Glacier National Park: A Visitor’s Guide For RVers

If you search our site for “Glacier,” you will quickly find that the number of times we have written about our experiences at Glacier National Park far exceed our stories about any other location.

There’s a reason for that. Glacier is absolutely mind-blowing on every level. Period. (No wonder it was my #1 pick for favorite RVing spots.)

However, what we have neglected to do is provide you with a comprehensive RVer’s Guide to Glacier National Park.

I’m here to fix that. I aim to make this guide your ultimate source of information to help you enjoy the best camping experience possible.

On a side note, you can also take a look at our Glacier photography spot bucket list, our Highline Trail hike primer, or my “One Glorious Week In Glacier” post. See, we’ve covered a lot of Glacier!

The West Side of Glacier National Park

Our family has visited Glacier twice. The first trip was during the summer. We camped on the West side of the park and then moved to the East side for a couple days.

The second visit was during the fall. We stayed on the East side of Glacier for the entire visit. While there is no doubt that I thoroughly enjoyed both visits, I highly recommend visiting Glacier in the fall.

Hey, any time is a great time to visit. But I firmly believe fall is the best time.

Despite my preferred time of year for a visit, please get there any time you can, any way you can, for any length of time you can. It will be a trip to remember.

If you’re dreaming of an epic road trip and need to rent an RV, check availability on the Outdoorsy marketplace as early as possible.

Options book quickly, especially during the peak travel season, so my first tip to you is to check it out sooner than later.

Overview of the West Side

Here’s the first thing you should know: The west side of the park, and the entrance that feeds into the park, is busier and more commercialized than the east side of the park.

Of course, there is always a flip side. In this instance, the flip side is that the west wide is more convenient. You will be within easy driving distance of more restaurants, markets, fuel stations, and amenities. 

On top of that, you will also have far more options to choose from for RV parks or campgrounds on the west side.

There are easily twice as many options within easy driving distance of the entrance on the west side, compared to the east side.

Basically, you get a chance to choose your own type of Glacier adventure here! And who doesn’t love choices?

So you choose. If you prefer convenience and don’t mind crowds, the west side may be best. Conversely, if you’re looking for a rustic, calmer experience, book your travels to the east side.

West Glacier RV Parks and Campgrounds

If you choose convenience and crowds and are willing to deal with heavier traffic, here are the some of the best RV parks and campgrounds on the west side of Glacier National Park.

North American RV Park (Coram, MT)

During our first visit to Glacier, we stayed our first few nights here at North American RV Park before moving to the east side for our last couple of nights in the area (which I’ll cover next).

It’s located about 5 miles west of the Apgar Visitor Center at the west entrance to the park. It doesn’t get a whole lot more convenient than that.

As you can imagine, I have some pretty great memories connected to this park.

Yup, those are some fantastic memories. And our stay at North American only added to the experience. Here’s what you need to know about this park’s features:

The park sits close to the main road leading to Glacier, so again, it is high on convenience. But you may have some road noise to “interrupt” your evening fires.

This was not an issue at all for us as our site was probably 150-200 yards from the road, but I thought you should be aware.

Moose Creek RV Resort (West Glacier, MT)

If convenience really floats your boat, then you will find Moose Creek RV Resort to be right up your alley.

Believe it or not, Moose Creek is even more conveniently located than North American RV Park.

Located just a few minutes from the park’s west entrance, here’s a rundown of what they offer the RV traveler:

Moose Creek may offer you with an RV camping experience that provides a bit more space and seclusion. At North American, we were packed in there pretty good with no barrier between campsites.

Moose Creek appears to have more breathing room. Some of their RV sites are “tucked away” in the old growth forest.

Moose Creek is a solid, affordable, and supremely convenient option for your RV visit to Glacier National Park.

Fish Creek Campground (Inside Glacier National Park)

Now, if you really want to focus on location and are less concerned with amenities and services?

Maybe some “dry camping” (no hookups) at Fish Creek Campground inside the park will be the perfect option for you.

This is the second largest campground in the park, but you will still be able to camp away from park traffic.

Moreover, it’s one of only four that takes reservations.

This rustic campground is located on the shore of stunning Lake McDonald where Fish Creek flows into the lake.

It’s a perfect home base to explore this awesome national park that has 700 miles of hiking trails for you to enjoy.

