Modern Mountain Cabin across Glacier NP & Izaak Walton Inn. Incl Wifi & Laundry
Introducing the Ursa Cabin--a recently built modern cabin located across from Glacier National Park's Southern boarder and half-way between West Glacier and East Glacier.
Large east-facing windows look directly into Glacier National Park and the Ole Creek Valley. Enjoy breathtaking views from either the upper or lower decks or spacious living room.
The home includes 3 dedicated bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 3 large decks, family room (with a TV for movies, TV shows, and games), large living room with 18' ceiling, gas fireplace, fully loaded kitchen (including plates, bowls, cups, mugs, flatware, utensils, and more), gas oven/stove, dishwasher, large refrigerator, microwave oven, high-efficiency front-loading washer and dryer, wireless internet throughout, high-end linens and luxury mattresses and pillows. This home also is a smart home allowing preset and remote control for lighting and appliances.
The home is located walking distance to the historic Izaak Walton Inn (Closed for Summer 2023). Explore miles of trails in the Great Bear Wilderness or venture a hike up Scalplock Mountain near the Walton Ranger Station in Glacier National Park. Access is easy with parking in the driveway included.
Please note: 1. The home is located in Essex, MT at the southern edge of Glacier National Park between West Glacier and East Glacier. Travel time starting from the home to either town is 30 minutes. 2. The closest airport is Glacier Park International Airport (GPI or FCA depending on who you ask) about an hour away. 3. You CAN arrive via Amtrak via station stop Essex (ESM). The property is a 20-minute walk from the station. 4. There is NO cell phone service. If your phone supports Wi-Fi calling, you likely will be able to receive text messages when connected to Wi-Fi; check with your carrier. A house phone is available for emergency use only. Long-distance calls made during your stay will be billed accordingly. 5. There is strong Wi-Fi throughout the home to support web browsing and email. The backbone has been upgraded to Starlink Satellite Internet which provides sufficient bandwidth for streaming but is not guaranteed. We also provide a large digital library of movies and shows. 6. There is no cable/satellite TV available. If you have a streaming TV subscription, you MAY have success using this instead. There is an included HDMI switch to support personal devices (i.e. game consoles, laptops). Real-time online gaming is NOT supported. 7. The entire home is spray-foam insulated making it extremely noise-resistant. Evening train traffic from Amtrak and BNSF does occur, but noise is minimal inside.
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Amenities
Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Free WiFi
Outdoor space
Parking available
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Perfect location between West and East Glacier Park entrances and next to river!
Perfect location between West and East Glacier Park entrances and next to river!
Use of the Living Room wood-burning furnace is prohibited. Use the Kitchen/Dining Room gas fireplace instead.
Excessive Wi-Fi usage will automatically be throttled.
Report all issues to local emergency contact provided.
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock
We should mention
A car is recommended for transport to and from this property
Frequently asked questions
Is Modern Mountain Cabin across Glacier NP & Izaak Walton Inn. Incl Wifi & Laundry pet-friendly?
No, pets are not allowed at this property.
How much does it cost to stay at Modern Mountain Cabin across Glacier NP & Izaak Walton Inn. Incl Wifi & Laundry?
As of 1 Apr, 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Modern Mountain Cabin across Glacier NP & Izaak Walton Inn. Incl Wifi & Laundry on 19 Feb, 2025 start from S$877, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at Modern Mountain Cabin across Glacier NP & Izaak Walton Inn. Incl Wifi & Laundry?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at Modern Mountain Cabin across Glacier NP & Izaak Walton Inn. Incl Wifi & Laundry?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Modern Mountain Cabin across Glacier NP & Izaak Walton Inn. Incl Wifi & Laundry?
Checkout is at 11:00 AM.
Where is Modern Mountain Cabin across Glacier NP & Izaak Walton Inn. Incl Wifi & Laundry located?
Situated on a river, this holiday home is 0.8 mi (1.4 km) from Walton Ranger Station and 8.3 mi (13.4 km) from Silver Staircase Falls. Glacier National Park and Lake McDonald are also within 32 miles (52 km). Essex Station is only a 4-minute walk.
Reviews
9.8
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
We very much enjoyed our stay here! Centrally located between the east and west entrances of Glacier National Park. Beautiful, clean, comfortable home with everything we needed. Highly recommend!
Our family of 5 LOVED our stay in this peaceful, scenic, cozy sanctuary nestled in the woods. The attention to detail in the home was very much appreciated and made things run smooth during our visit. Also, the owners were responsive and timely with any questions or concerns we had.
