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Montana’s Izaak Walton to Close for Renovations This Summer

In December, the iconic Great Northern Railway inn on the southern edge of Glacier Park sold for $13.5 million. Photo by Justin Franz.

Montana’s Izaak Walton to Close for Renovations This Summer

By Justin Franz

ESSEX, Mont. — Montana’s Izaak Walton Inn, the iconic Great Northern Railway hotel on the southern edge of Glacier National Park that has long been popular with railroad enthusiasts, will be closed this summer for renovations. 

The inn was purchased back in December by LOGE Camps, a Washington-based hospitality company. Last week, the new owners held a meet and greet with the community where it was announced that the lodge itself would be closed this summer for renovations, the Flathead Beacon reports

LOGE officials tell Railfan & Railroad that the inn will likely close around Memorial Day and reopen in November, although the exact dates are still unknown.

The company has previously said that they don’t want to change the historic nature of the property but rather give it some updates. “We want to create a destination where you feel the history, but you also appreciate the updated touches and amenities,” said Slate Olson, head of marketing for the company, back in December. 

The GN partnered with the Addison Miller Company to build the hotel in 1939 so that it could house the many crews needed to keep its main line over Marias Pass open in winter. However, according to local legend, the railroad also believed that a new entrance into Glacier Park would be built at Essex meaning tourists would want to stay there during the summer. World War II shelved the plans for an Essex entrance but in the following decades, the mountain hamlet still became a popular destination for visitors looking to enjoy the wilderness. Besides the historic hotel, there are a number of cabooses and an EMD F45 that have been converted into cabins on the grounds. Amtrak’s Empire Builder stops near the inn as well. The inn is especially popular with railfans and railroadiana can be found throughout the building. 

This article was posted on: February 3, 2023