Visiting the Many Glacier Hotel at Swiftcurrent Lake, Montana: The Brainchild of Louis W. Hill (1872-1948)

(This short hub article is limited to some historical and geographical aspects of this building at Swiftcurrent Lake, Montana. For any aspect of the services of this fine hotel, contact should be made directly with its management.)

Lake Swiftcurrent, Montana, is a spectacular location overlooked by several high peaks in Glacier National Park (1).

These peaks include Grinnell Point, which rises to 2,318 metres / 7,604 feet (2).

Lake Swiftcurrent extends over 106 acres, with a maximum depth of 30 feet and has a shoreline length of 2 miles (3).

Louis W. Hill (1872-1948) was a railroad executive — he was President and later Chairman of Great Northern Railway — with interests also in mining, finance and real estate development. In the early 20th century he played a significant role in the development of Glacier National Park, Montana.

A brainchild of his was the Many Glacier Hotel, overlooking Swiftcurrent Lake. The Hotel was built in 1914-1915, by the Great Northern Railway (4). The Hotel was partially renovated in 2016. The main building includes a cavernous Swiss Lounge, where polished wood is a strong theme, from which Grinnell Point, sometimes reflected in Swiftcurrent Lake, may be viewed to advantage. The name of the Lounge is indeed in keeping with the fact that the area around the Hotel is sometimes referred to as 'the Switzerland of North America'.

Various excursions, hikes and boat trips are regularly made with the Hotel as base. The establishment has over 200 rooms, with a rustic theme prevailing.

Today, the Hotel forms part of the Many Glacier Hotel Historic District, it is included in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, is designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark District Contributing Property and participates in the Historic Hotels of America program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Here in 'remote' Montana, history is truly alive and well at the memorable Many Glacier Hotel!

April 11, 2019

Notes

(1) Glacier National Park is itself part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, thus designated in 1932. Glacier National Park was created in 1910.

(2) Grinnell Point is a subpeak of Mount Grinnell, which rises to 2,699 metres / 8,855 feet. The name of these peaks refer to Dr. George B. Grinnell (1849-1938), a Yale University zoologist and conservationist.

(3) See also: https://www.lakelubbers.com/swiftcurrent-lake-2220/

(4) See also: http://www.glaciernationalparklodges.com/lodging/many-glacier-hotel/

Waterton, Alberta, Canada (distance: 44 miles / 70.8 kilometres; the lakeside village at the Canadian end of the Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park has a spectacular setting, overlooked by the historic Prince of Wales Hotel.

Great Falls, Montana (distance: 173 miles / 278.4 kilometres); visitor attractions include: the Great Falls of the Missouri River, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, the C M Russell Museum; Gibson Park; Native Montana Art Gallery and Gift; the Great Falls Symphony Association holds regular concerts at the Mansfield Center for the Performing Arts; the Great Falls Historic Trolley gives local tours from the Visitor Information Center; the Malmstrom Air Force Base Museum and Air Park; the Montana Museum of Railroad History; and many others.

Ulm, Montana (distance: 181 miles / 291.3 kilometres); the First Peoples' Buffalo Jump State Park contains an historic, mile-long cliff used for 600 years.

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How to get there: Delta Airlines flies to Great Falls International Airport, Montana (distance from Many Glacier Hotel: 174 miles / 280 kilometres) with wide North American connections, from where car rental is available. Some facilities may be withdrawn without notice. For up to date information, please check with the airline or your travel agent. Please refer to appropriate consular sources for any special border crossing arrangements which may apply to citizens of certain nationalities.

MJFenn is an independent travel writer based in Ontario, Canada