406-387-5555
Insider's Guide
  • Raft
    • Whitewater Rafting
    • Scenic Floats
    • Overnight Rafting
    • Family Friendly Rafting
    • Private Rafting Trips
    • Combination Adventures
    • Rafting FAQ
    • Rafting Packing List
  • Hike
    • Day Hikes
    • Intro to Glacier- Half Day Guided Walks
    • Backpacking Trips
    • 5-Day Glacier Challenge
    • Chalet Trips
    • Combination Adventures
    • Family Friendly Hiking
    • Private Hiking Trips
    • Physical Ratings for Hiking & Backpacking Trips
    • Hiking FAQ
    • Hiking Packing List
    • Porter Services
  • Fish
    • Full-Day Fishing
    • Half-Day Fishing
    • Overnight Fishing
    • Smith River, Montana
    • Fishing FAQ
    • Fishing Packing List
  • Bike
    • Guided Biking
    • Bike Rentals
    • Glacier National Park Multisport Adventure
    • Combination Adventures
    • Bike Shuttle
    • Biking FAQ
    • Biking Packing List
  • Stay
    • Guest House Options
    • Glacier Guides Lodge
    • Chalet Trips
  • Plan
    • GNP Insider’s Guide
    • GNP Current Conditions
    • FAQ: Vehicle Reservations for GNP
    • Family Friendly Trips
    • Custom Adventures
    • When to Visit
    • What to Do in Glacier
    • Local Transportation
    • Glacier Area Lodging
    • Information for Groups
    • Maps & Travel Info
    • What to Pack
    • Glacier National Park Equipment Rentals
    • Hours & Directions
    • Reservation & Cancellation Policies
    • Specials
    • Gift Cards
  • About
    • Why Choose Us?
    • Environmental Efforts
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    • Rafting for Refuse
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Glacier Guides & Montana Raft
406-387-5555
Insider's Guide
  • Stories
  • Directions
  • Buy Photos
Glacier Guides & Montana Raft
  • Raft
    • Whitewater Rafting
    • Scenic Floats
    • Overnight Rafting
    • Family Friendly Rafting
    • Private Rafting Trips
    • Combination Adventures
    • Rafting FAQ
    • Rafting Packing List
  • Hike
    • Day Hikes
    • Intro to Glacier- Half Day Guided Walks
    • Backpacking Trips
    • 5-Day Glacier Challenge
    • Chalet Trips
    • Combination Adventures
    • Family Friendly Hiking
    • Private Hiking Trips
    • Physical Ratings for Hiking & Backpacking Trips
    • Hiking FAQ
    • Hiking Packing List
    • Porter Services
  • Fish
    • Full-Day Fishing
    • Half-Day Fishing
    • Overnight Fishing
    • Smith River, Montana
    • Fishing FAQ
    • Fishing Packing List
  • Bike
    • Guided Biking
    • Bike Rentals
    • Glacier National Park Multisport Adventure
    • Combination Adventures
    • Bike Shuttle
    • Biking FAQ
    • Biking Packing List
  • Stay
    • Guest House Options
    • Glacier Guides Lodge
    • Chalet Trips
  • Plan
    • GNP Insider’s Guide
    • GNP Current Conditions
    • FAQ: Vehicle Reservations for GNP
    • Family Friendly Trips
    • Custom Adventures
    • When to Visit
    • What to Do in Glacier
    • Local Transportation
    • Glacier Area Lodging
    • Information for Groups
    • Maps & Travel Info
    • What to Pack
    • Glacier National Park Equipment Rentals
    • Hours & Directions
    • Reservation & Cancellation Policies
    • Specials
    • Gift Cards
  • About
    • Why Choose Us?
    • Environmental Efforts
    • Community
    • Safety & Responsibility
    • Rafting for Refuse
    • Meet Our Team
    • Apply for a Job
    • Testimonials
    • FAQ
    • Blog
    • Newsletter Signup
    • In the News
    • Press Pack
    • Buy Photos
    • Contact Us
Glacier Guides and Montana Raft

Newsletter Signup

  • Lodging Testimonial

    Perfect base from which to explore Glacier National Park. We only had 4 in our group, but the house had plenty of room for more. We picked up groceries on the way from the airport so we could cook breakfast and dinners at the house and spend all day at the Park. Sunflower Cafe across the highway has great options to pack in for trail lunches. We loved all the windows and felt like we were already in the park while in the house. Great to have the laundry there, too to clean up before heading over to the east side of the park for the rest of our stay. I would recommend this house to anyone. visiting Glacier.

