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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 (221 mi); shuttle services run in season (check)About 220 mi / 221 mi (355 km); 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)
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
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 km (12 mi)Drive MT-49 then Two Medicine Road, about 12 mi / 12 mi (19 km) | 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 km (13 mi)Drive east on US-2, about 13 mi / 13 mi (21 km) | About 20 min |
| West Glacier / Going-to-the-Sun Road | Drive west on US-2, about 60 mi / 97 km (60 mi)Drive west on US-2, about 60 mi / 60 mi (97 km) | About 1.5 h |
| Kalispell | Drive west on US-2, about 90 mi / 145 km (90 mi)Drive west on US-2, about 90 mi / 90 mi (145 km) | 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.