D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • W I N T E R 2 0 1 8
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To the west, I could see mountain peaks rising up out of Glacier
National Park and the crystal expanse of Lower Two Medicine
Lake glowing from the evening sunset. To the east lay the Blackfeet
Indian Reservation and the town of Browning, population just over
1,000. Straddling those two boundaries to the south, slightly hid-
den between the foothills, lay the small town of East Glacier.
With a population hovering around 400, it's a town easily for-
gotten on most maps. Locked between the Two Medicine entrance
of Glacier and a mile into the reservation boundary, there's some-
thing distinctly Montanan about it. e town boasts a gas-station,
diner, small grocery store, hostel, post office, bar, three restaurants,
a national park lodge, and a stop on the Amtrak line that cuts
through the middle of town. During summer months, the town
swells with families of tourists, seasonal workers, wildland firefight-
ers, and backpackers.
Like most small towns near national parks, East Glacier's income
relies heavily on the tourism industry. In July 2017, Glacier report-
ed a record-breaking one million tourists passed through their gates
in the span of a month. With four park entrances, it's doubtful East
Glacier saw such a high number of tourists but there's no denying
the effects increased tourism have had on the town.
e residents thrive on this opportunity. But the town draws
an exhale of relief when summer comes to a close and the days
shorten. During late fall and into spring, the town quiets. e gas
station, diner, grocery store, and post office are the only open busi-
nesses. Even the Amtrak bypasses the East Glacier station in favor
