Glacier: Nature, Trails and Blackfeet Culture

Here, Glacier refers to Glacier County in northwestern Montana, between the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. The county includes Glacier National Park and the Blackfeet Reservation. If you are looking for a hotel in Glacier, you can plan your trip around the themes that interest you: nature trails and longer hikes, winter cross-country skiing, or Blackfeet culture and regional history.

National Park and Trails

Glacier National Park is home to approximately 1,132 plant species, 278 bird species and 69 mammal species. The Running Eagle Falls Trail is a self-guided nature trail in the park. The named trails also offer different scales for planning your outings: the Dawson and Pitamakan Pass Trails can be combined into a popular full-day loop hike. By contrast, the Continental Divide Trail runs for approximately 110 miles through the park—from Marias Pass through Two Medicine and Many Glacier to the U.S.–Canada border.

These details distinguish a full-day loop hike from a long trail section through the park, without implying a hiking time or difficulty level. They can help you distinguish between your planned activities and how much time they involve.

Winter and Finding Your Way Around the Park

When snow conditions are good, Two Medicine Road provides access to scenic cross-country skiing opportunities. As snow conditions vary from season to season, this option depends on suitable winter conditions. Motorized and non-motorized boats are allowed on Two Medicine Lake; motorized boats may be used there after a 30-day quarantine. Check the boating season and current inspection requirements before your trip.

The St. Mary Entrance is the eastern access point to the Going-to-the-Sun Road and provides access to the St. Mary Visitor Center. The road is designated both a National Historical Civil Engineering Landmark and a National Historic Landmark. It therefore offers a specific point of reference for navigating the park as well as two recognized historic designations.

You can also plan your arrival by train: the historic Amtrak train, the Empire Builder, stops seasonally in East Glacier Park. Since schedules can change, check the service for your travel dates.

Blackfeet Culture and History

Blackfeet Cultural History Tours offer half-day and full-day tours of historical and cultural sites. The different tour lengths can help when planning how to fit a tour into your trip. The Blackfeet Heritage Center and Art Gallery offers visitors an experience designed to help them understand the Blackfeet.

The Museum of the Plains Indian features a permanent exhibition of historic artwork by Indigenous peoples of the Northern Plains. The works on display also include murals by Blackfeet artist Victor Pepion. The visitor gallery at the Lodgepole Gallery and Blackfeet Culture Camp showcases beadwork, paintings, moccasins, dolls, and other artwork and crafts by Indigenous artists from the region; visitor access is seasonal.

North American Indian Days features traditional dancing, singing, drumming, Stick Games and rodeos. The cultural celebrations take place each year on the second weekend in July. Confirm the dates with the Blackfeet Nation before your trip.

Discover Cut Bank

The Glacier County Historical Museum in Cut Bank features exhibits on homesteading, Lewis & Clark, artist John Clark, local businesses, petroleum, and the history of Cut Bank from 1898 through the 1960s. The museum grounds cover 14 acres and include two exhibit buildings, an oil workers’ house, an oil derrick, a 1917 schoolhouse, and a caboose from the 1980s. There is also a replica homestead house and farm, brought to life through living history. These exhibits and buildings complement the topics covered in the displays with vivid insights into regional history.

Discover more destinations: Browning, East Glacier Park, Cut Bank, Madison County, Mccone County, Wibaux County, Flathead, Broadwater.

For the broader travel overview: Montana.