Polebridge in Glacier County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Overnight in the Wilderness
Historic Many Glacier Hotel
In the 1920s, large parties of tourist gathered on horseback at Many Glacier Hotel. The hotel was part of a network of chalets built a day's ride apart-a way for guest to cross the park's wild, roadless interior while spending nights in relative comfort and security. Sperry and Granite Park Chalets continue to play their historic roles by lodging overnight hikers.
A blend of rustic materials and Swiss chalet style, the hotel's architecture expresses the paradox of Glacier National Park tourism: the attempt to balance development with the forces of wilderness. The Swiss motifs grew out of a campaign to attract vacationers to America's Alps.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce.
Location. 48° 47.797′ N, 113° 39.402′ W. Marker is in Polebridge, Montana, in Glacier County. It can be reached from Many Glacier Road (State Highway 3) 11.8 miles west of U.S. 89. The marker is located east of Many Glacier Hotel. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Polebridge MT 59928, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Western Montana and in Glacier Country. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: When the Glaciers Melt (a few steps from this marker); Motoring In (approx. 0.9 miles away); Choosing a Route (approx. 7.2 miles away); Stephen Tyng Mather (approx. 7½ miles away); Horns (approx. 7.6 miles away); Losing a Namesake (approx. 8.3 miles away).
More about this marker. The caption for the panel background photo reads, "Completed in 1915, Many Glacier Hotel was one of several chalets built by the Great Northern Railway to increase its train ridership to Glacier."
Also see . . . Glacier National Park. U.S. National Park Service (Submitted on July 26, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 26, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 658 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 26, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.


