The Glacier View Tram is being proposed as a year-round mountain sightseeing experience designed to connect people with the landscape, including visitors who cannot safely or practically reach higher elevations on foot. Consisting of two 100-passenger cabins, the tram would transport guests to a station just below the summit of Columbia Mountain, ascending more than 3,000 vertical feet in roughly six minutes. Accessible trails, walking paths, viewing areas and visitor facilities at both top and bottom stations would create new ways for visitors and residents to experience the surrounding landscape and take in iconic views of Glacier National Park, the Flathead Valley and Hungry Horse Reservoir.

If authorized, the tram would operate under a U.S. Forest Service Special Use Permit and remain subject to federal oversight and permit requirements. The project would be financed by Pursuit and would not require taxpayer funding for construction or operation. The land would remain federally managed public land.

The proposed base facilities would occupy a Forest Service parcel on the south side of Highway 2. The final footprint would remain subject to design development and Forest Service review. Plans include guest service and recreation facilities, a network connecting existing walking and hiking trails, a full-service restaurant and retail space, day-use parking, and an information center. The upper station would include the tram terminal as well as a small cafe and viewing area – powered by renewable energy and located below the summit and designed to reduce visual impacts from the valley below.

According to an economic analysis prepared as part of the proposal, the Glacier View Tram is estimated to support approximately 230 jobs through construction and ongoing operations, along with additional employment across the region. The analysis considers activity related to maintenance, transportation, guest services and other local spending.