Luxury Mountain Lodge amid Northern Rocky Mountains

Montana's Glacier National Park is nicknamed the "Crown of the Continent,” and rightfully so: it’s made up of a million regal acres of thick pine forests, lakes, and hiking trails that wind along the Northern Rocky Mountains. It’s a living sanctuary with varied wildlife, from shaggy mountain goats to the ferocious grizzly bear. Here, you can fly-fish in its icy streams or cross-country ski. Grouse Mountain Lodge, a chic, log-cabin-style resort 25 miles from Glacier National Park, is in tune with its countrified surroundings. Massive antler chandeliers dangle from the lodge’s ceiling, a bearskin rug hangs in the lobby, and floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto the rolling landscape of Whitefish Lake Golf Course.

Despite Grouse Mountain Lodge’s rustic atmosphere, you won’t be roughing it here. There's an espresso bar in the lobby, and the in-house restaurant, Logan's Grill, serves fine cuts of beef and wild sockeye salmon. During warm weather, you can enjoy your dinner on a deck overlooking the greens of the Whitefish Lake Golf Club's course. The morning menu includes cherry-and-walnut pancakes and smoked-salmon eggs benedict.

Year-round, you can step into one of two outdoor hot tubs and look up at the uncommonly bright stars in the Montana sky. When you're ready to do some day tripping, the lodge has a complimentary shuttle to the quaint downtown of Whitefish and to the nearby ski resort.

Whitefish, Montana: Charming Alpine Town and Skiing Haven

Grouse Mountain Lodge is tucked into the Flathead Valley, an expanse of jagged peaks and windswept lowlands carved out by glaciers during the last ice age. Within the valley—1 mile from the resort—is the charming alpine village of Whitefish. Restaurants, specialty boutiques, and a microbrewery sit along the main drag of Central Avenue, and the Northern Rocky Mountains jut out of the skyline to the north. Though outdoor activities are a major draw, Whitefish also features an independent theater company, art galleries, a historical museum, and a Frank Lloyd Wright–designed building—one of a scant few in Montana.

Eight miles from Grouse Mountain Lodge, the Whitefish Mountain Resort draws in many visitors for skiing in the winter and, in warm weather, activities such as kayaking, scenic lift rides, and zipline tours. There are always things to do on Big Mountain's 3,000 acres; you can take a free guided tour, dine at one of several restaurants, or hike the trails.