December 2, 2015 - Wednesday

Planning for 2016 reservations

Longtime fans and friends of the chalets will notice some changes in how we take reservations for the 2016 season. We are working with the National Park Service to make sure the process is as fair and accessible as it can possibly be. The chalets are small and popular hotels in Glacier and there is sure to be a high demand. Here is some info that can help you out:

January 11 is the date we begin accepting 2016 reservations. The office will open at 8:00 AM mountain time zone. Any early requests will be discarded.

Make your reservation through our website.
This is the most important thing you can do. Visit the reservation page of SperryChalet.com or GraniteParkChalet.com after 8:00am on January 11 to request a reservation.

First come first served will be strictly enforced. The order requests are put into our database is the order we will process them. Using the form on our website will be the fastest and easiest way to get onto that list.

We do not recommend using the phone, Email, telegram, pony express, or any other way of reaching us. The only thing we can do with these requests is enter them into the website on your behalf. This will be slower than doing it yourself online.

If you cannot go online or reach our website call our toll free number: 888-345-2649
We cannot create a reservation over the phone, but we can assist you by entering your information for you. You should expect that the phone line will probably be busy and this will be a less expedient technique for getting onto our reservation request list.

Once you have submitted your request, don't bother calling. So long as there is a backlog of reservation requests we will not be able to create reservations over the phone. By phone the only things we will be able to do is to enter your request into the queue for you, or answer chalet related questions.

We can handle most reservation requests within two days. After we handle your request we will notify you by Email. So please be sure your Email address is accurate and double check your spam filters if necessary. Successful requests will also receive a confirmation by postal mail.

We appreciate how enthusiastic everyone is for the chalets and we are looking forward to serving you.

Cheers

Kevin

October 30, 2015 - Friday

2016 operating dates

If you are looking forward to 2016, the opening and closing dates for the chalets are now set.

Granite Park Chalet, open June 28 through September 10, 2016
Sperry Chalet, open July 10 through September 10, 2016.

Both chalets will close to the public on September 11 after breakfast.

For 2016 reservations, January 11 is the date to know. That is when 2016 reservations open.

Happy Trails!

Kevin

September 12, 2015 - Saturday

Closed for the season

What an amazing and wild summer it has been. The summer of 2015 had wildfires, road and trail closures, drought, smoke, snowstorms, wildlife sightings and a great deal of unpredictable Mother Nature. On top of that we still had a great time in the mountains with incredible hiking and once in a lifetime views of Glacier National Park. I have said it before and I will say it again, you meet the nicest people on the trail to the chalets. I crossed paths with lots of wonderful and incredible people this summer. I can't wait to see you again on your next Glacier adventure.

Our office will be on light duty for a while this fall. If you have a question you need answered, send an Email or leave a voice message. We will get back to you as soon as we can.

If you are looking forward to 2016, the date to know is January 11th for the opening of reservations. Be sure to check our website later this fall too, we will publish the dates, rates and other details as soon as we know them.

Happy trails!

Kevin

August 30, 2015 - Sunday

Last weeks of summer

It has been an adventurous and eventful summer here in Glacier. And in spite of the fires, the road closures and the smoke, we still managed to have a great time up in the mountains. We are looking forward to all the great hiking we can do with the last weeks of summer.

As we slip into September be more cautious about unexpected weather. Always carry your rain gear with you, and this time of year I like to bring my long underwear along in case the nighttime gets extra cold. Mornings and evening are sure to be chilly, so a hat and gloves can't hurt either.

The Going to the Sun Road shuttle will be ending service after labor day. If you are visiting after the 7th and need a ride to or from a trailhead, be sure to contact us about our chalet trailhead shuttle.

Happy hiking!

Kevin

August 23, 2015 - Sunday

New office hours

We have new office hours for the last few weeks of our season.
9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Mountain time zone.

Happy Hiking

Kevin

August 20, 2015 - Thursday

Additional fire restrictions

Glacier National Park has implemented Stage 2 fire restrictions. That means no campfires, no charcoal grills, smoking only in closed vehicles or flammable free areas.

At the chalets this is pretty easy, if you need to smoke don't do it indoors or in the woods, go find a space clear of any vegetation or flammables.

It has been really smokey in Glacier lately. There are a lot of wildfires burning across the northwest and we are downwind from fires in Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Conditions can change day by day with the wind and the weather, we are using the Glacier National Park webcams to monitor the smoky conditions.
http://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm

It is pretty dry and hazey around here these days. I suggest extra water on your hikes, and be extra careful with any flames, motors or sparks.