    — VRBO Review

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  • Rafting Testimonial

    Holy cow this place is awesome! Right from the start, everyone was so nice and friendly and fun! Our family headed down the river for the scenic float with our three littles (9, 7 & 3) and my FIL and MIL (who cannot swim and is terrified of water!). We had the best time and our guide Nicolette was super knowledgeable about the river and the area. After the float we stayed for dinner and, let me just tell you, it blew my expectations out of the water! I was expecting to get our main course with a couple sides but they had that PLUS crazy yummy appetizers AND dessert too! I cannot recommend Montana Raft enough! If you have time, do the dinner option. You will not be disappointed!!

    — Jacki Kelly

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  • Rafting Testimonial

    If you’re looking to try white water rafting in glacier (which you should!) Glacier Guides is the place to go! My husband and I were on our honeymoon and this was our first rafting experience, and it could not have been better! James was prepared with experience, knowledge and jokes. We felt very safe with James in charge. He also offered numerous places and hikes in the park for all experience levels. Highly recommend!

    — Rebecca Herchenroether

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  • Hiking Testimonial

    Glacier guides was more than I could’ve imagined! My Friends and I did the 5 day glacier challenge and it was amazing! They offer longer hikes and shorter hikes. I thought I would do all the long hikes but I didn’t every day. Every hike you take is absolutely stunning!! definitely do what your body will allow, you’ll still be very satisfied! Best part of the challenge is most certainly the guides… TOM MATELICH is awesome! he is a wonderful leader, cook, guide, absolutely hilarious and all around great guy! ARI MELINGER-COHEN is super chill and very calming to be around, extremely knowledgeable and very caring. MAKETE ROESCH is magical, super helpful and can pretty much answer anything you want to know (especially about bears and flowers). All these guys are seriously the best and when I go back I will 100% be requesting them. Glacier guides couldn’t have made this experience any better! Forever grateful for their guidance and the love they have for this beautiful place!

    — Britney Doe

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  • Rafting Testimonial

    Great ride! The views were amazing. Connor was our guide and did a great job sharing his knowledge of the route. I actually jumped in the river, and it was quite refreshing! I highly recommend spending time exploring Glacier National Park with Glacier Guides and Montana Raft. They are very professional and make the ride more fun.

    — P.J. Wubbena

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Glacier Guides & Montana Raft Insider's Guide To Glacier National Park

At Glacier Guides and Montana Raft, we’re locals, and we love Glacier National Park with all of our hearts. So, we decided to share the love and put together our very own Glacier National Park Insider’s Guide. In it, you’ll find our recommendations on the top 10 adventures in Glacier. We also weigh in on what to pack, where to eat, what to drink, and where to stay. You’ll also find information on typical weather conditions around Glacier. We’ve even listed our our favorite things to do in the neighboring communities.

Request the Glacier National Park Insider’s Guide
Enjoy your trip with us? Vote daily for Glacier Gu Enjoy your trip with us? Vote daily for Glacier Guides Montana Raft on USA Today’s 10BEST competition. Voting ends Monday at noon! Thank you Whitefish and Columbia Falls for voting us #1 locally. Let’s see if we can get #1 nationwide!! 🔥🫶🏻 

Link in bio or visit https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/glacier-guides-and-montana-raft-west-glacier-montana/#

Tell your friends tell your family, and thanks for trusting us to make every day an adventure. You’re the reason we do what we do 💙
When will Going to The Sun Open? Part 2. You can When will Going to The Sun Open?  Part 2.  You can bike to big bend without vehicles, about 2.8 miles shy of Logan’s pass.  We are still weeks out before the average opening around the middle / late June!  Nps still needs to plow Big Drift/ put in safety gear, get bathrooms ready!  Vehicles can go as far as avalanche on the west side and Jackson Glacier Overlook on the east side.
Should we make this our new guest safety set? ✨🪩💙 Should we make this our new guest safety set? ✨🪩💙 

