December 23, 2014 - Tuesday

Merry Christmas

While some people like to treat Christmas shopping like an extreme sport, I like relax instead and reminisce about the great hiking, amazing locations and wacky squirrel encounters. Makes me look forward to seeing more amazing things next year.

We enjoyed a wonderful centennial year, with a beautiful summer of hiking, old friends, new friends, and celebrations. Thank you for being a part of it.

We will not be keeping regular office hours until the new year, but we will return messages and Emails if you need anything.

Merry Christmas

Kevin

November 17, 2014 - Monday

Winter office hours.

We are settling down for the winter season. If you have business with your reservation, questions that need answering, or you are checking for new openings, here is what you can expect from the office.

Winter office hours will be 9:am to 1:pm, weekdays, mountain time zone.

We get in earlier on some mornings, and there is often stuff to do that keeps us here in the afternoon, so it never hurts to try calling. But we promise to have someone standing by and coffeed up by 9am at the latest. To reach us by phone, mornings will be the best time. 888-345-2649

Email is always good too: [email protected]

If you are checking the availability calendar for new opportunities, keep an eye on the date and time at the top. We will update the calendar whenever we have changes or openings.

Stay warm.

Kevin

October 30, 2014 - Thursday

Chalet reservations

Thank you so much for your chalet enthusiasm! We have had a busy week helping you with your reservations. We are continually amazed at how many people have a passion for the Glacier backcountry. Thank you for your patience as we personally worked through everyone's requests.

A few of the Emails we are trying to send are being returned to us undeliverable. This is usually because of typos or errors in the Email address. If you have not heard back on your request, this may have happened. Be sure to check your junk mail folder too. Successful reservations will also receive a statement in the US Mail.

If we were not able to award you a reservation, please check availability through our website from time to time this winter. Travel plans can change and new opportunities could arise. We do not keep waiting lists, any opening created by cancellation will be available first come first served.

Thank You

Kevin

October 26, 2014 - Sunday

Hints for 2015 reservations

We are excited to be talking to all the chalet enthusiasts soon. These small hotels can sell out very quickly, and it can be hard to communicate with us on these first days reservations are accepted. Here are some pointers to help everyone out.

The online reservation request form will become available at 8:00am Mountain Time Zone on Monday the 27th. Use your browser reload button to get access to the form after 8:00am. We will begin answering the toll free phone line at the same time.

We think the online form is the fastest and easiest way to make a reservation. Send your request in the morning and get on with your day. We will Email you back as soon as we handle your request.

The phone line is your second best choice for making a reservation. 888-345-2649. We will be answering the phone from 8:00 to 5:00 this week. Expect the phone line to be very congested and plan to spend some time re-dialing upon getting a busy signal. Please do not bother calling the National Park Service or other area hotels, they cannot help you with a chalet reservation. If you are having difficulty reaching us, patience and persistence is the only solution.

The phone line is best for large parties or complicated reservations. If you are able to describe your desired reservation through the form, you do not need to call. Let's save the phone line for the good people that do not have the luxury of a computer or internet connection. Once you have made your request, a phone call cannot speed up the process or get you feedback any faster.

If you want reservations at both Sperry Chalet and Granite Park Chalet, you will have to visit both websites and submit two reservation requests.

How we handle your reservation request:
We work through the request queue in the order submitted, and all requests are staff reviewed. Our rule of thumb is to try to error on the side of creating a reservation, even if it is not the first choice of dates or best room arrangement.

First, we will check your first choice of dates for availability. If we have space for your party we will hold it for you and send you a confirmation.

If we can't fit you in on your first choice, we will look to your second choice, or the range of dates you have available. We will try our best to find openings for you in that time range.

Sometimes we don't have vacancy on all the nights of a multiple night stay. In that case we will try to create a reservation for a shorter stay. We think a less than perfect reservation is still better than no reservation at all.

Once in a while we can find an opening for you by adjusting the number of rooms for your party. If you are not comfortable bunking with your friends, let us know in the comments so we don't create a reservation you can't use.

Depending on how many people are trying to contact us, it may take a day, and in some cases two, before you hear back from us.

Successful reservation requests will receive a reply Email and a statement in the US mail. Unsuccessful requests will be replied to by Email.

Large parties and groups.
Large groups of people can be especially challenging to reserve into small and popular hotels like ours. If you do not have flexibility in your travel dates, try to be flexible with the number of rooms and how your party can bunk together.

Keep in mind, we will not create reservations for more than half the capacity of the chalets for any one party. That is 17 people or 6 rooms at Granite Park Chalet. 21 people or 8 rooms at Sperry Chalet. If your party is larger than that, please use the phone for your reservation. We will need assurances that you are not scalping the reservation or holding rooms that you may not use.

We do not need to hear from everyone in your party. Designate one person to send the request and be our point of contact for your group.

