Friday, December 28, 2012

Two-Night Stay for Up to Six in a Cabin. Combine Up to Four Nights.

Value: $196 From: $99

Rustic Lodge and Cabins near Skiing and Snowmobiling Trails Around Glacier National Park

Montana's Glacier National Park spans more than a million acres, with snowcapped peaks, expansive meadows, wooded hillsides, and massive lakes that reflect the scenery. Tamarack Lodge’s main building once served as the western visitors' center of the park, though in 1949, the lodge was purchased by a local family and transported, log by log, to a site about 8 miles south, where Historic Tamarack Lodge & Cabins' main property is situated today. It’s a convenient jumping-off point to Glacier National Park—just minutes away—which has trails for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing (Tamarack offers a 10% discount off snowmobile rental). There are even trails that crisscross the forest around Tamarack’s property, and both the Blacktail and Whitefish ski trails are less than an hour's drive away.

When you return from your outdoor journeys, you can relax by the lodge’s fireplace to enjoy board games, books, and puzzles, as well as complimentary tea and coffee. Outside, the lodge has a resident llama in an enclosed paddock if you need someone to snap a photo of you in front of a scenic winter backdrop.

The lodge was renovated in 2003, with special care taken to preserve its charming lodgepole-pine architecture and massive stone fireplace in the living room. Surrounding the old main lodge are other cabins built from knotty pine boughs, each equipped with modern amenities such as kitchens, satellite TV, and WiFi. The Merrit cabins offer hardwood floors and lofted ceilings, and like the Kitla cabins border Flathead National Forest. The Antelope cabins boast cathedral ceilings while the largest cabins, Glacier and Grinnell, feature covered decks that overlook the Teakettle and Columbia Mountains. Housekeeping service comes by daily to replenish towels, dust the log furniture, and wipe muddy boot tracks from the hardwood floors. Every cabin also has a deck or patio attached, giving guests an outdoor perch to watch dazzling sunsets.

Northwest Montana and Glacier National Park: Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing Under Big Sky

Although many of Glacier National Park's roads and campsites are closed during the winter, it’s a fine time to explore the sublime natural scenery without the burden of crowds. The Apgar Visitor Center, located at the park's western entrance, hosts free, ranger-led snowshoe walks on Saturdays and Sundays through March. Dozens of other ski and snowshoe trails are accessible along Going-to-the-Sun Road, a stretch of which remains plowed throughout the winter.

To thaw out, travelers can get a hot meal or solicit group hugs from strangers along the main streets of nearby towns Whitefish and Columbia Falls, which are lined with breweries and restaurants.

No comments:

Post a Comment