Jokes aside, we are so stoked to celebrate 43+ years of summers guiding and making memories on the river. We’ve had a blast celebrating families, bachelorette parties, several birthdays, and more since opening day, and Summer is just getting started. Bring on 2026!!
Glacier National Park just released early details Glacier National Park just released early details on a long-term transportation plan for the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Here are the big takeaways 👇
•No future vehicle reservation system currently planned for the Sun Road
•Expanded shuttle service with more trailhead drop-offs & pickups
•540–600 new parking spaces proposed on the east & west sides
•Express Logan Pass shuttle launching this summer (July 1–Labor Day)
•Possible “bike-only” period before the road opens to vehicles each June •Possible "NO Biking when open to Vehicles"
•New bike camping sites being considered
•Faster park entry lanes planned for annual & America the Beautiful pass holders
The park says the goal is to reduce congestion while protecting the visitor experience as Glacier continues seeing nearly 3 million visitors each year.
Implementation could begin in 2027 if funding is approved.
What do you think — better access, or too much change? Do you like to bike in Glacier?
#GlacierNationalPark #GoingToTheSunRoad #GlacierPark #Montana #ExploreMontana #NationalParks #BikeGlacier #HikeGlacier #VisitGlacier
There’s no better way to experience the adventure There’s no better way to experience the adventure of a Summer, and memories for a lifetime, than joining our Smith River overnight Trip! Our Smith River, Montana Fly Fishing 5 Day Experience is one of our most loved trips when it comes to river experience, angling, and wildlife viewing. For that reason, Birders are also highly encouraged to join this trip! 

A few spots remain available to join our 2026 permit date. 
Launch Date is May 26th!
Book online at glacierguides.com (link in bio!) or connect with us at 406.387.5555 

Fulfill your Montana fly fishing dreams on this classic Smith River experience. One of the American West’s legendary fishing trips, the Smith River is Montana’s only permitted river. The Smith flows through largely private lands. The only public access points are at the Camp Baker put in and the Eden Bridge take out. This combination of factors means the Smith is Montana’s least crowded and least pressured river. This stretch winds 60 miles through a stunning limestone canyon in Montana’s Big and Little Belt mountains. The healthy fishery supports Brown, Rainbow Trout, and the occasional Whitefish. Most fish are in the 10 – 20″ range, and most trips haul in at least one of those big, beautiful Browns. In short, the Smith is fly fishing paradise.

The scenery, birding, archeology, geology, and history in this canyon are arguably some of the most interesting in the lower 48. Our guides offer accurate and fascinating interpretation throughout the trip. In between catching Browns and tucking into fabulous meals, we’ll also discuss Lewis and Clark’s expedition and the history of local indigenous people, all travelers in the Smith River ecosystem.

Montana Fly Fishing Guided Fishing Smith River
We are about a month out from Going-to-the-Sun Roa We are about a month out from Going-to-the-Sun Road’s opening date from last year, which means everyone is starting to ask the same question: when will the road fully open this season?

The truth is there’s never a guaranteed date. It all depends on snowpack, spring weather, avalanche conditions, and how quickly crews can make progress near Logan Pass.

Here’s a look at the last 10 years of full openings to Logan Pass:

2025 — June 16
2024 — June 22
2023 — June 13
2022 — July 13
2021 — June 25
2020 — July 13
2019 — June 22
2018 — June 22
2017 — June 28
2016 — June 16

A lot of people are calling this an “early” year, but usually that means you’re seeing very low snow at Logan Pass, major heat in May, and consistently fast plowing updates. We really haven’t seen that yet.

The plows have made it to Logan Pass, but it’s also still snowing up there …. which is pretty standard for Glacier in May.

Current guess? Somewhere around the middle to end of June feels realistic, but mountain weather always gets the final say.

What’s your prediction this year?

Contact Us

Phone:
(406) 387-5555

Email:
info@glacierguides.com

Address:

11970 US Highway 2 E
P.O. BOX 330
West Glacier, MT 59936

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