Here are my top finds for Glacier National Park:
🏨Hotels: Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier Park Lodge, Lake McDonald Lodge
📍Tours: Half Day Whitewater Rafting Trip, Nature Walk in Glacier
🐻 Save time! Buy your National Park Pass before your trip
Motel Lake McDonald
Motel Lake McDonald is located ten miles inside Glacier National Park on the Going To The Sun Road. This modest hotel is not fancy like the historic lodges but offers someone on a budget the opportunity to stay in a great location in the park .
It is also steps away from Lake McDonald and next to the Lake McDonald Lodge, the campstore, and Jammer Joe's Grill & Pizza. It can be a little funny to find. You will want to look for the dirt road right past the gift store before you pull onto the Going to the Sun Road.
You can easily walk to the Lake McDonald Lodge to enjoy dinner or a Lake McDonald Boat tour.
My Experience Staying in Room #1, a Motel 2 Double with Private Bathroom
We stayed in room #1, 2 double beds with a private bathroom on the 1st floor directly across from the registration building. The motel is in a somewhat quiet location but the first thing we noticed was how much outside noise we could hear from our room.
It did not help that the motel does not have an elevator and our room was next to the stairs. This meant that we heard everyone going up and down the stairs, especially when moving their belongings to their rooms.
The room is a fair size but not large. There is space to walk on both sides of each bed so you don't have to worry about someone having to hug a wall.
The room amenities include a box fan, desk and dresser drawers, private bathroom with shower stall, toilet, and small sink. One nightstand table with a lamp and a few drawers.
There are multiple electrical plugins on the wall so you can charge your phones and camera batteries. There is also a basic alarm clock on the nightstand table.
If you are plus size or have any mobility restrictions the bathroom is small! As in bounce off the walls going through the door small if you are not tiny. The area around the toilet is small enough you may hit your elbows on the wall.
One thing we found in our room that surprised us was the number of mosquitoes in our room. There were at least 10 mosquitoes buzzing around the room when we first arrived.
We had to try and kill as many of them as we could since we did not want to spray the room down with bug spray and then sleep with the smell.
There was also a high-pitched noise that was non-stop. We are not sure what was causing it but we ended up sleeping with earplugs and trying to play music so we could drown out the constant high-pitched noise.
Each bed had two pillows and a thin blanket.
One thing that surprised us was the hotel WiFi did work in our room most of the time. It was not a super-strong connection but we were able to get some emails through and check social media.
If you have mobility restrictions it is worth noting that it is a step up to get into the room and the bathroom is very tight.
The rooms are very basic, but then again you are in an epic location. You are literally feet away from exploring the Going to the Sun Road and Lake McDonald.
Room Types
- Motel 1 Queen with private bathroom
- Motel 2 Queen with private bathroom
- Motel ADA 1 King located on the first floor with roll-in accessible shower and private bathroom
- Motel 1 Double with private bathroom
Amenities
- Iron/Ironing Board
- Fan (Upon Request)
- Hairdryer
- Alarm Clock
- Golden Memory™ Pillows
- Energy Efficient Lighting
- Super Topper™ Mattress Cover
- BeeKind™ Environmentally-Friendly Toiletries
- Golden Memory™ Down Alternative Pillows
- Internet available in the lobby
- The lobby offers hot coffee in the morning.
- Restaurant and campstore nearby (Not at the Hotel)
What's Not Included
- No Televisions
- No Air Conditioning
- No Restaurant or lounge on-Site
- No Elevator
- No Coffee Maker
- No Telephone
Planning Your Stay: Essential Details
Season: Motel lake McDonald is tyoically open from late May through late September.
Check-in time - after 4:00 PM
Check-out time - 11:00 AM
Address -
466 Lake McDonald Lodge Loop Road
Lake McDonald, MT 59936
Smoking: All rooms and facilities are non-smoking. Smoking is only permitted in designated smoking areas outside the building.
Pets: No Pets Allowed.
WiFi - Available in the lobby only.
Location - Located 10 miles inside Glacier National Park's west entrance on the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
GPS Coordinates:
48°37'8.04"N
113°52'31.234"W
Check Motel Lake McDonald Availability
Best Glacier National Park Tours & Activities
Half Day Whitewater Rafting Trip
⭐️ Rating: 4.9 out of 5 Stars (1,900+ reviews) | ⏳ Tour Length: 2.5 hours | 🚣 Check Rates and Availability
The Middle Fork of the Flathead River runs along Glacier National Park's southwestern boundary, putting you in the heart of the wilderness from the moment you launch. Guides earn extraordinary reviews for their knowledge of the river, their safety training, and their ability to make every guest feel at ease on the water. All gear is provided. Recommended by 98% of travelers.
Nature Walk in Glacier National Park
⭐️ Rating: 4.9 out of 5 Stars (730+ reviews) | ⏳ Tour Length: 4 hours | 🥾Check Rates and Availability
A guided small-group nature walk covering two of Glacier's most iconic areas, the Lake McDonald Valley and the wild North Fork of the Flathead River. Each leg is approximately one mile round trip with a naturalist guide sharing the ecology, geology, and wildlife of the park throughout. A great choice for families, first-time visitors, and anyone who wants an informed, unhurried introduction to what makes Glacier so extraordinary. Priced per group making it one of the best values in the park. Free cancellation included.
Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour in Glacier National Park
⭐️ Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars (101+ reviews) | ⏳ Tour Length: Self-paced | 🚗🎧 Check Rates and Availability
A GPS-triggered audio tour covering Glacier's most spectacular stops including Going-to-the-Sun Road, Lake McDonald, Logan Pass, the Garden Wall, and the historic St. Mary area. Narration covers the park's glacial geology, wildlife, and the history of the Blackfeet Nation whose homeland surrounds the park. Works fully offline once downloaded, which is essential in Glacier where cell service is unreliable. Priced per vehicle for any group size. Free cancellation included.
Click here to find more great Glacier National Park tours.
Alternative Lodging Options if Motel Lake McDonald is Fully Booked
Glacier Lodging oftentimes fills up months in advance, especially in July and August. Below is a couple lodges near Motel Lake McDonald as a backup option.
⭐️ 4.6 of 5 Stars - Lake McDonald Lodge - Click here for Rates and Availability.
Lake McDonald Lodge is one of the Classic lodges in the national park service with a lodge feel. It has epic views of Lake McDonald and a great spot to go hiking, driving the Going to the Sun Road, and taking a boat tour of the lake. THey have several amenities, a gift store, lounge, and a restaurant.
⭐️ 4.8 of 5 Stars - Village Inn at Apgar - Click here for Rates and Availability.
This is one of my favorite lodges in Glacier and is located in Apgar Village. The lodge has several amenities and some come with a full kitchen. I love the 70's motor Inn retro vibe, but what makes me keep rebooking this lodge is sitting back in an Adirondack chair located on your back porch with epic views of Lake McDonald. It's the chef's kiss!
⭐️ 4.5 of 5 Stars - Cedar Creek Lodge - Click here for Rates and Availability.
Cedar Creek Lodge is located 17 miles from the park's West entrance at Apgar and is managed by Glacier Park Inc., who also manages several of the lodges in Glacier. Cedar Creek Lodge is a modern hotel that is open year-round with modern conviences like free breakfast, mini-fridges, microwaves, FiFi, a year-round indoor pool, a hot tub, fitness center, business center, and shuttles to the park.
⭐️ 4.4 of 5 Stars - Belton Chalet - Click here for Rates and Availability.
Step back in time to an era of elegance and culinary prowess at the Historic Belton Chalet. Built in 1910 as the first of the Great Northern Railroad's iconic lodges, the Belton Chalet has served as the origional gateway to Glacier National Park for over a century, offering the same and unforgettable guest experience today, as it did when it first opened its doors. Now renowned for its world-class cuisine featuring locally-sources ingredients and an array of local beer and spirits, the chalet's restaurant and tap house provide a warm, welcoming environment where the way it was is truly the way it still is.
If you were unable to get into one of these lodges, make sure to check out my Glacier National Park Lodging Guide for a complete breakdown of lodges in Glacier.
Click on the map below to see additional hotels and vacation rentals near Yellowstone
Glacier National Park Entrance Fee
New in 2026: Each Non-US Resident aged 16 and older visiting Glacier National Park must pay a $100 nonresident fee (in addition to the standard entrance fee), unless admitted with an annual or America the Beautiful Pass. This includes nonresidents entering as part of a commercial tour group, commercial use authorization (CUA) group, or concessioner tour group.
Park entrance fees are separate from camping and lodging fees.
Park Entrance Pass - $35.00 Per private vehicle (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Park Entrance Pass - Motorcycle - $30.00 Per motorcycle (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Per-Person Entrance Pass - $20.00 Visitors 16 years or older who enter on foot, bicycle, or as part of an organized group not involved in a commercial tour.
Annual Park Entrance Pass - $70.00, Admits pass holder and all passengers in a non-commercial vehicle. Valid for one year from the month of purchase.
Learn more about National Park Passes for parks that have an entrance fee.
$80.00 - For the America the Beautiful/National Park Pass. The pass covers entrance fees to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites for an entire year and covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and up to 4 adults for per-person sites.
Buy your pass at this link, and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.
National Park Free Entrance Days -Mark your calendars with the free entrance days the National Park Service offers for US citizens and residents.
Additional Glacier Resources
- Ultimate Glacier Travel Guide - All the things you want to know to plan a great trip to the park.
- Glacier Lodging - Check out all of the great lodges and hotels you can stay at in Glacier National Park.
- Top things to do in Glacier - Check out all of the things you do not want to miss while in Glacier
- Glacier Camping - Check out photos and campground information for all the campgrounds in the park.
- Lake McDonald Boat Tours - Find out what to expect when heading out on a Lake McDonald Boat Tour
- Epic Guide to the Going to the Sun Raod
Check out all of the Montana National Parks along with neighboring National Parks in Wyoming, National Parks in South Dakota, North Dakota National Parks, and Idaho National Parks.
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