The beds were comfortable and the home was inviting and decorated beautifully. We cannot wait to stay here again!
Perfect central location to get to all the Glacier entrances and be away from the crowds of West Glacier. The house is VERY well appointed and you can tell the hosts take pride in their home. The 2 large decks on the first floor are fantastic and the morning sun hits the 2nd floor deck in the morning, best spot for reading a book! We went a couple miles to Goat Lick most evening to see the goats dining. Our family of 5 was extremely happy with this house.
Wonderful Cabin/Perfect Location for Glacier National Park
We loved our time at Ursa Cabin 7/2/2022-7/8/2022. We originally planned to stay in a lodge within Glacier National Park but this cabin was a much better option for our family. We enjoyed visiting & eating at the historic lodges but this cabin had much more space, private porches, nicer beds, & room to spread out. It was very clean, had everything we needed, & the owners answered a question promptly during our stay. We loved cool mornings & evenings on the 3 porches. We especially enjoyed sunsets from the front porch. All the furniture & linens inside & outside the house were new. We were incorrect in assuming Going-to-the-Sun Road would be open. There was late snowfall this season so it wasn’t open. This made the cabin’s location at the south side of Glacier incredibly convenient. We were able to access activities (hiking, biking, boat rides, train rides, & red bus rides) from the West Glacier & East Glacier sides of Glacier easily. One evening my husband & sons rode the train from East Glacier to Essex for $8/each and walked back to the cabin. We enjoyed 2 meals at the Izaak Walton Lodge. It was nice to have a restaurant within walking distance while staying in a rural location. I appreciated the upstairs playroom with a door. My sons (13 & 15) could watch Netflix as my husband & I planned out the next day’s hikes with a glass of wine. We also enjoyed real photographs of Glacier artfully displayed throughout the house. The kitchen had everything we needed to cook. The washer/dryer are new. I’d stay here again when visiting Glacier and recommend to my family & friends. This is the most organized VRBO we’ve ever rented. Don’t hesitate to stay here.
This is our 2nd time staying at Will and Melissa’s place in Essex. It was even better this time around only because we knew how great it was and couldn’t wait to get there. The house is immaculate including the furnishings. It is stocked with everything one can need. The beds are very comfortable, better than home!
The location was great for our plans. Essex has the Isaac Walton Inn with a train stop at it, including great history and just fun to explore. The house is in between the west and east entrances of Glacier National Park so easy to see both sides of the park. Thankful for the internet this time around since we had to get daily passes to enter the park for the Going to the Sun Road. This time however we spent a good portion of our trip up in the Many Glacier area of the park, which does not require a pass. Plan to drive about 2 hours and to arrive at that entrance around 7am during peak season. This area was not as crowded and had some of the best hikes, but be prepared to see some animals close and up front. We cooked breakfast and Dinner at the house and Put a lunch in the coolers/ backpacks. No need to eat out, but there are a few places to go to if you want.
We will definitely be back as soon as our travels can take us there!
Thanks Will and Melissa for a great stay.
Trish & John, and the boys: Josh, PJ & Will
Ursa cabin was the best! It was so peaceful to relax in the house or sit outside and soak in the sight and sounds of nature. We saw a deer eating in the yard twice. Everything in the house was clearly quality and all details were thoroughly thought out. All the tiny touches made the cabin seem personal and welcoming. As for location, Ursa cabin is situated about 30 min from both west and east entrances of the park so we were able to explore both sides. Will and Melissa even provided an itinerary for each area of Glacier which made planning our outings much easier. It was such an amazing experience staying there.
Glacier was the second half of our western US adventure. Ursa cabin checked all the boxes: great proximity to both east and west glacier, serenity, stunning views, a house with absolutely everything we could need for a comfortable stay with a well-appointed kitchen and lovely decor. On top of all this, our hosts were great communicators and provided a wealth of information at the touch of a screen (literally, as soon as we entered the door!). We felt welcome the minute we arrived. We were also pleasantly surprised just how reasonable the indoor temperatures remained during the ungodly heat in the upper 90s. We would rent this place again in a heartbeat!
