Amtrak "Empire Builder" passenger train service parallels US Highway 2 along the Hi-Line in northern Montana. Empire Builder runs daily both east to west AND west to east with passenger depot stops in Libby, Whitefish, Glacier National Park, Browning, Cut Bank, Shelby, Havre, Malta, Glasgow and Wolf Point.
While on board, you will be experiencing the utmost comfort and service in train travel, along with many of the same vistas first viewed by the early settlers.
The Empire Builder is a train for people who think big. It can carry you to the greatest of the great outdoors -- a National Park spanning two nations, Glacier International Peace Park, and a major mountain range, the Rockies. And it does it all under the famous Big Sky of the northern prairie -- a sky that is bigger and grander than any you've ever seen.
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Locations of Stops
Whitefish -- The Alpine-style station serves as a reminder that nearby is the popular Big Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort. Located in the valley of Flathead National Forest, with its great recreational activities, the town is bordered by Whitefish Lakes. This five-star resort town is the perfect destination for visiting Glacier National Park. Enjoy world-class skiing and summertime activities at the Big Mountain Ski and Summer Resort, Montana's only 36-hole championship golf coursein the area. Whitefish Lake State Park offers boating, swimming and fishing. Unique shops, art galleries, nightlife and award-winning restaurants make Whitefish popular year-round.
Belton -- WEST GLACIER is the western entrance to Glacier National Park. Snowfall here averages 100 - 200 inches per year.
Essex -- This small village features the quaint Izaak Walton Inn named for the great English angler and author. This historic inn once housed winter snow removal crews for the Great Northern Railroad. Today it is a popular year-round stop for visitors, especially railroad buffs and cross-country skiers. Upon crossing the Flathead River you will be atop a high trestle.
Marias Pass -- (30 Min/18 Min) --The train route through Glacier National Park follows the "Mystery Pass" through the Rockies sought by Lewis and Clark, and finally established by John Stevens in -40 degree weather. Stevens found the route on a mission for the Great Northern Railway in 1889, and is remembered in a statue at the station. As you cross the Continental Divide here, you are traveling 5,216 feet above sea level, the lowest pass between New Mexico and Canada. At the summit is a monument to President Theodore Roosevelt.
Glacier Park Station -- Glacier Park Station, built in 1913, is near 50 "living" glaciers and 9,000 - 10,466 foot mountains. The impressive timbered Glacier Park Lodge is partially constructed from trees estimated to be 600 years old, and was built by the Great Northern Railway to promote rail travel and to attract tourists to this beautiful area. We cross the Two Medicine River atop a high trestle.
Browning -- Headquarters for the Blackfeet Nation, Montana's largest Indian tribe, Browning lies at the east edge of Glacier National Park. The Museum of the Plains Indians is located here, consisting of a comprehensive collection of artifacts from the tribes of the Northern Plains. Authentic Native American arts and crafts are available at the museum shop.
Cut Bank -- Cut Bank serves as the gateway to the Rocky Mountains and Glacier National Park. Just 25 minutes west of Cut Bank, a monument to early explorer Meriwether Lewis memorializes his search for a pass through the Rockies. This area is most often noted for the coldest mid-winter temperatures in the country. Just west of Cut Bank, you'll get your first or last view of the Rockies. Sweetgrass Hills and the Canadian border, 25 miles to the north, can be seen from the train.
