information, interactive exhibits and a good gift shop. The…
9.16 MILES
Perched above the tree line, atop the wind-lashed Continental Divide, and blocked by snow for most of the year, 6646ft Logan Pass – named for William R…
9.38 MILES
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Located 2000ft below the iconic Garden Wall, the glistening Weeping Wall creates a seasonal waterfall that was formed when Going-to-the-Sun Rd…