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- ClosureTwo Medicine Campground closed for 2026 constructionTwo Medicine Campground is closed throughout 2026 because of construction in the Two Medicine developed area.Official details
Overview
About Sperry Chalet
Why stop
- A rare overnight stay in Glacier’s high backcountry
- Resident mountain goats often visit the chalet
Heads up
- The direct trail is a strenuous 6.7-mile, 3,300-foot climb to reach it
Mountain goats are resident in the Sperry and Gunsight area and often visit the chalet. The stone gable carries pale initials spelling GNRy, for Great Northern Railway. Get close enough to frame the lettering with its stonework and roof; it makes a more revealing picture of the chalet's history than a distant view of the buildings.
Parkwolf’s verdictGoats and a detail worth a lookMap
Where it is
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Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Glacier Tour Guide
Your drive to Sperry Chalet, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Glacier National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Glacier audio tourRecorded for this place
Sperry Trailhead and Chalet0:00 / 0:31
“You're approaching Sperry Trailhead, across the road from Lake McDonald Lodge, where the long climb to Sperry Chalet begins.”
Plays as you drive up to Sperry Chalet in the Parkwolf Glacier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Sacred Dancing Cascade
- Johns Lake Loop Trailhead
- McDonald Falls
- Lake McDonald Lodge
- 204 audio storiesacross Glacier’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Wolverine, Mountain Goat, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 157 trails, 91 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Our first time to glacier and we used the audio portion for Going to the Sun Road. Wonderful information with perfect advice of what to see and do along the road.”
Guide
More about Sperry Chalet
A destination reached on footSperry Chalet is a historic backcountry lodging and dining complex on an alpine ledge at 6,580…
Sperry Chalet is a historic backcountry lodging and dining complex on an alpine ledge at 6,580 feet above Lake McDonald. There is no road to it. From the Lake McDonald Lodge trailhead, the direct Sperry Trail climbs 6.7 miles and 3,300 feet to the chalet, with an average hiking time of about 4½ hours. It suits hikers who want a remote overnight stay or a demanding day hike, not a quick roadside stop. Reserve an overnight stay ahead of time; the chalet operates for a short summer season.
Meals and the basicsA booked stay includes three meals, and day hikers can come for lunch during the season.
A booked stay includes three meals, and day hikers can come for lunch during the season. Guest rooms are private but have no electricity, heat or running water. Toilets and sinks are in a separate restroom building; there are no showers or hot water. Potable water is available at the chalet. Start the climb with a full bottle for the long uphill approach.
The climb through the burnThe trail leaves the Lake McDonald valley through cedar and hemlock forest, then climbs across…
The trail leaves the Lake McDonald valley through cedar and hemlock forest, then climbs across the area burned by the 2017 Sprague Fire. New growth and wildflowers are returning on the slopes. At the top, the chalet sits near tree line, with open views over Lake McDonald and the Whitefish Range.
A 1914 railway chaletJames J.
James J. Hill and his son Louis built Sperry Chalet for the Great Northern Railway in 1913; it opened the next year. It is one of Glacier's two remaining backcountry chalets and part of the Great Northern Railway Buildings National Historic Landmark. The 2017 fire destroyed the dormitory but left its stone walls. After NPS stabilized them, the complex was rebuilt and returned to full service in 2020.
Keep going toward Sperry GlacierThe Sperry Glacier route adds 4 miles each way and about 1,500 feet of climbing from the…
The Sperry Glacier route adds 4 miles each way and about 1,500 feet of climbing from the chalet, roughly three hours one way. It passes waterfalls, lakes and streams before reaching the stone stairway at Comeau Pass; cairns continue to the glacier overlook. Treat it as a substantial extension, not a short stroll from the buildings.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Glacier
404 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
11 sightingsWolverineMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
1,173 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,000 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
395 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
506 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Glacier. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
