Accommodations

Glacier Inn Motel (1401 2nd Ave. E., 406/892-4341, $70) is a simple but convenient family-run motel.

The Western Inn Glacier Mountain Shadow Resort (406/892-7686, $90 and up), located at the junction of highways 2 and 206, shows its spirit by offering a discount to Harley riders and tepees for bicycle tourists ($20). Pets are permitted.

One of the finest B&Bs in these parts is Bad Rock Country Bed & Breakfast (406/892-2829 or 888/892-2829, www.bad-rock.com, $125–250), just south of Columbia Falls off Highway 206. In addition to the rooms in the main house (including a two-room family suite), behind the house are four modern, stylishly simple log cabin suites (no kitchens), constructed with squared logs and filled with rustic pine furniture and gas fireplaces. All rooms have private baths and queen or king beds, breakfast is ample and delicious, and the hospitality is top-notch. The B&B is located in a 30-acre meadow with views onto the mountains leading to Glacier Park; from the hot tub the lighted runs of Whitefish Mountain are visible at night.

North of town, just past the Blankenship turnoff to the North Fork area of Glacier Park, Moss Mountain Inn (4655 North Fork Road, 406/387-4605, www.mossmountaininn.com, June–Sept., $129–149) is a showcase for sustainability and good organic food, much of it grown in the B&B’s garden. The small inn has three suites decorated with Caribbean and Indonesian art and a spacious solarium. During the winter the inn operates as a writers’ retreat.

Meadow Lake Resort (100 St. Andrews Dr., 406/892-8700 or 800/321-4653, www.meadowlake.com, $189 and up), which includes a small hotel and condominiums, borders an 18-hole championship golf course. There are tennis courts, a fitness center, an outdoor swimming pool, and a year-round outdoor hot tub on the grounds. During the winter the resort runs a shuttle to and from the Whitefish Mountain ski area. The restaurant here is one of the area’s best.

Camping

The Forest Service’s Big Creek Campground (www.fs.fed.us/r1/flathead, $12) is 21 miles north of Columbia Falls on Road 210, where Big Creek runs into the North Fork of the Flathead River. During the summer it’s one of the quieter spots around, as well as one of the least expensive.