Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier National Park 1986

Pictured here is the iconic Many Glacier Hotel, nestled along the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake in the northeastern section of Glacier National Park. Built between 1914 and 1915 by the Great Northern Railway, the hotel was designed to resemble a grand Swiss alpine lodge—part of the railway’s effort to brand Glacier as “America’s Little Switzerland.” With its rustic timber construction, steep gabled roofs, and wide verandas facing the towering peaks, the building blended dramatically into the rugged landscape.

In the background rise some of Glacier’s most photographed mountains, including Mount Gould and the Continental Divide, still streaked with late-summer snow. Since opening, Many Glacier Hotel has been a base for hikers, climbers, horsepack trips, and sightseers drawn to the region’s glacial lakes, wildlife, and dramatic scenery.

Despite fires, heavy winters, and decades of wear, the hotel survived and underwent major restorations in the early 21st century to preserve its historic alpine character. Today it remains one of the most famous National Park lodges in the United States—a reminder of the golden era of railway tourism and a breathtaking gateway to one of America’s wildest landscapes.

A beautifully preserved moment from the summer of 1986, when the mountains still loomed just as grand, the trails were dusty with adventure, and the lodge stood much as it had for generations.