Cozy classics: Montana chalets - Glacier National Park's chalets - Brief Article

Three lodges are restored and reopened

* Built by the Great Northern Railway in the early 1900s, Glacier National Park's chalets offered wilderness lodging that was comfortable and stylish.

Of the eight original backcountry chalets (accessible by foot or horseback), just Sperry and Granite Park remain. Both national historic landmarks, they've recently reopened after extensive renovations. Restoration has also given new life to the 1910 Belton Chalet, just outside the park in West Glacier. After being closed for more than 50 years, the revived Belton may become a national historic landmark.

The 1913 Sperry Chalet is a full-service lodge. The stone buildings (the main lodge, dining room, and rest rooms) lack electricity, but propane lamps lend a romantic aura to the lace-curtained dining room. Sitting within a glacial cirque, the 17-room chalet has sweeping vistas of teal Lake McDonald--and the occasional mountain goat. Dinners here are simple but hearty; typical menu items include corn chowder and roast turkey. Visitors reach the chalet by hiking the steep 6.7-mile Sperry Trail from the Lake McDonald Trail. Want a lift? You can ride horseback to Sperry with Mule Shoe Outfitters (406/888-5010).

Granite Park Chalet, at 6,600 feet, is just above the rocky spine of the Continental Divide. At present it's a 12-room shelter for hikers; guests bring their own food (some packaged meals and snacks are for sale), water, and sleeping bags (there's linen service for $10 per day). It's a long trek to Granite Park on the forgiving 7.4-mile Highline Trail from Logan Pass or the sweat-inducing 4.5-mile Loop Trail from the Going-to-the-Sun Road, 8 miles west of Logan Pass.

For an easier approach, check out the Swiss-style Belton Chalet, off U.S. 2 bordering the park. This 35-room lodge offers views of the park, the Flat- head River, and the quaint train station, where a century's worth of park visitors have disembarked. Two cottages on-site offer more privacy. There's a full-service dining room too (the Rocky Mountain trout is outstanding).

Make reservations soon for the chalet season (July through September): Sperry Chalet; from $50; (888) 3452649 or www.ptinet.net/sperrychalet. Granite Park Chalet; from $60; (800) 521-7238 or www.glacierguides. com. Belton Chalet; from $95;

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