Lake McDonald Lodge - Glacier National Park

Leaving the boat tour of Lake McDonald, we climbed several flights of stairs to the Lake McDonald Lodge. While we didn't stay at the lodge, we did have the opportunity to visit most of the public spaces in the historic landmark. Constructed in 1913-14, the Swiss-chalet-style lodge opened in June 1914, predating the construction of the Going-to-the-Sun Road by several years. Early travelers had to ride a steamboat from the Apgar area to the lodge, so it was designed with the front facade facing the lake. Since 1921, visitors have arrived by motoring up the Going-to-the-Sun Road and entering the lodge through the back door.

In addition to the lodge, there is a row of cabins and a dormitory building that was remodeled into hostel-type housing bring the total number of guest rooms to 82. 

During our visit in May 2021, the dining room was closed due to COVID-19, but a limited menu of take-out food was available. The food quality was just average and the prices were on par to a bit higher than those outside the park. A large parking lot spans most of the area between Going-to-the-Sun Road and the lodge, but it quickly filled up as the day progressed.

Mount Gould (9553') from the lakeshore

North wing of Lake McDonald Lodge

Center of the lodge and the main entrance

South wing

Lobby

Gift shop

Huge fireplace

Second- and third-floor balconies

Lobby lanterns

Originally the rear of the lodge, now the street or main entrance

A Glacier National Park entry fee of $35 per vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, or $20 per person is valid for seven consecutive days. Other fee payment options include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($80 for a lifetime), Access Pass (free with a documented disability), and Military Annual Pass (free for active-duty personnel). Also available is a Glacier Annual Pass for $70.

The Glacier National Park website is https://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm.

Lake McDonald Boat Tour - Glacier National Park

On our last day at Glacier National Park, we bought tickets for the 11 AM boat tour of Lake McDonald. When we started our May 2021 trip, we weren't sure that the concessionaire would start the season on time. As it happened, this was the first tour of the first day of the season. We didn't notice any opening day hiccups as the crew handled the boat and the interpretive duties like they were all old hands. The Glacier Park Boat Company has been operating on Lake McDonald since 1938. The wooden vessel DeSmet seemed well-maintained and the safety briefing was typical of what we've had at other national parks. The boat has an enclosed cabin on the lower level and an open upper deck. The tour lasted an hour and traced a parallelogram across the northern end of the lake. For the 2021 season, tickets were $22.25 per person with ages 4 to 12 having a reduced price of $11.00, and children under 4 were free. Masks or face coverings were required due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

DeSmet at the dock

Bow

Ticket booth

Boat tour route

View south toward Apgar

Snow-covered Belton Hills

Apgar Mountains

Teakettle Mountain (5936')

Calm morning on the lake

Mount Cannon (8952')

The Garden Wall

Private cottages on the North Shore

Stanton Mountain (7750')

View down Lake McDonald from the bow

Mount Brown (8569')

Mount Jackson (10052')

Howe Ridge

The aftermath of the Howe Ridge Fire of 2018

Our wake distorts the reflection of Mount Brown

The northern end of the lake

Mount Brown, Edwards Mountain (9076'), and Gunsight Mountain (9263')

Apgar Mountains from the lakeshore

A Glacier National Park entry fee of $35 per vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, or $20 per person is valid for seven consecutive days. Other fee payment options include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($80 for a lifetime), Access Pass (free with a documented disability), and Military Annual Pass (free for active-duty personnel). Also available is a Glacier Annual Pass for $70.

The Glacier National Park website is https://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm.

The boat tour concessionaire website is https://www.glacierparkboats.com/tour/lake-mcdonald/.

Polebridge and Polebridge Entrance - Glacier National Park

After driving north on North Fork Road for 12.9 miles from the Camas Road intersection, a roadside sign is the first indication that we were at Polebridge, Montana. We turned east onto Polebridge Loop and drove 0.3 miles to the community of Polebridge. The two-story general store is the dominant structure in town as most of the residential area is a campground of tents and vans. Besides the basics one expects to find in a general store, the store also sells fresh-baked pastries. According to a sign beside the building, the store has been in operation since 1914. A pre-fabricated restroom building with hot and cold water and flush toilets has been installed behind the store. 

Leaving the mercantile, we drove north on a pothole-riddled dirt road for 1.4 miles to the modern steel and concrete bridge over the North Fork Flathead River. Crossing the bridge, we came to the Polebridge Ranger Station entrance to Glacier National Park. The ranger station was closed as was the Inside North Fork Road and the road to Bowman and Kintla Lakes. We visited in mid-May 2021 on our trip to Montana and the Dakotas. 

"The Merc"

Reuter Peak (8763') and partially obscured Kintla Peak (10101')

Hummingbird perched on the Merc sign

Parke Peak (9038'), Reuter Peak, Kintla Peak, Mount Peabody (9216'), Numa Peak (9003')

North Fork Flathead River

Glacier Drive bridge

View upstream (northwest) from the bridge

Mount Hefty (7578' left foreground) just south of the Canadian border and
Mount Doupe (7703') and other snowcapped mountains in British Columbia

Wedge Mountain (6514') with Hornet Mountain (left 6744')
and Cleft Rock Mountain (center 7300') behind

View downstream

Polebridge ranger station

Glacier Road from the ranger station

A Glacier National Park entry fee of $35 per vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, or $20 per person is valid for seven consecutive days. Other fee payment options include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($80 for a lifetime), Access Pass (free with a documented disability), and Military Annual Pass (free for active-duty personnel). Also available is a Glacier Annual Pass for $70.

The Glacier National Park website is https://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm.

North Fork Road - Flathead National Forest

In order not to confuse the roughly parallel  North Fork Road in Glacier National Park with the North Fork Road in Flathead National Forest, the road in the park is referred to as the Inside North Fork Road. The road in the forest is a two-lane mostly dirt and gravel road extending from Columbia Falls 55 miles north to the Canadian border. The first 11 miles out of Columbia Falls is asphalt paved. We drove the 13-mile section from Camas Road north to the community of Polebridge during our May 2021 trip to Glacier National Park. One section of the road we traveled was paved for a short distance.

View west from the Camas Road bridge over the North Fork Flathead River

Looking back at Demers Ridge (6235') with Huckleberry Mountain in the background

Snow-capped mountains in Glacier National Park

Dutch Ridge (7945'), Heavens Peak (8987'), Rogers Peak (7320'), McPartland Mountain (8413'),
Mount Vaught (8850'), Stanton Mountain (7750'), and Mount Brown (8565')

Closer view of Heavens Peak, Rogers Peak, McPartland Mountain,
Mount Vaught, and Stanton Mountain

Closer view of Rogers Peak, McPartland Mountain,
Mount Vaught, and the Stanton Mountain ridge

Another look back at Demers Ridge

Grizzly bear in a field

Reuter Peak (8763'), Kintla Peak (10101'), Numa Peak (9003'), and Rainbow Peak (9895')

There is no fee to enter the Flathead National Forest. 

The Flathead National Forest website is https://www.fs.usda.gov/flathead.