Finally! Mountains!
After hours and hours of flat land that felt like driving across a beige pancake, I rolled into East Glacier Park and nearly cried at the sight of actual elevation. Turns out this little village used to be called Midvale back in the 1890s when the Great Northern Railway plotted it out. They eventually decided “East Glacier Park” sounded fancier (and, let’s be honest, more postcard-worthy).
This is a tiny town, only a few hundred people, but it sits right on the edge of the Blackfeet Reservation and oozes with culture and scenery. It also, unfortunately, made national news in 2022 for something horrifying: A man drove his truck into a family, then got out and started shooting. It’s a grim reminder that even the most peaceful places aren’t immune to darkness. The silver lining? The guy was stopped by a brave woman who basically said, “Not today, Satan,” and took him down with his own knife.
Now, for a lighter note: East Glacier is home to Montana’s oldest grass-greens golf course and each hole is named after a Blackfeet chief. So, you can soak up local history while triple-bogeying your way through the front nine.
Between the views, the vibe, and the sheer relief of seeing a mountain, this town hit different, in the best way.
