Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!
At ten miles long, Lake McDonald is Glacier National Park’s biggest lake. It is on the West of the Continental Divide, which receives more rain, so the area is lush. The lake is not fed by glaciers and so does not have the distinctive turquoise hue found on the Eastern side of the park. But the water is crystal clear, showcasing the multicolored Argillite rock on the lake’s floor.
We stopped at Lake McDonald on our last evening in the park. It stays light longer in Glacier in the summer than where we live because it is farther from the equator. We stopped to dip our feet in the icy lake waters before going into the lodge for dinner.
Lake McDonald Lodge was built in 1913 on the Eastern shore of Lake McDonald at the mouth of Midget Creek. Like the other lodges in the park, it has a Swiss Chalet design which was part of the Great Northern Railroad’s campaign to attract tourists to the ‘American Alps.’
Though not as big as Many Glacier, the lodge has an impressive three-story lobby and was restored in the 1980s. It includes many of the original furnishings and some reproductions of the original Kanai craftsmen paper lanterns. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Glacier National Park Posts:
- Running Eagle Falls
- Aster Falls
- Two Medicine Lake
- Twin Falls
- Rising Sun
- Wild Goose Lake
- Logan Pass
- Going to the Sun Road
- Saint Mary Lake
- Saint Mary Falls
- Avalanche Lake
- Grinell Glacier
- Many Glacier
- Lake McDonald
Location: 288 Lake McDonald Lodge Loop, West Glacier, MT 59936
Designation: National Park, National Landmark
Date designation declared: 5/11/1910, NHL 1987
Date of my visit: 6/27/2018
YouTube video of Lake McDonald courtesy of Finleyholiday:
I have been told by a few people to visit this park. I hope to do it someday.
It is a gorgeous place. Hope you do get to visit
Such a gorgeous place. We missed being there with you by exactly four years; we were there the 27th of June 2014. 😁
How was dinner at the lodge? Thanks for your post.
The food at this lodge is great! The dining room is rustic. By far the best meal we had in the Park
The best of all the NPs, in my opinion! And that’s saying a lot.
It’s up there on my list, too!
Yes, the Lake McDonald Lodge is one of the most impressive and we loved sitting in the lobby and then out on the deck before our wonderful dinner in the dining room.
I found the Many Glacier Hotel to be the most impressive architecturally, but the food in the expensive dining room was on par with a school lunchroom. The Lake McDonald Lodge restaurant was the best meal we had that trip
Such a stunning location. I love all the Glacier Park lodges. They really feel like a step back in time to the days of train travel.
Yes! So peaceful 💜
Great post as always
Thanks 😊
What beautiful clear water. Vivienne
Thanks Vivienne 😊
Love it! We are going to Glacier for the first time at the end of August.
Enjoy! Hope they open GTTS Road all the way by then