Glacier National Park by train · Glacier National Park by train
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Glacier National Park by train
Glacier National Park by train
If you have the extra time and want to see more of the country, the train is a good alternative for traveling to Glacier National Park. Since much of the early development of the park was led by the Great Northern rail company, the railroad is an integrated part of the park's history (and vice versa). Amtrak's Empire Builder train service runs from Seattle and Portland through northern Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to Chicago. The Empire Builder westbound arrives in the evening, the Eastbound train arrives in the morning, daily at the three stations serving the park. Travelers should arrange accomodations and/or waiting time accordingly.
West Glacier Park Station (Amtrak station code: WGL) - This historic railroad depot has a small historical museum but no ticketing office or automated ticketing machines.
Hwy 2 and Going-to-the-Sun Rd., West Glacier, MT 59936
East Glacier Park Station (Amtrak station code: GPK) - This station is open from May 1 through October 1.
400 Highway 49 North, East Glacier Park, MT 59434. (After October 1 and prior to May 1, Amtrak trains stop at Browning instead of Glacier Park. Browning is not a staffed station.
In addition, trains will stop at the Izaak Walton Inn at Essex Station (see under Sleep, below), by request. The train does not wait longer than 10 minutes, therefore passengers should be ready to board immediately upon the trains arrival.
As noted above, the train ride from Seattle/Portland is overnight and arrives in Glacier National Park in the morning; the train from Chicago arrives in the evening. The seats' ample legroom and lack of seat belts make them far superior to their airplane counterparts, and in combination with the train's Sightseer Lounge Car and reasonably-priced dining car contribute to a relatively comfortable journey.
A full-service Amtrak terminal (and one of their busiest) is available at Whitefish, west of West Glacier, and north of Kalispell. The station at East Glacier is also staffed May 1-October 1.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Glacier National Park
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Glacier National Park - updated May 2024
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Glacier National Park Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.