Kevin

August 13, 2015 - Thursday

Going to the Sun Road Night Closure Lifted

The night closure on the east side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park has been lifted. The entire 52 miles of the Going-to-the-Sun Road are open to vehicle access.

Visitors will not be able to stop or park along the road in the Reynolds Creek Fire area on the east side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and are reminded to drive cautiously in the area. Firefighters and equipment will continue to be staged along the road.

The Gunsight Pass trail has re-opened.

It is now possible to access Sperry Chalet on the Gunsight Pass Trail. Overnight parking is not allowed at the trailhead inside the fire area, so you will need to use a shuttle if you would like to hike this trail. Call our office for information and schedules for reserving our chalet trailhead shuttle.

August 12, 2015 - Wednesday

A hot summer in Glacier National Park

It has been a bit of a wild summer too, there are now two major wildfires burning inside the park.

The chalets are open, safe, and accessible. We are looking forward to your visit.

CURRENT PARK STATUS:
The Going to the Sun Road is open, but there are night time travel restrictions on the east side between Logan Pass and St. Mary. Overnight parking is currently being allowed at Logan Pass. Parking at all trailheads is very limited and we are recommending using shuttle access for your hikes and chalet visits.

The new Thompson Creek Fire has been producing a spectacular smoke plume, but it is not currently threatening any of the roads or facilities inside the park. The Nyack and Coal Creek areas in the south central area are currently closed to backcountry travel. This does not affect chalet access in any way. The west side of the park may see an increase in smoke from this fire.

As of Wednesday, August 12, campfires will not be allowed in the back country of Glacier National Park. This should not affect your chalet visit, but do please be cautious about smoking or any sort of open flame when visiting Glacier this year.

Granite Park Chalet is open and all trails are passable. Again, we are recommending shuttles for trailhead access.

Sperry Chalet is open and the Sperry Trail from Lake McDonald Lodge is the only access. The Gunsight Pass Trail remains closed east of Gunsight Pass. We are enjoying beautiful hikes to Sperry Glacier and Lake Ellen Wilson.

Our Shuttle Schedule has changed
Unfortunately our ability to be of service on the east side of the park to St. Mary is seriously constrained. We can be of better service to more of our guests with west side service only. We will have our new shuttle schedule online for you soon.

Be safe out there!
Be sure to carry extra water on your hikes. Be wary of open flame and dangerous fire conditions. Do be excited to witness first hand the amazing events that can take place in our National Parks and wild places.

Kevin

July 31, 2015 - Friday

Status update

Glacier National Park still has a wildfire burning on the east side of the park. Going to the Sun Road remains closed east of Logan Pass to the St. Mary Campground. The chalets are open and accessable from west side trails. The chalets are enjoying a beautiful summer, there is no smoke or fire activity visible from the chalets.

Granite Park Chalet
Logan Pass is accessible from the west and the Highline Trail is open. However, overnight parking is not allowed. The road is very congested, expect delays up to three hours if you wish to drive there.

If you are planning to use the Highline Trail for your overnight stay at Granite Park Chalet, you will need to use a shuttle to access the trailhead. You may use the free Going to the Sun Road shuttle, or call our office to reserve the chalet shuttle.

The Loop Trail remains open, but parking is extremely limited. Again, we recommend shuttle access to the trailhead.

Swiftcurrent Pass Trail is open. If you wish to depart Granite Park Chalet over Swiftcurrent Pass to the Many Glacier area, please pre-arrange your transportation. The chalet shuttle cannot access this area, or anywhere on the east side of the park, but private shuttles are available through Glacier National Park Lodges and Glacier Park, Inc.
Look here for information about east side shuttles:
http://www.glaciernationalparklodges.com/red-bus-tours/shuttles/
http://www.glacierparkinc.com/shuttle_information.php

Sperry Chalet
The Sperry Trail from Lake McDonald Lodge is open. The Sperry Glacier Trail is open. Lake Ellen Wilson is accessible.

The Gunsight Pass trail is closed east of Gunsight Pass, but is open from Sperry Chalet to Gunsight Pass.

It is still a beautiful summer on the west side of the park. Lots of good hiking is available. We are looking forward to seeing you in the mountains.

Happy Hiking!

Kevin

July 24, 2015 - Friday

Frequently asked questions.

