Best Cabin Camping near Essex, MT

Typical KOA, with tightly packed RVs. Nice amenities pool, hot tub, restaurant, playground.

Loved this campground. Great amenities. Loved the pool/hot tub. Nice big site with electric/water. Tent camped and the bathrooms clean and close by. Amazing store and they even delivered pizza right to our site. Pancake breakfast was wonderful.

Nice bathrooms, hot showers, hot tub was good and hot, the pool was frigid. Food and ice cream at the campground was tasty. Sites are a decent size — we were able to get our REI Kingdom 8 with garage on our site, park our car, and still had room to move around just fine. WiFi is mostly unusable from any of the campsites.

Great amenities onsite. The staff was incredibly friendly and kind. The bathhouse near us was a dated design style but very clean and well stocked. Lots of families with kids onsite, I can see why with all the great amenities. During off season kids are allowed to swim in adult pool and hot tubs. Great spacious off leash dog park onsite. A second smaller K9 park onsite was still nicely maintained. It’s snug, so unless you pay for more spacious sites expect to be close to neighbors. Some of the cabin renters were loud with radios blaring but they were on the opposite side of the park so we didn’t report the noise. Plenty of supplies available at store. Some of the sites had lovely views of the mountains. The nature trail at the KOA was very muddy and some sections had such large mud holes that you couldn’t avoid getting your shoes wet. They should put some gravel or something back there. Just be prepared to get your shoes dirty if you walk it. Despite the muddiness, we found it was a lovely nightly loop to walk.

If you plan to drive going to the sun road: make sure it’s open. And be sure and get a reservation/register your vehicle for Glacier/going-to the-sun road if visiting summer 2022. Go eat at Dan d Lion cafe for a crazy savory meal. You won’t believe it’s vegan and gluten free. Insanely good. Great prices in Hungry Horse for souvenirs. West Glacier was definitely the better stay than East Glacier in our opinion. Much more easy access to stores, restaurants, etc. Whitefish MT had the coolest off leash dog park we’ve ever seen! If you have your 4-legged-bff with you - you simply must take your pup to that park (you’re welcome!) Lake McDonald is a great place to see the mountains and take beautiful pictures. You need bear spray if you go hiking anywhere here. Also, no dogs on trails, of course.

Stayed in a yurt for a week. Loved the vibe of the campground. Free coffee was a life safer for early rising to get into the park at 6am. Rented a ebike from rental place next door and was able to ride ebike to the park on a walking trail. Loved the yurt and stayed warm. They were very helpful to book us all side by side (2 yurts and a cabin)

Grinnell Cabin is set on the eastern edge of the campground and on the edge of a beautiful meadow.

The full moon rose over the meadow and the sunrise was magical the next morning.

The cabin could've slept four and was equipped with a mini fridge, fan, heater, and microwave.

We stayed in a cabin at Lake Five 28 years ago so when planning this trip, we decided to stay again particularly since it put us as close to the campground in Glacier NP that we hoped to snag a site at. The cabins are essentially the same but now there are electric hookups for the RVs and a live entertainment stage (we were there on a Monday so did not see any entertainment). The other thing that is different is that there are fewer mosquitoes (I remember they used to be vicious) due to bats (although I did not see any). Located right on a lake just a few miles from the west entrance to the park, there are accommodations to fit everyone’s needs. Cabins, some with bathrooms, some with kitchens, RV sites, and tipis. In my opinion, Cabins 1 and 2 are the best with full lake views but these are larger cabins and better suited for families. We stayed in Cabin 8 this time, with a bathroom but no kitchen. We had a picnic table and fire ring so enjoyed our dinner outside. The cabins are rustic (think summer camp) but clean. They have very limited outlets! One in the main room, used for the fridge and fan, and one in the bathroom, so don’t plan on charging your devices after being in the woods camping! Make sure you bring towels– while there are sheets on the bed, there are no bath towels. Cabins are a bit pricey but that is to be expected in a prime location. The RV sites are close together; the sites on the outside of the loop are more private with trees behind them. Sites 1-8 have NO privacy or separation between them and while lakefront, the view is filtered through the trees. Other amenities include a utility sink, showers (for campers only) and reasonably priced laundry, although with only one washer and dryer, there was a big back-up! This is a great place from which to explore Glacier National Park or just relax by the lake. Lots of families swimming and boating and hanging out. The office is open from 9am-9pm. Owner Ron has a dry sense of humor and is very welcoming, along with his two very large dogs. The resort is open spring through fall, with discounts in the spring and fall. Check is the preferred payment when making a reservation and you will receive a confirmation as soon as the check is received. Note if you are using Google Maps: if you are approaching from the west, Belton Stage Road is gravel (about 1.5 miles) but there is another paved entrance from the east.

We stayed here while on a hiking trip to Glacier National Park. We stayed in one of the small cabins, but they had RV and tent sites as well. They had a small shop with snacks/food, and souvenirs. We didn't use the pool but it looked nice. The cabin had a nice porch with swings. While small on the inside, it had everything we needed. It was good proximity to hiking within the park.

This campground offers cabin, rv and tent camping. There is a cafe open for breakfast and lunch. The office has cards and games for use and the hosts are always helpful.

9/13/19 West Glacier, Montana 

West Glacier KOA Resort

Most beautiful location of the KOAs I've stayed at. Nestled against the mountains and less than 3 miles to Glacier National Park. 

Lots of sites to choose from. Ours was a pull thru with nice vegetation between. Fire pit with benches and picnic table. Some sites are close together with no privacy. Some have gas grills and patio furniture. There are cabins and tent sites as well. Bathhouse was average. The cafe was open for breakfast and dinner.Ice cream shop closed for the season. Amazing pool! Nice play area, dog parks. Really nice camp store, firewood available. KOA Workshop on site. RV wash and dog grooming by appointment.

This campground is located just outside the eastern entrance of Glacier National Park and the Going-To-The-Sun Road. They have primitive camping, basic cabins, deluxe cabins (with a bathroom), and RV hookup spaces so there is something here for everyone. It sits in a valley and has some beautiful views of the surrounding mountains, especially at sunrise and sunset. The KOA has a nice store with food, drinks, camping supplies, and souvenirs. There is also an outdoor pool on site which makes it easy to relax after a long day of hiking. It is towards the northern end of the eastern side of the park so if Going-To-The-Sun Road is closed, it can make for a long drive to the western side of the park, which is what happened to us. I would still highly recommend this site.

So, its a KOA which is awesome for some and not for others. I have only been to a handful but they are way too managed and the stereotypical "glamping" situation. Reason we booked was because we were headed from a nearby camp on Flathead lake and wanted to get closer to Glacier before walking in for a permit. This KOA is less than 20 minutes from the Apgar permit office... We booked a primitive cabin online before the trip, and then the night of our arrival, about 1 hour till their general store/office closed, we got a phone call saying that they made a mistake and they over booked. How did they handle it? They put us up in one of their luxury full cabins! Now, that is not the experience we were looking for, but for us this was merely a one nighter to get to Glacier. So we accepted. Campfire ring, picnic table, private parking, and our own little cabin complete with flat screen tv and surround speakers in the ceiling. 2 other bedrooms one with bunks that went unused, a kitchen with coffee maker and mini fridge, and a bathroom with toilet, sink, and shower... While not the experience we were looking for it sure made it easier to pack up and get into glacier for that walk in permit. Although there was some mistake with their booking they owned it and gave us what would be considered a huge upgrade, and we made it to the permit office early without needing to worry about deflating our sleeping pads. Thank you West Glacier KOA!