Babb
Babb is a very small town located near the eastern entrance to Glacier National Park in Northwestern Montana.
Understand
[edit]This is a small community on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation consisting of a post office, an elementary school and two small churches in addition to the listings below. The 2010 census puts the population at 174.
Get in
[edit]Babb is on US highway 89 at the junction to route 3, the north east entrance road to Glacier National Park, 9 miles north of St. Mary and 12 miles south of the US/Canadian border cross from Cardston. Just north of the community is route 17 which takes you over the hills to the border crossing above Waterton.
Get around
[edit]
As the local dogs do, walk along the side of the highway between the store, motel and restaurant.
See
[edit]The main sight and reason for visiting the area is obviously Glacier National Park. Northeast of the town is Chief Mountain, a very prominent peak with almost vertical edges.
The statue of a rodeo cowboy outside the school is an interesting cast sculpture. The old wooden church above the cafe and gas station is also worth a brief look.
Do
[edit]Buy
[edit]Gas station that is manned during the day and can use credit cards 24 hours.
- Thronson's General Store. Feels like you are stepping back a few decades as you walk in. Has good selection of general foods stuffs and drinks.
- Ends Well. Antiques and brick-a-brack
Eat
[edit]- 1 Cattle Baron Supper Club, ☏ +1 406 732-4033. Serves really great steaks. Very good service. The interior decor is cool, with pictures and stories of Blackfeet Indian history.
- 2 Glacier's Edge Cafe. Classic diner which servers a really good breakfast at a reasonable price. Check out the omelette and the pancakes.
- 3 Two Sisters Café (On US 89 4 miles south of Babb, 5 miles north of St Mary.), ☏ +1 406-732-5535. Very good burgers, chilli and other classic American food. The staff are enthusiastically friendly and efficient. The interior decoration is a sight worth visiting in itself, and the roof is painted with a welcome for visiting space aliens.
Drink
[edit]- Charlie's Place. The preferred watering hole for party crazy Glacier area summer workers. The bar is home to various bands who play bluegrass, jam/funk and reggae every Thursday night. Also sing Karaoke every Saturday. BabbFest is July 29 and features, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, DuWayne Burnside and the Mississippi Mafia, Playas Club Funk (the guys from Signal Path) and many others. Charlie's is also home to a secret pizza recipe.
- Hooks Hideaway. A cowboy bar located four miles north/east of town.
Sleep
[edit]- Thronson's Motel, ☏ +1 406-732-5530. Thronson's, basic road side motel with spacious rooms. Has refrigerator, good shower, comfortable beds, TV (one channel) and DVD player, phone, and the best rates in the park.
Connect
[edit]Go next
[edit]- Glacier National Park
- St. Mary Located a few miles south of Babb at the park border, this town also caters to park visitors.
| Routes through Babb |
Fort Macleod ← Cardston ← becomes  ←  ← |
N  S |
→ St. Mary → Great Falls |
Pincher Creek ← Waterton Lakes National Park ← becomes  ← ← |
N  S |
→ END |