With a wildfire affecting travel plans around Glacier National Park, here are the most common questions about the chalets:

Are the chalets open?
YES! Both Sperry Chalet and Granite Park Chalet remain open, safe, accessible, and beautiful. There are some trail closures out of the chalets, but we are open and ready to help you enjoy the mountains. From our locations we can't even see the smoke.

Has your cancellation policy changed?
NO. We are open, accessible, and ready to honor your reservation. The cancellation policy at the time you created your reservation is still in effect. We don't reserve trails or weather and we cannot give out refunds just because a particular trail has closed. There are still many great hikes you can enjoy around the chalets. We continue to recommend travel insurance for all chalet guests and future guests to help you mitigate the risks of a wilderness vacation.

I want to hike from Granite Park Chalet to Many Glacier over Swiftcurrent Pass. How do I get back to my car?
The Swiftcurrent Pass trail is open and you may hike this route if you wish. However, ground transportation may not be available to you on the east side of the park. We suggest you only take this route if you have pre-arranged your transportation.
Look here for information about east side shuttles:
http://www.glaciernationalparklodges.com/red-bus-tours/shuttles/
http://www.glacierparkinc.com/shuttle_information.php

Where can we get more fire information?
We are looking to the National Park Service for updated and evolving information about the fire. Links to Glacier National Park news releases are available here:
http://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/news/newsreleases.htm
Glacier National Park social media information can be found here:
http://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/news/index.htm
Incident information is available here:
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4405/

How long will the fire and closures last?
No one knows. A fire this extreme may have lasting repercussions for the entire summer until snow falls. Closures may change or update depending on changing conditions. Weather events may either help or hurt fire control efforts. Glacier National Park is in Mother Nature's control now, and she does not disclose her plans or issue press releases.

We would like to thank all of our guests for your amazing adaptability. We are looking forward to sharing a wonderful mountain experience with you.

Have a safe hike!

Kevin

July 23, 2015 - Thursday

The chalets are open and ready to serve you.

The wildfire on the east side of the park is causing sudden changes to many travel plans, but Granite Park Chalet and Sperry Chalet remain open. Access to the chalets from trails on the west side of the park remain open and the chalets are in no danger.

Going to the Sun Road is closed between the east side St. Mary entrance and Big Bend on the west side. There is no access to Logan Pass. All hiking trails with east side access from Going to the Sun Road are closed.

West side trails in and out of both chalets are open and not in danger from the fire.

The backcountry chalets are currently little enclaves of calm and beauty here in Glacier National Park. We would like to thank our guests for their splendid adaptation to Mother Nature's sudden changes. Thanks for coming, we can still do some great hiking this summer.

GRANITE PARK CHALET
The Loop Trail is open and it is the easiest and fastest route in and out of Granite Park Chalet. We recommend reserving our shuttle, or using the Going to the Sun Road shuttle for trailhead access. Parking at the loop is extremely limited.

The Highline Trail between Granite Park Chalet and Logan Pass is closed. There is no hiker access to or from Logan Pass.

The Swiftcurrent Pass Trail is open. This is the only east side access to Granite Park Chalet. If you would like to depart the chalet via Swiftcurrent Pass to the Many Glacier area, please only do so if you have pre-arranged your east side transportation. With the fire closures and evacuations around the St. Mary area, east side shuttles may not be available to help you exit the park.

SPERRY CHALET
The Sperry Trail from Lake McDonald Lodge is open. This is a good trail for day hikers and horseback riders.

The Gunsight Pass Trail is closed at Lincoln Pass.

The Sperry Glacier Trail is open and is showing some stunning beauty this year.

BOTH CHALETS
Are in no danger from the fire and make great day hikes or horseback rides.

Now may also be a good time to look to some historic advice from Sperry Chalet:

"I have been here nearly 30 years now and no two days have been the same. So while you are here, pay attention. Whatever happens today will never happen again." K Luding.

Be safe and happy hiking.

Kevin

July 22, 2015 - Wednesday

Fire alert

A wildfire on the east side of Glacier National Park erupted suddenly on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 21st. This fire is causing a closure of Going to the Sun Road and evacuations of east side campgrounds and facilities. Access to Granite Park Chalet and Sperry Chalet are also affected.

Going to the Sun Road is currently closed between Big Bend on the west side, and St. Mary entrance on the east side. Logan Pass is not accessible.

At Granite Park Chalet, the Highline Trail from Granite Park Chalet to Logan Pass is closed. At this time the Loop Trail and the Swiftcurrent Pass trail remain open. We recommend shuttle access to The Loop trailhead for guests to reach us from the west side.