This is our second time staying at this beautiful cabin. Ever since our last visit, we have wanted to come back again. The cabin is super cozy and peaceful. You’re surrounded by beautiful trees and wildflowers with a beautiful view of the mountains. The inside is very clean, organized, beautifully decorated and cozy. The owners make it easy to get a hold of them and have everything set up to help things go smoothly. The owners are very detail oriented which I love. The location is somewhat of a midpoint between entrance to both sides of Glacier National Park. It took us about 30 minutes to get to the Westside entrance and an hour and a half to get to the Eastside entrance from the cabin. We stopped at the grocery store on our way to the cabin from the airport so we could stock up our fridge as there’s no grocery stores nearby, which was recommended by the hosts. The hosts provide a cooler which was super helpful so you can take sandwich stuff etc. into the park. The large washer and dryer were very useful and modern while we visited and even had an option to keep things going if we were going to be out all day to keep the loads fresh. The owners have thought of everything for visitors to make our stay smooth, peaceful, and memorable! We will definitely be back!
We were given detailed directions on how to utilize the property and found that direction helpful in navigating our trip to Glacier National Park. Kitchen is WELL appointed. Our only criticism would be that it was a 30-45 min drive to either east or west Glacier Park. That made for a longer driving time than we had anticipated.
We were attending a family wedding in Essex and Ursa Cabin was a great jumping off place for our Montana adventure. We rafted, hiked and explored and enjoyed our down time at the cabin. Owners are very easy to work with and the cabin’s instructions are detailed and informative. Beautifully maintained, very clean and well organized. Porches and decks have great views - well stocked kitchen, comfortable beds and great spaces to relax. Thank you for a great Montana retreat!
We LOVED this home. It is gorgeous, in a great location, views of the mountains and the most amenities I've ever experienced. My husband and I stayed there along with another couple and we would do it again in a heartbeat. Located between the East and West entrances to Glacier, it made our daily excursions into the park easy. Our hosts have a really helpful book full of tons of information about the area with recommendations. We used it a lot. They also have a lot of reference books and maps about the area that we used. The home is really spacious and pristine. The pictures didn't do it justice.
Great location to avoid the chaos of West Glacier and the Whitefish area. We traveled over the pass, to Two Medicine, Kintla Lake up the North Fork and in between from this location. We return to Glacier often and the house is amazing and one of the best as far as being outfitted for all our needs. We began and ended our days on one of the porches and decks with morning coffee and evening meals. The house suited all of needs from children to retirees with easy access, the historic Essex area, and wildlife (bears!) right off the deck. Will and Melissa have thoroughly laid a top notch listing.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Ursa Cabin in Essex. The location was great for our day trips into Glacier National Park, and the peaceful, wooded setting is so serene and relaxing. The home is beautiful, well decorated, spacious and clean. The kitchen is very well stocked with everything we needed to cook meals. The owners’ attention to detail prior to our arrival and during the stay made finding everything so easy. Our family of 5 (including 3 tweens/teens) all loved staying here and we hope to return one day soon.
Stay here! We (two couples in 40’s/50’s from NJ) stayed June 23-30 while doing day hikes in GNP.
The location is delightfully quiet and 30 minutes from either East or West Glacier entrances: this is important as the Going to Sun road opened this year after only after June 23.
The Isaak is up the street, but zero other dependable food options are in the vicinity.
The home is huge with four large bedrooms (only 1 with a king bed, 2 others with queen or bunk), enormous decks and professionally appointed kitchen. I believe they prefer 6 renters, but it could easily hold 12.
Made me want to move!
Property was immaculate and conveniently labels and instructions were clear. Definitely remote, but it was a good location to get to both the west and east sides of glacier national park under an hour and half in either direction. My only real complaint was how hot the house seemed to get. Even with all of the windows opened upstairs, the air circulation was poor and a good 10-15 degrees hotter upstairs than downstairs living space. We left shades down during the day to mitigate heat, but it did not seem to make much of a difference. Otherwise, the house is beautiful and has everything you need. Thanks for a wonderful stay!
Lisa j.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 22 Jun, 2021
Thank for your the great review and your cleanliness when checking out. The heat comment is a first and rather unusual. The home has a high-efficiency ERV air exchanger that was installed for during COVID to pull in fresh outside air in each vent and push out stale inside air. Each room also includes ceiling fans to circulate air and encourage venting into the ERV for exhausting. The home is fairly shaded during the day, so a better option would have been to leave the ceiling fans on to help circulate air in each room. The home is 100% spray foamed and does not leak air normally out windows and gaps found in most homes. The ceiling fans are much more important in the home's HVAC building envelope as a result.
We're happy you had a great time and thank you for your stay!
