Lake McDonald Lodge

The challenge in the early days of Glacier National Park was to attract visitors to the remote place and offer the amenities that travelers of the day required. The Great Northern Railroad and other private companies invested in building some of the early park infrastructure, and they were allowed to build several lodges within the park boundary.

Built in 1913, the Lewis Glacier Hotel, as it was originally called, was not a Great Northern Railroad project but was built in the same Swiss chalet style as the other park lodges and was acquired by GNR in 1930. The lodge was extensively renovated in 1988 and today remains true to its original design and construction. In addition to the lodge and cabins, there is an upscale restaurant and a boat dock that offers lake tours and boat rentals.