Going-to-the-Sun Road
West Glacier to Logan Pass to St. Mary and back is not a side trip: it’s the day. Plan around it, and don’t stack anything after it.
The Crown of the Continent is your playground
Glacier’s West Entrance about 40 minutes away, Flathead Lake right below the bluff, and two hosts who know the valley well.
Plan your days
Explore the valley, or never leave the bluff
Many of our guests are happy never to leave the grounds, and we understand why. But when you’re ready to explore, the best of Montana is right at your door.
Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road, spend a day on Flathead Lake, book a private sunset charter, or wander the galleries and shops of Bigfork and Whitefish. Whatever you have in mind, just ask. We know the valley well, and we’ll help you make the most of your stay, from dinner reservations to a full day’s itinerary.
Eric & Rita Bahme Your hosts
01 · Glacier National Park
A million acres of high country, starting about 40 minutes from our door
Known as the Crown of the Continent, Glacier spans over a million acres of towering peaks, sparkling lakes, alpine meadows and pristine forest, with wildlife to watch for along the way.
The West Entrance is about 40 minutes from our ridge in Somers. From there, Lake McDonald is just inside the park, and Logan Pass is about 32 miles up Going-to-the-Sun Road. At the end of the day, you come back down the valley to a quiet deck and a private hot tub.
About 40 minTo the West Entrance
700+Miles of hiking trails
Alpine lakes & high trails
Sparkling lakes, alpine meadows and trails through country shaped by ancient glaciers, from the shores of Lake McDonald to Hidden Lake and the Highline Trail at Logan Pass.
Many Glacier
Around the south end of the park and over Marias Pass. A long drive, and absolutely worth it: Grinnell Glacier and Iceberg Lake are why people come back. Make it a full day.
From your hosts
How we’d plan your Glacier days
Every summer we host people who spent months planning a Glacier trip and still got a few things wrong. Here is the short version of what we’d tell you over coffee on the deck.
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Go early, or go late
The crowds have shifted rather than disappeared. Leave Somers by six and you’ll be on the Sun Road before the rush, or set out at three and drive it in evening light with half the traffic. Midday is the worst of it.
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Carry bear spray
And know how to use it. This is grizzly country, and it is not a formality.
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Pack layers, water and snacks
Logan Pass can be thirty degrees colder than our driveway, even in August. Rita restocks your room daily with snacks and drinks for exactly this reason: take some with you.
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Fill up and download your maps
Fuel up in Kalispell or Columbia Falls; gas gets scarce and expensive near the park. Cell service inside is unreliable to nonexistent.
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Check before you go
Park rules shift from year to year. Our Glacier guide covers what has changed, and the National Park Service (opens in a new tab) posts current conditions.
Watch for wildlife from the road and on the trail. Give the animals plenty of room, and keep your camera close.
“On the day you don’t want to drive to the park, and there will be one, you’ll be glad you’re here instead of at a gate.”
Eric & Rita Bahme
02 · Right below the bluff
Flathead Lake and the valley
Flathead Lake is right below us, and the view across the water to the Mission Mountains follows you from the deck to the hot tub to the fire pit.
A day on the water
Boating and fishing on Flathead Lake, with the Mission Mountains across the water.
A private sunset charter
An evening on the lake as the light goes. Ask us and we’ll help you plan it.
The view from your deck
Some evenings the best seat for the lake is your own hot tub, high above it.
About 10 minutes
Bigfork
Wander the galleries and shops for an afternoon, and be back up the hill in time for sunset.
About 30 minutes
Whitefish
More galleries and shops to explore. Like the rest of the valley, it has some very good restaurants.
In the valley
Kalispell
Local shops, the valley’s culinary scene, a nearby river for casting a line, and a little history.
In Kalispell
Conrad Mansion Museum
Once the home of Kalispell’s founding family, the Conrads, this beautifully preserved mansion offers a glimpse of early 20th-century life: period furnishings, meticulously restored rooms and lush gardens.
Visit the museum’s site (opens in a new tab)Lone Pine State Park
Panoramic views of the Flathead Valley and the surrounding mountain ranges, with a network of well-maintained trails for hiking and wildlife watching, and a quiet setting for a picnic.
Lone Pine on Montana FWP (opens in a new tab)03 · Every season
The valley through the year
Summer is the valley at its busiest. September is our favorite. And in winter, the snow settles on the pines and the bluff goes quiet.
Summer
Long days in the valley
The Sun Road, the lake, gardens in bloom on the hillside and the fire pit lit in the evenings.
Our favorite
September
The same road, thinner crowds, better light and cool nights.
Winter on the bluff
Snow on the pines
A hot tub under the stars, and the valley gone quiet below.
“July is beautiful and July is busy. The first three weeks of September give you the same road, thinner crowds, better light, and cool nights. It’s our favorite time in the valley and it isn’t close.”
Summer dates, particularly June through September, can fill well in advance. If you see the dates and suite you want, we’d book them. If we’re full, join the waitlist: cancellations happen, and we reach out when they do.
04 · Celebrations
Anniversaries, proposals & romantic getaways
People come here for anniversaries. Honeymoons. Engagements. Birthdays. Trips they’ve saved for years to take.
“We’ve helped hide engagement rings and champagne. We’ve helped plan surprises.”
If you’re planning something, tell us when you book, or call us. We’re glad to help keep it a surprise.
“This was our 50th wedding anniversary and a special celebration that satisfied in every way.”
Your hosts, your concierge
Tell us what you have in mind. We’ll help with the rest.
Bring your questions when you book. We’re usually around if you want to talk about your day, and gone if you don’t, and we’d rather help you plan than have you guess.
Email Eric & Rita
(406) 287-0009
There’s a reason our phone number is on the website. Or visit our contact page.
Dinner reservations
Meals aren’t served on site, so we’re happy to recommend and reserve nearby restaurants, or arrange local delivery.
Glacier, planned
Which day for the Sun Road, when to leave and what to pack. We’ve hiked most of it.
Days on the lake
A day on Flathead Lake or a private sunset charter, worked around the rest of your stay.
The little surprises
Champagne waiting, a ring kept out of sight until the right moment. Tell us the plan.
Come home to the ridge
A hot tub on a private deck, a glass of wine, a fire pit already lit, and the whole valley going gold below you.
