DAY 1 · IN THE PARK
Two Medicine
- Drive south on US 89 and MT 49
- Boat, Running Eagle Falls or the Aster Park trail
- Sunset from the lake
Quieter than Many Glacier. A good second east-side day.
GATEWAY TOWN / EAST SIDE OF GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
East Glacier Park
Railroad village at Glacier's southeast corner: Amtrak stop, the 1913 Glacier Park Lodge, and the road to Two Medicine.
From our visits, August 2024 and September 2025Gas and supplies on the Blackfeet Nation side around Browning and East Glacier cost noticeably more - fuel up west of the park.
East Glacier ParkPhoto: Loco Steve / CC BY 3.0
TO THE TWO MEDICINE ENTRANCEMinutes from Two Medicinevia US 2 and MT 49
NEAREST AIRPORTGlacier Park International AirportFCA, Kalispell
BY TRAINAmtrak Empire Builderstops at East Glacier Park in summer.
PEAK SEASONLate May through September, mat…
Photographs from the places on this page and the National Park Service. Views are inspiration, not a promise of light, weather or availability. Photo credits: Loco Steve / CC BY 3.0.
01 / WHERE YOU STAND
East Glacier Park is an east-side base.
Plan the park from that fact.
Boundary from the National Park Service; lakes, roads and towns from OpenStreetMap. Orientation only, not a navigation map.
East Glacier Park Village is the small railroad town at the southeast corner of Glacier National Park, on US 2 in Glacier County. The Empire Builder stops here seasonally, the 1913 Glacier Park Lodge stands across the lawn from the station, and the separate Two Medicine entrance is reached from a road just northwest of town. With about 354 residents, it is a gateway with a few motels, cafes and a bakery, not a resort town.
The drive: The Two Medicine entrance is accessed via a separate road just northwest of town (NPS); the village itself sits outside the park boundary at the southeast corner.
East Glacier Park fits if
- Two Medicine is your first park day and you want it minutes away.
- You are arriving by train or staying at Glacier Park Lodge.
- You want a base between the west side (US 2) and the east side (MT 49).
Think twice if
- Your must-do is Logan Pass; St. Mary is an hour north on MT 49 and US 89.
- You want more than a handful of restaurants.
- Amtrak's Empire Builder stops at East Glacier Park only seasonally. NPS ↗
- The East Glacier Park Amtrak station (GPK) is a seasonal stop open mid-spring to mid-fall. Amtrak ↗
- The East Glacier Park depot was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1912 next to Glacier Park Lodge. Amtrak ↗
- East Glacier Park station has a station building with a waiting room. Amtrak ↗
- No vehicle reservations are required in any area of Glacier National Park in 2026. NPS ↗
- Glacier National Park has no cell phone coverage outside Apgar and St. Mary. NPS ↗
- The last westbound shuttle from Logan Pass to Apgar Visitor Center or Lake McDonald Lodge departs at 7:30 pm. NPS ↗
02 / DAYS FROM A EAST GLACIER PARK BED
This could be your 3 days from East Glacier Park.
Editorial day shapes, not timed routes. The order follows the Glacier guide: park days first, a slower day when you need one, the far side of the park only if you have the time.
DAY 2 · IN THE PARK
The Sun Road from the east
- Early start, fuel before you leave
- St. Mary Lake, Sun Point and Logan Pass before the lots fill
- Back for dinner at the junction
The east side gives you the lake and the pass without crossing the whole park.
DAY 3 · IN THE PARK
Many Glacier
- Earliest start of the trip
- One trail: Grinnell Lake, Swiftcurrent or a boat-assisted hike
- Dinner at the hotel or back in town
The most crowded parking in the park; be through the entrance early or use the hiker shuttle.
DAY 4 · NEAR TOWN
A slower day near town
- Late breakfast
- Something outside the park: a lake, a short walk, a museum in Browning
- Early dinner
For a rest day, a smoky or windy day, or the day you arrive.
03 / SLEEP CLOSER TO YOUR PLANS
Where will you sleep in East Glacier Park?
Best areas: Near the depot and Glacier Park Lodge, where the Amtrak stop, the lodge and the village cafes are all walkable. Seasonal village; lodges and cabins book months ahead for July and August, and most close by early October. Every place below has a Save button so it lands in your Glacier trip.