At Sperry Chalet, the Gunsight Pass trail is closed from Sperry Chalet to all destinations east. The Sperry trail to Lake McDonald, and the Sperry Glacier trail remain open.

For guests planning to visit the chalets, we are still open. Be advised that access from the east side of Going to the Sun Road will be impossible for an unknown period of time. Plan to use the west entrance to Going to the Sun Road at West Glacier. Expect to find congested roadways and parking areas.

Our guest shuttle will continue to operate on the west side of Going to the Sun Road. Guests are advised that travel along Sun Road and parking will probably be easier for you if you take advantage of our shuttle or the NPS shuttle system. Contact our office to reserve space in our shuttle.

This incident is fast developing and quickly changing. We will post here as we learn new information.

Be safe out there.

Kevin

July 1, 2015 - Wednesday

Granite Park Chalet is open for the season

Our summer of hiking is off to a great start with an open Highline Trail and spectacular weather. It is absolutely beautiful up at Granite Park Chalet. We are looking forward to your visit.

The weather is hot and dry right now, so hike smart by starting in the cool morning air and bring an extra water bottle. Running out of water is one of the most dangerous things that could happen to you in these conditions.

And don't forget about our guest shuttle to help you into the park. Finding a parking spot at Logan Pass is one of the biggest challenges in Glacier these days. We can help you with free parking at West Glacier or St. Mary and a direct ride straight to your trail. Get the details here.

Happy Hiking!

Kevin

June 20, 2015 - Saturday

Chalet snow report

It has been an unusually dry winter here in Glacier National Park. High country trails and passes are melting out much sooner than a typical year. That is good news for early season hikers.

You will be able to use the Highline Trail to Granite Park Chalet as soon as we open on July 1. It can still be a tricky trail though, be prepared for some interesting snow crossings over the next few weeks.

The Loop Trail to Granite Park Chalet is free of snow and ready to use.

The Sperry Trail to Sperry Chalet is in great condition, but it feels a little steeper this year.

We do not yet have a status report for the Gunsight Pass trail to Sperry Chalet. Considering the dangerous conditions that spring snowfields create at Gunsight Pass, I would hold off attempting this route until we get accurate reports on trail conditions.

We do recommend checking the National Park Service trail status reports before you start a high country hike. This information is also available at park visitor centers.

http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/trailstatusreports.htm

Be safe out there.

We are looking forward to seeing you in the mountains soon.

Kevin

May 28, 2015 - Thursday

Trailhead Shuttle

Shuttle service to chalet trailheads is now available.

As you may know, parking along Going to the Sun Road gets more and more challenging every year. We are ready to help chalet guests with shuttle service from St. Mary or West Glacier directly to your hiking trail.

Get all the details about our shuttle service here, and then call our office to reserve your ride into the park.

Happy Hiking!

Kevin

May 6, 2015 - Wednesday

Granite Park Chalet meals

Our pre-order retail menu is now available!

This is the best way to take some weight out of your backpack and simplify your meals at Granite Park Chalet. If you don't feel like carrying food on your hike, we have carefully picked some delicious backpacking meals for you. Place your order at least two weeks before your reservation and we can have everything waiting for you at the chalet.

Happy Hiking!

Kevin

January 16, 2015 - Friday

New for 2015

Trailhead Shuttle Service

Starting this summer we are planning a trailhead shuttle service for chalet guests. Traveling and parking along Going to the Sun Road is becoming more and more challenging for backcountry adventurers, let us help you with a ride from your hotel to the trailhead and back again.

Many of the details about the chalet shuttle are still being planned out, but we do know that the fares will be low and reasonable. Shuttle service will be by reservation. Dropoff and pickup can be arranged for all chalet trailheads along Going to the Sun Road. And we can provide overnight parking for your vehicle in the West Glacier area.

We will offer morning pick ups for chalet guests from hotels near West Glacier and Apgar, and drive you to the chalet trailhead. Dropoffs include the Sperry Trail at Lake McDonald Lodge, the Loop Trail at the Loop, and the Highline Trail at Logan Pass.

East side service to the Gunsight Pass trail at Jackson Glacier Overlook and the east entrance at St. Mary will also be available with an additional mileage fee.

In the afternoon on the day you depart, we can meet you at the trailhead and deliver you back to your hotel or vehicle.

If a ride to the trail is something that can help you with your chalet adventure this summer, call or Email the reservation office to make arrangements.

Happy Hiking

Kevin