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Voykit pocket guide · United States
East Glacier
East Glacier Park
Stay 1–2 nights in season (Jun–Sep) for Two Medicine and the park's east side; outside May–Oct most lodgings and the Amtrak stop shut.
East Glacier is a village of a few hundred people on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, sitting at the east entrance to Glacier National Park where US-2 meets MT-49. It exists for the park season: lodges, a bakery-hostel, a saloon and a seasonal Amtrak stop. Come for Two Medicine, the bison reserve and trailheads, not for a town.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- East Glacier Park
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (most businesses closed, snow)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
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 $80–130 excl. bed · Mid $130–220 excl. bed · High $220+ 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 and a pastry | $5–9 |
| Deli sandwich or pizza slice | $10–16 |
| Sit-down dinner main | $18–32 |
| Draught beer in a saloon | $6–9 |
| Gallon of fuel | $3.50–4.50 |
| Campground, single site | $18–30 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $15–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FCA · Glacier Park International (Kalispell)
- Nearest airport; about 2 h by car via US-2 (check)
- YYC · Calgary International
- About 220 mi / 355 km; shuttle services run in season (check)About 220 mi / 221 mi; shuttle services run in season (check)
Typical fares
- Amtrak Empire Builder, East Glacier → West Glacier
- about $10–20, about 1 h (check)
- Amtrak Empire Builder, East Glacier → Chicago
- from about $150 coach, 1 night+ (check)
- Taxi or shuttle, town → Two Medicine
- about $30–60 (check)
Get around
The village is walkable, but everything else needs a car: Two Medicine, trailheads, the bison reserve and the park's east side are spread along US-2 and MT-49. Car rentals, shuttles and horse rentals operate in town in season. Amtrak's Empire Builder stops at East Glacier Park station April–October.
See and do
Known for
- East entrance to Glacier National Park
- Two Medicine valley
- Blackfeet Nation Bison Reserve
- Glacier Park Lodge (1912)
- Amtrak Empire Builder stop
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Two Medicine | Drive MT-49 then Two Medicine Road, about 12 mi / 19 kmDrive MT-49 then Two Medicine Road, about 12 mi / 12 mi | About 30 min |
| Blackfeet Nation Bison Reserve | Drive about 5 mi east on US-2 | About 10 min |
| Browning | Drive east on US-2, about 13 mi / 21 kmDrive east on US-2, about 13 mi / 13 mi | About 20 min |
| West Glacier / Going-to-the-Sun Road | Drive west on US-2, about 60 mi / 97 kmDrive west on US-2, about 60 mi / 60 mi | About 1.5 h |
| Kalispell | Drive west on US-2, about 90 mi / 145 kmDrive west on US-2, about 90 mi / 90 mi | About 2 h |
Sleep
- In town (US-2 / MT-49)
- Walkable cluster: Glacier Park Lodge, motels, bakery-hostel, saloon, travel centre.
- West of town on US-2
- Bison Creek Ranch cabins and Devil Creek Campground; you need a car.
- Two Medicine / park side
- Campground and limited lodging inside the park; book early for summer.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the trailhead? | Where is the trailhead? |
| Is this road open? | Is this road open? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the nearest fuel? | Where is the nearest fuel? |
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
- Season is short: many lodgings, eateries and the Amtrak stop close from about November to April.
- Cell service and data are spotty; not every hotel has Wi-Fi.
- This is bear country: carry bear spray, store food properly, never leave food in a tent.
- You are on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation: follow tribal rules and respect closed areas.
- Distances are long and fuel stops are few — fill up before heading out.
Low crime, high exposure: the real risks are bears, weather swings, long empty drives and closed-in-winter services. Carry bear spray, tell someone your route and keep a full tank.
One and two days
No timed day plan for East Glacier yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- East entrance to Glacier National Park
- Two Medicine valley
- Blackfeet Nation Bison Reserve
- Glacier Park Lodge (1912)
- Amtrak Empire Builder stop
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
- Amtrak — East Glacier Park station: www.amtrak.com/stations/gpk
- USDA Forest Service — Devil Creek Campground: www.fs.usda.gov/r01/flathead/recreation/devil-creek-campground
- Recreation.gov — Devil Creek Campground: www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234791
- Wikivoyage: East Glacier, revision 5321017 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5321017
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
East GlacierEast Glacier Park
To this address, please
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).
Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/east-glacier). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.