Places to stay in East Glacier Park
Every bed we track in town, best rated first.
Glacier Park Lodge
The 1913 railway lodge by the East Glacier Amtrak station, gateway to Two Medicine.
Circle R Motel
East Glacier motel on US 2 across from Amtrak, walkable to town; king and queen rooms plus one kitchen suite.
Mountain Pine Motel
Basic motel lodging in East Glacier Park Village, 31 miles from Glacier NP center.
Hi – East glacier park
Rustic upstairs rooms above East Glacier's bakery, with a shared porch and Rockies views.
05 / BEFORE YOU DRIVE TO THE ENTRANCE
Stock up before the park.
Inside, there is almost nothing.
Groceries, fuel, bear spray
Post office, volunteer fire department, a handful of motels and cafes, a bakery with a general store and a laundromat with pay showers. Browning, the nearest larger town, is east on US 2.
From our visits, August 2024 and September 2025 Stock up at the Walmart in the valley towns before entering the park - one easy stop covers groceries and supplies.
From our visits, August 2024 and September 2025 Bear spray from the Walmart in the gateway towns runs about forty dollars.
- Glacier National Park has no cell phone coverage outside Apgar and St. Mary. NPS ↗
- Download the park map and your trail notes in town; nothing loads once you are past the entrance.
07 / THE DETAILS THAT CHANGE THE PLAN
Practical East Glacier Park
- Getting here
Fly: Glacier Park International Airport (FCA, Kalispell), about 56 miles west on US 2 per NPS; Great Falls International is 130-165 miles east of the east-side entrances.. Amtrak's Empire Builder stops at East Glacier Park in summer.
- To the park without a car
Amtrak's Empire Builder (Chicago to Seattle/Portland) stops at East Glacier Park seasonally in spring, summer and fall; Glacier Park Lodge offers Amtrak transfers. There is no public shuttle from town into the park.
- Seasons
Peak: Late May through September, matching the Amtrak season and Glacier Park Lodge's operating dates (May 29 to September 27 in 2026)..
- Booking
Seasonal village; lodges and cabins book months ahead for July and August, and most close by early October.
- Services
Post office, volunteer fire department, a handful of motels and cafes, a bakery with a general store and a laundromat with pay showers. Browning, the nearest larger town, is east on US 2.
- Lodging mix
A historic full-service lodge (Glacier Park Lodge, late May to late September), plus small motels and rustic rooms above the bakery; nothing here is a chain hotel.
- Winter
Most lodging and the Amtrak stop close for winter; Amtrak serves Browning instead during the winter months.
Checked against official sources
Each line links to the page it was read from. Re-checked on the fact bank's schedule; confirm anything time-sensitive before you rely on it.
- Two Medicine Road closes for the season once weather and snow accumulation require it. NPS ↗
- Montana's seasonally closed roads (MT-49 Looking Glass Highway among them) get no winter maintenance and travel on them is prohibited once closed. Montana DOT ↗
Details checked September 9, 2026. Planning guidance, not a live hours or conditions feed; confirm seasons, hours and bookings with the operator, the town or NPS.
08 / QUICK ANSWERS
Questions people ask about East Glacier Park
Can I get to East Glacier Park by train?
Yes. Amtrak's Empire Builder stops at East Glacier Park seasonally in spring, summer and fall; in winter the stop moves to Browning.
Is East Glacier Park inside Glacier National Park?
No. It is a village just outside the park's southeast corner in Glacier County, Montana; the Two Medicine entrance is reached from a separate road northwest of town.
How big is the town?
About 354 residents at the 2020 census, at an elevation of 4,823 feet.
Where do people stay?
Glacier Park Lodge, the 1913 railway lodge across from the station, plus small motels and rustic rooms above the bakery. Book summer dates well ahead.
Can I drive to Two Medicine from here right now?
Check NPS first. In 2026 Two Medicine Road is closed at Running Eagle Falls Trailhead from September 8, with the closure moving to the Highway 49 junction later in September for construction.
10 / FOLLOW THE NEXT QUESTION
What would make this
trip feel possible?
Details checked September 9, 2026. Facts on this page come from the town record and the National Park Service; ratings from Google at the last listing sync; notes marked "from our visits" are dated personal observations.
LET A LITTLE CURIOSITY TAKE YOU SOMEWHERE
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