Babb (

Blackfeet The Blackfeet Nation (, ), officially named the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana, is a federally recognized tribe of Siksikaitsitapi people with an Indian reservation in Montana. Tribal members primarily belong ...

: , "Lakes Inside", or , “Cree Town”) is a small unincorporated farming and ranching community in

Glacier County, Montana Glacier County is located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,778. The county is located in northwestern Montana between the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains, known to the Blackfeet as the "Backbone ...

, United States, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The community experiences a large influx of tourists in the summer months as it is the gateway to the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Babb as a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP). It had a population of 174 at the 2010 census. Community infrastructure includes one school (Babb Elementary School), a U.S. Post Office, a fire station that houses the Babb/St. Mary Volunteer Fire Department, Thronson's General Store and Motel, several restaurants, two churches, and a gas station. Alcohol is not sold in Babb. Nearby attractions include Glacier National Park, the

Many Glacier Hotel Many Glacier Hotel is a historic hotel located on the east shore of Swiftcurrent Lake in Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. The building is designed as a series of chalets, up to four stories tall, and stretches for a substant ...

, the St. Mary River, the St. Mary Irrigation Canal, Chief Mountain, and the U.S. ports of entry of Piegan and Chief Mountain.

History

Established in 1905 as a post office, the town of Babb was named for Cyrus C. Babb, the engineer in charge of surveying the U.S. Reclamation Service's St. Mary Irrigation Canal. The canal siphoned water from the St. Mary River into the Milk River and was one of the first

Bureau of Reclamation The Bureau of Reclamation, formerly the United States Reclamation Service, is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees water resource management, specifically as it ...

projects in the nation.Montana Placenames: From Alzada to Zortman, p. 11
Montana Placenames Companion Website
/ref>

Geography

Babb is located in northwestern Glacier County in the valley of the St. Mary River at an elevation of above sea level and at latitude 48.8603 north, longitude 113.4358 west.

U.S. Route 89 U.S. Route 89 (US 89) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway with two sections, and one former section. The southern section runs for from Flagstaff, Arizona, to the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The northern sectio ...

passes through the community, leading north to the Canadian border at Piegan and south to

St. Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

. Many Glacier Road leads west from Babb to the border of Glacier National Park at the east end of Lake Sherburne and continues west to the

. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the Babb CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.78%, is water.

Climate

Demographics

Nearby attractions

Many Glacier

Many Glacier is an area within Glacier National Park that is accessed through Babb. It is located on the east side of the park, north of the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Lake Sherburne is the large lake in the area, and the Many Glacier Hotel, the largest hotel within the park, is along the shore of the adjacent

Swiftcurrent Lake Swiftcurrent Lake is located in the Many Glacier region of Glacier National Park, in the U.S. state of Montana. The Many Glacier Hotel, the largest hotel in the park, is along the east shore of the lake. Many hiking trails originate from the ar ...

. The Many Glacier Hotel and surrounding buildings are a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

, with original construction dating back to 1915. Many Glacier is surrounded by the high peaks of the

Lewis Range The Lewis Range is a mountain range located in the Rocky Mountains of northern Montana, United States and extreme southern Alberta, Canada. It was formed as a result of the Lewis Overthrust, a geologic thrust fault involving the overlying of ...

, and numerous hiking trails can be accessed from the area. The region is noted for numerous lakes, waterfalls, and dense coniferous forests interspersed with alpine meadows. Major sites in the immediate vicinity that can be accessed by trails include Lake Josephine,

Grinnell Lake Grinnell Lake is located in Glacier National Park, in the U. S. state of Montana. Named after George Bird Grinnell, the lake has an opaque turquoise appearance from the rock flour (silt) which is transported to the lake from Grinnell Glacier. G ...

, the

Grinnell Glacier Grinnell Glacier is in the heart of Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. The glacier is named for George Bird Grinnell, an early American conservationist and explorer, who was also a strong advocate of ensuring the creation of Glac ...

, Cracker Lake, Granite Park Chalet, the Iceberg Cirque, and the Ptarmigan Tunnel, a hiking tunnel carved through the mountainside during the 1930s. Tour boats allow visitors an opportunity to venture onto Swiftcurrent Lake. Other activities in the region include ranger-guided nature hikes, horseback riding, fishing and camping

was built in 1914. Today, the hotel still maintains its historic character, in part by not placing televisions in guest rooms. Most rooms either have views of Swiftcurrent Lake or the surrounding mountain scenery. Facilities include the Ptarmigan Dining room, the Swiss Room Lounge and Interlaken Lounge, Heidi's Snack Shop, and Grizzly Track Traders Gift Shop. The hotel is a contributing property in the National Historic Landmark, Great Northern Railway Buildings district. Many Glacier Hotel is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The main attractions in the area include hiking, boat rides or rentals, or simply enjoying the western environment that Many Glacier provides.

St. Mary River

The St. Mary River is a north-flowing tributary to the

Oldman River The Oldman River is a river in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows roughly west to east from the Rocky Mountains, through the communities of Fort Macleod, Lethbridge, and on to Grassy Lake, where it joins the Bow River to form the South Sa ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

, itself a tributary of the

South Saskatchewan River The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The river begins at the confluence of the Bow River, Bow and Oldman Rivers in southern Alberta and ends at the Saskatchewan River Forks in ce ...

. The Saint Mary together with the

Belly River Belly River is a river in northwest Montana, United States and southern Alberta, Canada. It is a tributary of the Oldman River, itself a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River. The name of the river may come from the Blackfoot word of , mea ...

and Waterton River drain a small portion of Montana, in the United States, to the

Hudson Bay Hudson Bay, sometimes called Hudson's Bay (usually historically), is a large body of Saline water, saltwater in northeastern Canada with a surface area of . It is located north of Ontario, west of Quebec, northeast of Manitoba, and southeast o ...

watershed in Canada. The river rises as a stream on Gunsight Mountain in Glacier National Park and flows into Gunsight Lake, then into

Saint Mary Lake Saint Mary Lake is the second-largest lake in Glacier National Park (U.S.), Glacier National Park, in the U.S. state of Montana. Located on the east side of the park, Going-to-the-Sun Road parallels the lake along its north shore. At an elevatio ...

, exits the park and flows on into Lower St. Mary Lake in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The outlet at the north end of Lower St. Mary Lake is south of Babb. From the reservation, the St. Mary River flows north into Alberta and the St. Mary Reservoir. It flows into the Oldman River which eventually reaches the Saskatchewan River.

Chief Mountain

Chief Mountain / Nínaiistáko is located northwest of Babb on the border of Glacier National Park and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The mountain is one of the most prominent peaks and rock formations along the Rocky Mountain Front, a overthrust fault, known as the Lewis Overthrust, which extends from central Montana into southern Alberta. The Chief Mountain Border Station and Quarters is a customs/immigration station on the

Canada–United States border The international border between Canada and the United States is the longest in the world by total length. The boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: Canada' ...

in Glacier County, Montana. Located on Montana Highway 17 northwest of Babb, the station is operated seasonally, primarily for tourist traffic between Glacier National Park in Montana and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta. The station is named after Chief Mountain. The station is located within the boundaries of Glacier National Park and is a notable example of the National Park Service Rustic style. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

References

External links

Babb Elementary School
{{Authority control Census-designated places in Glacier County, Montana