Best Family Resorts in Glacier, MT
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Great Northern Resort is the top family pick near Glacier National Park, combining log cabin accommodations with guided whitewater rafting on the Flathead River one mile from the west entrance. Families who want to sleep inside the park should book Lake McDonald Lodge, the 1914 historic lodge on the shores of Glacier's largest lake.
Great Northern Resort
Resort · $$
Kids' club
No formal kids' club, but the on-property activity lineup is genuinely kid-focused: guided whitewater rafting and scenic floats on the Flathead River, inflatable paddleboard and kayak rentals, bicycle rentals, a playground, an arcade and games room, sand volleyball, and horseshoes. Scenic float trips are suitable for younger kids; whitewater runs typically require age 7+.
Family room fit
Log cabins in 1- to 3-bedroom configurations, plus standard lodge rooms. The 3-bedroom cabins sleep up to 10 guests with full kitchens, separate living areas, and upper and lower decks — well-suited for extended families or two-family groups. Smaller units have efficiency kitchens and two queen beds.
The Middle Fork of the Flathead is the best whitewater rafting in Montana, and Great Northern has been running it for decades under family ownership. Guides have strong reviews for their ability to put nervous first-timers — including children — at ease, and the on-property arcade, playground, and Railway Cafe mean families rarely need to leave the property.
Watch out: There is no pool, so restless kids on a rainy day are your responsibility to manage. Rafting trips are priced separately from lodging, and peak-season cabin rates can climb above $500/night for larger units.
Lake McDonald Lodge
On-property · $$
Kids' club
No kids' club or pool. Family-friendly activities are park-driven: guided boat tours on Lake McDonald with historic wooden vessels, kayak rentals, evening NPS ranger programs on the lodge grounds, and direct access to the Trail of the Cedars boardwalk and Avalanche Lake trailhead. Red Bus tours depart from the lodge.
Family room fit
Lodge rooms (no TV or A/C in most), duplex-style cabins for a bit more space, Snyder Hall hostel-style rooms, and Cobb House suites with a sitting area, queen bed, sleeper sofa, and one of the few flat-screen TVs on the property. Rooms are modest in size; families needing a rollaway should request one well in advance.
There is no closer address to the heart of Glacier — kids walk out the front door to a glacially cold lakeshore, and the morning boat tour with a naturalist guide is a near-mandatory family experience. Jammer Joe's Grill and Pizzeria handles casual family dining on-site, and free evening ranger programs are reliably engaging for kids.
Watch out: Rooms are small, rustic, and most lack A/C and TV — families expecting hotel-standard amenities will be surprised. The property books up months in advance (often by February for July and August), and prices are high for what you get structurally. No pool.
West Glacier Village Cabins
Condo · $
Kids' club
No kids' club or pool. On-grounds amenities include a family playground, fire pits, picnic areas, and yard games. The Golfing to the Sun 18-hole mini golf course is a five-minute walk — great for ages 5 through 12. The walkable West Glacier Village adds rafting outfitters, dining, and an ice cream shop.
Family room fit
One-bedroom cabins with kitchenette sleeping up to 4, with a private bedroom, separate living area, private outdoor deck with BBQ, and air conditioning. Larger families will need multiple units, as there is only one cabin configuration.
Full kitchens, a private BBQ deck, coin-operated laundry, and a playground make these cabins the most practical family base near Glacier — at a price point well below the in-park lodges. The park's West Entrance is essentially at the doorstep, making early-morning entries to beat Going-to-the-Sun Road vehicle reservation windows far easier than driving from Whitefish or Kalispell.
Watch out: Cabins sleep only four, so families of five or more need to book multiple units. This is not a resort — no pool, no spa, no concierge — and the cabins are modestly sized. Larger families should confirm pricing for two cabins before assuming it beats a single larger unit at Great Northern.
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Frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Glacier National Park with kids?
Late June through mid-September is the practical family window. Going-to-the-Sun Road — the park's signature drive — typically opens fully in late June and closes to general traffic by mid-October. July and August are peak season: all facilities are open, trails are snow-free, and boat tours run daily. The tradeoff is that vehicle reservations for Going-to-the-Sun Road are required in summer and sell out months in advance; book them the moment they open (usually in early spring). Late September offers fewer crowds, no vehicle reservations, and spectacular fall color, but some lodges and boat tours close by then.
Is there a beach or pool near Glacier for families who need a break from hiking?
None of the properties in West Glacier have swimming pools, and Lake McDonald itself — while strikingly beautiful — is fed by glacial melt and stays cold enough year-round to limit swimming to the hardiest kids. Apgar Village, at the southwest tip of Lake McDonald inside the park, has a small beach area where kids can wade and throw rocks, which is a genuine hit with younger children. Families who need a proper pool should plan a day trip to Whitefish (about 25 miles northwest), which has a city aquatic center and several resort hotels with pool access.
Do you need a car to get around Glacier as a family?
Yes, a car is essential for families staying in West Glacier. The free Glacier National Park shuttle system (GNP Shuttle) runs along Going-to-the-Sun Road from Apgar to St. Mary in summer — it is a genuinely good option for one-way hikes — but it does not replace a car for getting to and from lodging, rafting outfitters, or restaurants outside the shuttle corridor. Families renting a car should note that Going-to-the-Sun Road has vehicle length restrictions (under 21 feet including tow) and requires advance vehicle reservations during peak season. Parking inside the park fills by 9 a.m. at popular trailheads in July and August.
What age is Glacier National Park appropriate for, and what can young kids actually do?
Glacier works well for families with kids of almost any age, provided you pick the right activities. Toddlers and preschoolers do great on the Trail of the Cedars (a paved boardwalk), Apgar Village beach, evening ranger programs, and Lake McDonald boat tours — all low-exertion, high-payoff. Elementary-age kids can handle the Avalanche Lake trail (4.6 miles round trip, manageable for motivated 6- to 8-year-olds) and scenic float trips on the Flathead River. Tweens and teens are ready for longer hikes like Highline Trail and whitewater rafting on the Middle Fork. The main limitation for very young children is altitude and sun exposure on exposed alpine trails — start early, bring sunscreen, and build in more time than you think you need.
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