Glacier Park Boat Company

Glacier Park Boat Company operates scenic boat tours and watercraft rentals on Lake McDonald and three other lakes within Glacier National Park. The company has offered tours since 1938 aboard historic wooden vessels including the DeSmet (built 1930) and Glacier Lily (built 1985). Lake McDonald tours depart from Lake McDonald Lodge for 1-hour narrated trips across the lake's emerald waters, with views of surrounding forests, mountain vistas, and the Continental Divide. Narration covers the area's history and geology, with most tours led by company guides and the 3pm tour by an NPS Ranger. At Lake McDonald Lodge, the company rents paddleboards (first-come, first-serve), double kayaks, rowboats, and 8hp motorboats by the hour. Advanced reservations are available for kayaks, rowboats, and motorboats for the 10:15am time slot with a 2-hour minimum; paddleboards are first-come, first-serve only. All rentals include life jackets, paddles, oars, and fuel. The business is family-owned and operates as a concessioner under contract with the National Park Service.