How to improve your chances for success:
Common sense and statistics can help you some.
The more flexibility in travel dates, the more possibilities for reservations exist.
The fewer rooms you need, the more likely we will have them available.
The first week in August traditionally has the highest demand. (The week before and after are very popular too.) Other dates may have more opportunities.

Good Luck!

Kevin

October 15, 2014 - Wednesday

2015 reservations, Frequently Asked Questions

Reservations for 2015 will be available soon. We are hearing from many enthusiastic and curious people asking how to go about it. To help everyone out, here are the most frequent questions:

When?
We will begin accepting 2015 reservations on Monday, October 27. 8:00 am Mountain time zone.

What was that time zone again?
Mountain time zone. Glacier National Park time.
Atlantic coast minus two hours, Pacific coast plus one.

How?
Online or phone line.
A form will show up on our website at 8:00am the morning of the 27th. We think this is the fastest and easiest way to request a reservation. Send it in the morning and we will get back to you by Email as soon as we review your request.

The telephone is best for large, complicated, or unusual reservations. We do expect that lots of people will be trying to call us, so plan to spend some time hitting redial after getting the busy signal

When can I expect the reservation request to be confirmed?
Reservation requests are personally handled in the order received, and we usually work through the first batch of them in a couple days. I expect most requests will be confirmed within 24 hours, however high demand may slow us down and some requests may take two days or more to be confirmed.

What happens to Emails or requests submitted early?
Early requests are discarded. They will not be honored or acknowledged.

How much will it cost?
We do not know yet. We are still working with the National Park Service to set and approve the 2015 fare. It will be published here as soon as we know it.

What are my chances of getting the reservation I want?
I wish I knew. The chalets are the smallest hotels inside Glacier National Park and are very popular. Being flexible in your travel plans is one of the best ways to help ensure success. Our request form will let you enter a couple options for dates, be sure to give us the entire range of dates you intend to be in Glacier so we can look for every possible way to fit you in.

Good luck!

Kevin

October 6, 2014 - Monday

2015 Operating Season

We have confirmed our operating dates for next summer.

Granite Park Chalet will open July 1 through September 11, 2015.
Sperry Chalet will open July 10 through September 11, 2015.

We will begin accepting reservations on October 27.

Thanks

Kevin

September 7, 2014 - Sunday

Closed for the season!

What an amazing summer! What incredible people we have met! What awesome hiking! Glacier National Park gave us some real treats this year with amazing wildflower blooms and nice weather. I hope you got to hike your favorite trail.

We will be on shortened weekday office hours as we regroup and get ready for 2015. Reservations for next summer will become available on October 27, the last Monday in October. We will post additional details here as we learn them.

And one more Happy Centennial! to Granite Park and Sperry! We are looking forward to spending another hundred years serving adventurers.

Happy Trails!

Kevin

August 31, 2014 - Sunday

End of season office hours

There are only a few more days in our summer. We are going to be closing the office at 2:00 pm as things slow down. Be sure to reach us in the morning or by Email if you have questions about your stay.

2015 reservations and season information are not yet available. Check back in about a month.

Happy Hiking

Kevin

August 22, 2014 - Friday

Yay! Centennial!

We had a blast at our centennial party, thanks to everyone who showed up. We appreciate Jack Gladstone, Brett Bouda, Beth Dunagan, Doug Follett, and all the chalet supporters we had a chance to enjoy some birthday cake with.

More importantly, there is still some great hiking to do in the Park. The chalets are getting some cool and wet weather this week. Be sure your rain gear is close at hand, and be ready for windy conditions up high too. Be sure to bring some warm dry clothes for when the hiking is over.

Have fun out there.

Kevin

August 20, 2014 - Wednesday

Centennial Celebration!

Today is the day. It is a party for our 100th birthday.

From 2:00 to 4:30 this afternoon there is a public reception in West Glacier at the Glacier Outdoor Center.

Map to Glacier Outdoor Center.

There will be cake and entertainment.
There will be book signings by Brett Bouda The Era of the Chalets
and book signing by Beth Dunagan Welcome to Sperry Chalet.

At 3:00 join us with Jack Gladstone. Blackfeet singer and songwriter.

At 4:00 enjoy a fireside chat with Ray Djuff, author of View With a Room.

5:00 pm invitation dinner.

Happy Centennial Sperry and Granite Park!