But like I said, you will be giving up some conveniences and amenities in exchange for a more secluded location like Fish Creek.

Here’s a quick rundown of what this prime location campground offers.

Okay, brace yourself for the standard price, folks: it’s a whopping $30 per night!

For a prime location at a price that doesn’t drain the bank account, I’m willing to go without A LOT of extra bells and whistles. Book early to secure a spot!.

For my dollar, Fish Creek Campground might just be the best deal going here on the west side of Glacier National Park. But what about you?

Family Activities in West Glacier

Truthfully, when I’m near a national park you can barely get me out of there to sleep or eat. I’m addicted and I could stay till the cows come home!

However, I know some of you get to enjoy your travels with little kids and teenagers. So you might need to explore options for entertainment and activities outside of the park. Don’t worry, tourist attractions are easy to find.

If your kids are older and up for a beautiful outdoor adventure (albeit a little challenging), consider a morning hike to Grinnell Glacier.

Ok, let’s take a quick look at the family entertainment options near the west side of the park.

Amazing Fun Center

With something for everyone, Amazing Fun Center is located within ten miles of the Apgar Visitor Center. It’s only one mile from North American RV Park.

You can choose from bumper boats, basketball, go karts, or wandering through a giant wooden 1.5 mile maze, among many other activities.

This location has very good consumer reviews. I think it’s a great option for the whole family.

Glacier Highline Adventure Park

If your family is more of the thrill-seeking type (who doesn’t battle with a major fear of heights), Glacier Highline Adventure Park may be more your speed.

Located almost next door to the Amazing Fun Center in the town of Coram, Montana, you will find amazing zipline and aerial adventure ropes courses and inflatable water obstacles.

One recommendation is to fill out the waiver forms in advance so you can get out there and have fun as soon as you arrive.

Overview of the East Side

As I said earlier, our experience on the west side of the park was a fantastic introduction to the area.

I don’t have any complaints. However, I will reiterate that if you choose to explore the west side, you will deal with higher crowds and more traffic than if you choose the east side as your home base.

Why We Chose East Glacier

There’s a reason that we chose to stay on the east side of the park for our two week visit in the fall. Okay…actually there are two reasons.

The first reason is that we prefer to avoid the crowds and the traffic, if possible. And we like the small community vibe of St. Mary on the east side of the park.

Another reason we stayed on the east side was not because of our personal preference. Rather, at the time, the area west of Logan Pass Visitor Center was shut down because of wild fires. Yup, that hurt.

What We Didn’t Like About East Glacier

What was I not 100% crazy about? Well…how about paying nearly $20 for a 12 oz bag of Starbucks coffee.

Yes, that happened. There is only one grocery store in St. Mary.

I paid the exorbitant price because we were a bit desperate. Also, the only other option in the store was Folgers instant coffee. I’m no coffee snob and rarely drink Starbucks coffee, but I couldn’t do instant!

Not everything in the small market is this overpriced. But, it did seem like everything is more expensive compared to what you would pay at a larger supermarket. Accordingly, my recommendation is to plan ahead and shop before arriving.

Another alternative is to drive to Browning. We took a couple trips to the IGA, which is an approximate 1.5 hour drive round trip. Prices at the IGA were more reasonable.

East Glacier RV Parks and Campgrounds

There are several good options for RV camping in East Glacier.

Johnson’s RV Park (St. Mary, MT)

During our first stay on the east side, we chose Johnson’s of St. Mary as our home away from home.

It is conveniently located on the main road tat leads through town. Moreover, it’s less than 5 minutes from the park entrance and everything else in the small town.

Johnson’s offers 82 RV sites and 75 Tent sites. Here is a quick overview of the amenities.

We chose a water/electric only site with incredible views of the area. Sunrise and sunset were pretty incredible, to say the least, and we wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again (and again).

Many Glacier Campground (East Glacier National Park)

While we didn’t stay overnight at Many Glacier Campground, we were nearby during a visit to Many Glacier Hotel, which is located up the road.

When we visited the lodge in the fall, there were bears on the slopes. We saw five to seven black bears and grizzly bears each day. It was incredible.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to get a glimpse of bears at the campground, check out the up-close experience of this family while they were tent camping at Many Glacier:

They have had to temporarily close down the campground in the past because of increased bear activity. Stay aware and always check with the rangers upon entering the park.

