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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Babb
Stay 1 night in Babb only as a bed for Glacier's Many Glacier and Chief Mountain entrances; the town itself is a store, a motel and two bars.
Babb is a hamlet of about 130 people on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, 9 mi south of the Canada border and a short drive from Glacier National Park's northeast side. There is no sightseeing here: you sleep, eat steak, buy gas and drive into the park. Book beds early in July and August, when the whole valley fills.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (snow, seasonal closures)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $110–180 excl. bed · High $180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Glacier County Sheriff (non-emergency) 406-873-2711 · Glacier National Park information 406-888-7800
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or diner breakfast | $8–16 |
| Steak dinner at the Cattle Baron | $30–60 |
| Burger and fries | $14–20 |
| Draught beer at Charlie's Place | $5–8 |
| Gallon of gas | $3.50–4.50 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FCA · Glacier Park International (Kalispell)
- About 2 h 30 min by car via US 2 and US 89; the usual rental-car airport for this side of the park.
- GTF · Great Falls International
- About 3 h 30 min south on I-15 and US 89; check seasonal flight times.
- YYC · Calgary International
- About 3 h 30 min via Cardston and the US border at Chief Mountain (seasonal) or Carway.
Typical fares
- FCA Kalispell → Babb by car
- about 2 h 30 min, 130 mi (check)
- Babb → Many Glacier by car
- about 25 min, 12 mi
- Babb → St. Mary by car
- about 15 min, 9 mi
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. US 89 runs through town and meets MT 3, the road to Many Glacier; MT 17 climbs to the Chief Mountain border crossing into Alberta. Distances are short but there is no bus, taxi or rideshare — walk the highway shoulder between the store, motel and cafe as locals do.
See and do
Known for
- Gateway to Many Glacier and Chief Mountain
- Cattle Baron Supper Club steaks
- Thronson's General Store
- Charlie's Place bar and BabbFest
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Many Glacier, Glacier National Park | Drive MT 3 west from Babb, about 12 mi | About 25 min |
| St. Mary and Going-to-the-Sun Road | US 89 south, about 9 mi | About 15 min |
| Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta | MT 17 north over Chief Mountain, then Alberta 6 | About 1 h |
| Browning | US 89 south then US 2 west | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Babb townsite (US 89)
- Thronson's Motel and a handful of cabins; walk to the store, cafe and bar. Best for one night with an early park start.
- St. Mary, 9 mi south
- More motels, campgrounds and the park's St. Mary entrance; a fallback when Babb is full.
- Many Glacier valley
- Inside the park, 12 mi west of Babb; the closest beds to the Swiftcurrent trails, booked months ahead.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the gas station? | Where's the gas? |
| A table for two, please | Table for two, please |
| How much is it? | How much? |
| Can I pay by card? | Do you take cards? |
| Where is the trailhead? | Which way to the trail? |
| Thank you | Thanks a lot |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Cell coverage is patchy; download maps and park info before you arrive.
- Gas is limited: the station takes cards 24 h but is only staffed by day, and St. Mary is the next pump.
- The Chief Mountain border crossing is seasonal — check it is open before routing through it.
- Wildlife on the roads at dawn and dusk: bison, deer and bears cross US 89.
- Winter closes most businesses and some park roads; do not plan a November–April stay here.
Very low crime; the real risks are wildlife on the highway, sudden mountain weather and long drives with no phone signal. Carry water, bear spray where allowed, and tell someone your route.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Babb yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Gateway to Many Glacier and Chief Mountain
- Cattle Baron Supper Club steaks
- Thronson's General Store
- Charlie's Place bar and BabbFest
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Glacier National Park (NPS): www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm
- Visit Montana: www.visitmt.com/
- Montana Department of Transportation: www.mdt.mt.gov/
- Wikivoyage: Babb, revision 4983859 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4983859
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Babb
Can you take me to this address?
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Glacier County Sheriff (non-emergency)406-873-2711
- Glacier National Park information406-888-7800
No consulates here; nearest are in Denver or Seattle (check). US visitors use 911 and park rangers for help.
Print this card: signal is weak between Babb and the park.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/babb). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.