My family and I had a wonderful time at this beautiful mountain getaway! The Amtrak train stop is only about a quarter mile away or so making access a breeze. While there we had 18 inches of fresh snow and 30 mph winds, and we were warm and comfy inside. The kids loved having so much snow to play in and the Izzak Walton Inn (with its surprisingly excellent food) was right nearby. Owners were flexible on doing half days to accommodate the train times and very responsive. Cabin itself is new and beautiful. 5 stars all around!!
A clean and modern cabin/house in the GNP area with all the comforts of home seems hard to find, but this is it. Everything is new and nicely decorated.
The owners are very responsive and helpful. They have gone to great lengths to make sure you can find everything (labels, notes, instructions) and have everything you may need.
Essex and highway 2 are in a beautiful river valley. Great drive in either direction and places to explore nearby. This will be a perfect location when we come back and both the West and East sides of GNP are open, but it is quite good even if you're only visiting the West side.
We loved everything here far better than the other highly-rated cabin we stayed in.
Beautiful new cabin near East entrance to Glacier National Park. Very well stocked and organized. Owners have done a great job with the cabin and have organized instructions better than any other rental we have used! You can’t go wrong!
Best VRBO we have ever stayed at. All the details provided made in very homey. A beautiful home, great kitchen and deck area. Wonderful!!! Will recommend to all our Texas friends.
We had the most memorable and amazing vacation staying at Ursa Cabin! We visited the park almost everyday of our 7 day stay and also took advantage of hikes/views nearby! We were amazed by the attention to detail in the house and the view from it is unreal to wake up and come home to daily. From a kitchen stocked with everything you’d need to cook good meals to the most comfortable beds we’ve stayed in in a long time. It’s obvious that the owners put a lot of thought and effort into making our stay enjoyable and stress free.
We had an amazing week with our four daughters! This is a gorgeous home and from the living room and the decks you can watch the colors change throughout the day on the mountains of Glacier National Park. We explored Glacier and the surrounding national forests every day with hikes and rafting trips and scenic drives, and saw mountain goats, moose, bighorn sheep and, yes, even a grizzly. We appreciated the stockpile of maps and guides and the fully stocked espresso machine so we could jumpstart the day.
We had an amazing experience staying at this home! The house itself is wonderful. Impeccably clean, wonderful beds and linens, cozy living room, and multiple decks to enjoy the amazing scenery. The kitchen is well- equipped, and hosts had a number of other thoughtful amenities.
The location is also perfect. Right in-between the West and East entrances to Glacier National Park. The east side was closed when we visited, but it was an easy drive to the West.
There are a few other houses / neighbors nearby the property - but it feels really private. We even saw a black bear stroll through the front yard while we were sitting on the deck! Overall it was a perfect stay - would definitely come back!
We loved every minute of our time in your amazing home! We joked we wanted to move in forever. It is so relaxing and loved all the details of the home. Hope to come back and recommend to our friends.
Modern home. Well built. Close to a river and nice forest. There is a train track near by but we were not able to hear it from inside the house. Very comfortable place and I would stay there again. Thank you to the courteous and professional owners.
Benjamin M.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2020
About the host
Hosted by William and Melissa
We grew up in the midwest and live near New York City. Nothing prepared us for the enormity of the mountains and we fell in love with the area. We visit as much as we can but decided to share our home with others as we can't be here on a full-time basis.
Why they chose this property
We visited Glacier National Park a few years ago on a whirlwind tour with some friends, fell in love with the area, but didn't get enough. So we returned the following year and the trend has continued. We fondly remember visiting Essex for the first time all those years ago by car, arriving and departing by train the following year, and all the visits since. We vividly remember walking along the Izaak Walton Inn Road on our way to the Walton Ranger Station across US Highway 2 to hike up Scalplock in Glacier National Park. We noticed beautiful cabins and sweet homes along the way and even saw one house being built. Little did we know then that we would buy that cabin and become part of the community we were walking through.
What makes this property unique
A modern rustic cabin in a small community centered around the Izaak Walton Inn, the railroad it was originally built to support in the heart of Montana's eastern front of the Rocky Mountains. Located along the southern edge of Glacier National Park, the cabin has central access to various parts of Glacier National Park. It's about halfway between the West Glacier entrance and the town of East Glacier. It's only about a one hour drive to the Flathead Valley communities of Kalispell and Whitefish and even less time to Columbia Falls. Located near the continental divide, access to a historic Inn, and arrival by plane/train/automobile make this place special for any adventurous traveler.