Stay at Glacier Haven Inn, a 3.7-rated motel on Highway 2 in Essex, MT. Simple rooms, free Wi-Fi, restaurant, and close to Glacier National Park entrance.
Guests appreciate the location near Glacier National Park entrances, cozy accommodations including unique cabins and a caboose, and friendly, helpful staff. While the setting is simple, practical considerations like occasional noise and Wi-Fi access affect some experiences.
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Rooms, shared spaces, dining and exterior — grouped so you can skim quickly.
Glacier Haven Inn is a roadside motel located on Highway 2 in Essex, Montana, offering straightforward accommodations with options ranging from simple motel rooms to a three-bedroom house and a cabin. Each room includes a kitchen, providing convenience for guests planning extended stays or those who prefer self-catering. The property also features a relaxed on-site restaurant, the Glacier Haven Resort Bar & Grill, known for its American cuisine and positive reviews.
The inn’s setting is practical for visitors aiming to explore Glacier National Park, situated approximately 21 miles from the park’s eastern entrance and 37 miles from Columbia Falls. Multiple reviews highlight the convenient access to both the park’s east and west entrances, making it a suitable base for those looking to visit various park locations without paying premium resort prices.
Facilities include free Wi-Fi and free parking, while the property is kid-friendly but not pet-friendly and does not offer a pool, fitness center, or airport shuttle. Guests have noted the cleanliness and comfort of the rooms as well as the helpfulness of the staff. Some feedback mentions occasional noise from the nearby road and railroad tracks, which may be a consideration for light sleepers.
Nearby outdoor attractions such as Great Northern Mountain, Stanton Lake Trail, and Goat Lick Overlook offer opportunities for hiking and sightseeing. The Glacier Park International Airport is accessible by car in about 50 minutes, providing reasonable transport convenience. In summary, this motel appeals to travelers seeking functional accommodations close to Glacier National Park with basic amenities and a friendly, casual atmosphere.
The short version: what's available day-to-day, and the key practical details most travelers search for.
Reviews from travelers who stayed here in the last 12 months, grouped to help you spot the pattern quickly.
Perfect stay if you are looking for access to both sides of the park! Infamously the east side entrance at St Mary’s does not require a reservation to the Going to the Sun Road, you have easy access to this via Hwy 2/49. If you have that reservation it is a quick drive to the Apgar entrance. It is a perfect stay if you want access to the entire park without the park prices and you aren’t afraid to drive just 30 minutes either way to do it. The room was comfortable, clean, and the cafe attached to the inn has a great menu. It was truly perfect. I would suggest to anyone, like me, where location and access to both entrances was incredibly important, to stay here. I know next time I’ll be back staying here!
Booked a single night for my family because we arrived to the area early. We got double booked due to an miscommunication on a third party booking site. They got us set up in their converted caboose for the night. My 3yo son loved it. They made things right and deserve a good review.
For the location you are getting a steal! Super cozy stay, individual cabins or motel style rooms. Perfect place to rest up before a day in the park!
This review is for the RV park, which is part of the property. The owner was seriously so sweet and kind to us! She is really awesome! I didn’t give the full 5 stars for a couple minor reasons - you are between the road and the railroad tracks. We stayed closer to the road side, which was noisier for us than the train, which doesn’t even honk its horn in this area. We didn’t have trouble sleeping because of the noise, but we don’t tend to be bothered by those types of things. The office hours are a bit confusing. There is a sign on the door listing the hours, which are only in the afternoon/evening? Or maybe that’s the restaurant? Either way, I walked up one day to get change for the laundromat on site (which was very nice!), and the owner let me know they weren’t open, but still brought me inside to exchange my bills for coins. Again, she was so nice! We also arrived from the east side and were confused about the location of the RV park, as Google maps only shows directions to the inn, while the RV park is the next entrance heading west. If arriving from the west you’ll have no problem finding the RV park, but with no service to call the business or signs indicating its location when coming from the east, it was confusing. We enjoyed our stay due to the kind owner, though it wasn’t the most peaceful location we’ve ever stayed.
My husband and arrive on Sunday and asked if we could have place with a kitchen, the hostess was able to help us upgrade to a lovely cabin from a motel room. It was more expensive,but so worth it. The view of the mountains was breathtaking, and we found the train traffic not bad. The small resturant, which is open for dinner was homey, the food fresh and delicious! We hope to return.
We stayed at Glacier Haven Inn for 4 nights in July 2025, and it was absolutely fantastic! We stayed in the charming caboose, and my kids - ages 4 and 8 - loved every minute of it. The location was perfect, close to both Glacier Park entrances, making it super convenient after tiring hikes. We really enjoyed being able to get fresh food and drinks from their restaurant to relax and refuel. The owner lady was incredibly kind and helpful throughout our stay, making us feel welcome and cared for. We also accidentally left some belongings behind, and the owner shipped them to us, which truly went above and beyond to make our experience memorable. I loved everything about this place and will definitely stay again. Highly recommend for anyone visiting Glacier Park - such a wonderful stay!
Overall, I enjoyed my stay here and would recommend it. The cleaning service was really nice and kept the room in great condition. One very important tip: make sure to request the Wi-Fi password after booking, as we didn’t have signal when we arrived and had to drive hours to the nearest town just to make a front desk call. This was pretty inconvenient, but aside from that, the stay was great!
We had a great stay here! Everything was clean and cozy and it’s not far from the west glacier entrance to the park. The owners were nice and very attentive. Highly recommend for your glacier trip!
On Highway 2, this simple timber inn is 21 miles from the entrance to Glacier National Park and 37 miles from Columbia Falls.
Curated spots travelers usually pair with a stay in Montana. Distances are rough real-world times, not straight-line.
26 reviews Essex, MT 59916
9 reviews Montana 59919, United States
185 reviews US-2, Essex, MT 59916, United States
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