Kevin

July 27, 2014 - Sunday

Join our Centennial Celebration

Granite Park and Sperry Chalet
Centennial Celebration

Outdoor Public Reception
August 20, 2014
2:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Glacier Outdoor Center
12400 HWY #2 East - 1 mile west of West Glacier

Chalet History by NPS Interpretive Ranger Diane Sine
Centennial Cake & Refreshments
Reflections

Brett Bouda book signing- The Era of the Chalets
Beth Dunagen book signing - Welcome to Sperry Chalet

3:00 pm Jack Gladstone Blackfeet Singer Songwriter Concert
4:00 pm Fireside Chat with Ray Djuff, author of View With a Room

Kevin

July 17, 2014 - Thursday

The Highline Trail is open

The snow is melting fast up in the high country and our favorite trails are clearing a little more every day. The Highline Trail is open now, but please be super careful. There are still many snow hazards along the route from Logan Pass to Granite Park Chalet, so watch your step and be cautious on the snow.

Swiftcurrent Pass is reported as easily passable now. Feel free to make the hike to Many Glacier.

North along the Highline Trail out of Granite Park still has lots of snow, and the Grinell Glacier Overlook remains closed.

Be safe out there and happy hiking!

Kevin

July 10, 2014 - Thursday

Granite Park trail status

It is still a snowy wonderland up in the high country, with lingering snow and wet ground conditions around the chalet. You might appreciate having good waterproof boots and some spare dry socks when you come to visit.

The Highline Trail from Logan Pass remains closed. It will probably be late July before this popular trail becomes passable. Even traveling a short distance from Granite Park Chalet is hazardous due to the high angle snow across the trail.

Swiftcurrent Pass still has some snow cover the last half mile to the pass, but several hikers have been crossing it and are reporting it as passable with caution.

The Loop Trail remains the easiest and best access to Granite Park Chalet for the time being. We would like to encourage guests to use the free shuttle service from the transit centers to relieve parking congestion.

Don't let the snowy conditions stop you from visiting. It is beautiful in the backcountry, and the weather has been glorious. Do come prepared though. Waterproof boots, trekking poles, hats, sunscreen and sunglasses will help you enjoy your visit.

Happy hiking!

Kevin

July 2, 2014 - Wednesday

Going to the Sun Road status

The National Park Service is planning to open the entire length of Going to the Sun Road soon. We do not know exactly when, but we think it will be before the start of the July 4th weekend. We will continue to shuttle chalet guests from Apgar Visitor Center past the road closure to The Loop trailhead until the road is open to the public.

After the opening we will not be running our guest shuttle any longer, the free Park Service shuttle will be available to help you get in and out of Granite Park Chalet.

Parking at The Loop will be scarce and difficult once Sun Road opens, so we want to encourage our guests to continue using the shuttle from Apgar Visitor Center. The parking is much more abundant, and it is nice to be able to enjoy the scenery instead of driving.

The Highline Trail from Logan Pass remains 99% snow covered, closed, and dangerous. We do not expect to see this trail passable for several weeks yet, the earliest possible opening is July 18. Until then, The Loop Trail will continue to be the only access to Granite Park Chalet.

Happy Hiking!

Kevin

June 30, 2014 - Monday

Summer Office Hours

Starting today, June 30, we are keeping our summer office hours.

We will be available from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, every day until we close in September.

Our office can be reached at 888-345-2649

Happy Hiking!

Kevin

June 23, 2014 - Monday

Early season access to Granite Park Chalet

We are learning from the National Park Service that Going to the Sun Road will not be open to vehicle traffic by our June 30th opening date. We currently have no information as to when Sun Road will have complete vehicle access.

Granite Park Chalet WILL be open beginning June 30th. We will be shuttling chalet guests to The Loop trailhead from the Apgar Visitor Center near the west entrance of the Park. We will make sure that all of our overnight guests at Granite Park Chalet have transportation to and from the trailhead.

We understand that the NPS Sun Road shuttle will be available to carry day hikers beyond the road closure to the loop trailhead beginning July 1. Come on up the Loop Trail, we will be happy to see you.

All early season visitors to Granite Park Chalet should come ready for snow and wet ground conditions. Sturdy waterproof boots are important, trekking poles can help with balance. You may want to have sunscreen, sunglasses and hats too.

Glacier is enjoying a beautiful springtime! We cant wait for you to join us.

Kevin

May 20, 2014 - Tuesday

Preorder Meals

Our 2014 menu is ready for you.

We can help make meals at Granite Park Chalet easier for you. Our menu can take some weight out of your backpack with tasty meals that are easy to prepare and easy to clean up.

Find the details here.

Kevin

March 3, 2014 - Monday

Save the date!

Granite Park Chalet and Sperry Chalet would like you to join in our Centennial Celebration. We will be hosting a public reception in West Glacier with refreshments and a birthday cake.

August 20, 2014 at 2:00 pm at the Glacier Outdoor Center in West Glacier.

This reception is open to the public. Please come and help us celebrate!

Kevin

February 5, 2014 - Wednesday

Out of office

We apologize for being out of the office this week. Out staff is suffering from winter ailments. We look forward to helping your with your reservation as soon as we possibly can.

Thank you.

Kevin