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I emailed the Archives to inquire about what sounds
like a rather serious spirit infestation. The response I got
sounds almost like they protest too much: "We are de-
lighted to inform you that we are not a haunted place."
Undeterred, I turned next to Bear Canyon, where
another persistent Internet rumor (www.hauntedplaces.
org/item/bear-canyon-campground/) has it that a girl in
white tries to coax female hikers and campers away to
some inscrutable fate. So of course I decided to hike the
trail, taking an unsuspecting female companion along as
bait. And though I was somewhat disappointed (and she
relieved) that nothing tried to lure her away, there was
something odd about some abandoned shacks we found
on the way. Admittedly, it could have been the effect of
the elevation, and the fact that I was out of breath.
At any rate weird feelings aren't ghosts. I had to
continue my journey. And it was then that I realized
there are places where staff (and guests) have repeatedly
encountered unexplainable things, and where I could, if
brave enough, stay the night.
Built as a luxury hotel by the Great Pacific Railroad in
1910, the first in Glacier Park, the Belton Chalet currently
has what General Manager Christie Dunn calls a "year
round resident guest." Three, in fact. Dunn has even
had her own strange experience: "I always would get a
weird feeling in specific areas of the property, but one late
winter afternoon I found myself working alone in the
main chalet building. I heard my name, looked around,
and no one was there. I quickly got my keys and left for
the day."
PHOTO COURTESY OF BELTOn CHALET
A room in the Belton Chalet
An abandoned house in Bear Canyon