Here are few key highlights of the Many Glacier campground:

An experience like this will be far more authentic and true to the spirit of visiting a U.S. National Park than staying on the more touristy west side. There is no doubt about that!

Heart of Glacier RV Park

Last but not least in the RV parks and campgrounds realm, I will share our experience at Heart of Glacier RV Park during our two-week stay in the fall and give you the overview of the park.

If you like simple, rustic, very conveniently located and reasonably priced, look no further my friend.

This is what it looked like when we visited. However, they have continued to make improvements and add amenities, including restrooms and showers.

Sure, it’s not much to look at necessarily. Unless you consider its immediate surroundings, of course. For me, that’s plenty.

Here’s a quick run-down of the highlights.

For us, this was a perfect option for a two-week stay. It was very affordable, gave us the convenience of full hook-ups, and allowed us to easily get into the park.

When we make our way back up to Glacier, I can guarantee this is where we will choose to stay again.

It may not have views that compare to Johnson’s RV Park, but it was less expensive, with more trees, and more peace. Yup, that’s always my kind of flow.

Family Activities in East Glacier

Okay, that “family activities” headline may be a little bit misleading. The reason is because aside from some great food in St. Mary (which I cover below), you won’t find “touristy” activities for the family here on the east side.

The vibe is different. The pace is slower.

Eat the Good Foods

Let’s say the kids are getting restless and have grown bored exploring the national park. (Not that I think that’s actually possible.) You have two choices. Either drive about 4 hours (round trip) to the west side tourist stops or find somewhere nearby to stuff your faces with some awesome food.

Johnson’s of St Mary Restaurant

My family ate at Johnson’s of St Mary many times during our two trips to Glacier. Yes, it’s related to Johnson’s RV park we reviewed above.

Believe me when I say it was tempting to eat there even more often than we did!

Here’s a snippet of their story from their website:

Our World Famous Restaurant has been serving homemade bread, soups, desserts and just about everything else to Glacier Park and Blackfeet Reservation visitors since 1950. We serve large, family style meals, mouth watering homemade soups, salads, and a variety of sandwiches served on our homemade bread. Our unique menu provides something for everyone, including vegetarian options.

Our Dining Experiences

My family always had a great meal at Johnson’s restaurant. We found something on the menu for everyone to enjoy (even the vegetarians…hello, garden burger).

They serve good sized portions, which makes the moderately high prices bearable. The average price of a meal for our family of five was about $80-90. Not outrageous, but not Wendy’s hamburger prices either.

For us, it was a nice treat to enjoy on occasion. The place is comfortable with a homey feel. And the friendly staff always makes guests feel welcome. You’ll feel right at home and will want to come back for more.

*P.S. The cinnamon rolls (and cinnamon roll SUNDAE) are a must order. My daughter highly recommends the Huckleberry Creme Fizz drink. Don’t pass those up!

Eat All the Huckleberry Things

This area is famous for huckleberry desserts, jams and anything else you can inject with huckleberry. I’m pretty sure I saw huckleberry wine and coffee during our last visit.

If you like tart and tasty, you will be in heaven!

I wish I could provide you with more guidance on the food front, but the truth is we only ate at Johnson’s. We didn’t feel the need to venture elsewhere.

Plus, some of the other restaurants had already shut down for the season by the time we arrived in September.

You will see from a quick Google search that there are clearly some places in town you probably want to avoid (not naming any names, Park Cafe), but most have decent reviews that make them look worth a shot.

But if you like a little more certainty, trust us and just stick with Johnson’s. Even if you have to pay a little more, the food and the overall experience will more than make up for it.

Which Glacier National Park Spots Are You Ready to Visit?

We have covered a LOT of ground here. When I write about our visits to Glacier National Park, I find it hard to stop. There is so much that I want to share!

I want you to come to love this national park as much as I do (though I don’t know if that’s possible).

And I want to give you any and all the information I can to help you enjoy your visit to this wonderful park.

But…every good post must come to an end, my friend. This one is no different.

Todd Bonner

Todd loves a competitive game of table tennis, a breathtaking hike, and exploring new places. He lived and traveled in an RV with his family as they traveled throughout much of the US and parts of Canada. Todd has extensive knowledge about RV travel, safety, and accessories and has shared many of his stories here on TREKKN. When he’s not busy launching and building small businesses, you may find him staring at pictures of Glacier National Park (probably his favorite spot on earth).