Glacier's housing reflects its mountain-resort setting. The community contains a mix of rustic cabins, A-frame and chalet-style homes, and modest single-family residences, along with a supply of vacation rentals that serve the ski and hiking seasons. Many properties sit on wooded lots along the North Fork Nooksack River or the Mount Baker Highway corridor, and the area's appeal is heavily oriented toward second homes and recreation-minded buyers. The housing stock is generally modest and low-density, defined by the surrounding forest and mountain landscape rather than suburban development.

Glacier is not a conventional town with platted subdivisions; it is a linear mountain community strung along State Route 542 and the North Fork Nooksack River. Homes and small lodges cluster near the highway, which serves as the community's main street, while side roads lead to dispersed cabins and forest parcels. The Mount Baker Ski Area and the national forest lie up the highway to the east, and the community functions as the last developed stop before the mountain. This arrangement gives Glacier an informal, resort-oriented character rather than a structured residential layout.

Life in Glacier is defined by the mountains and the seasons. Winter brings skiers and snowboarders bound for the Mount Baker Ski Area and its famous snowfall, while summer shifts to hiking, climbing, and river recreation in the national forest. The community is small and laid-back, with a resort-town rhythm that peaks on weekends and holidays. Residents and visitors alike value the access to public land, the dark skies, and the rugged scenery of the North Cascades, while Bellingham, about 40 miles west, provides urban amenities when needed.

Glacier is served by the Mount Baker School District, a public district based in nearby Deming that covers eastern Whatcom County. The district operates several schools serving the communities along the Mount Baker Highway corridor, giving Glacier's families access to a full K-12 pathway in a rural, close-knit setting. The nearest school campuses are located in the Deming area, a drive down the valley from Glacier, and the district reflects the region's small-town, mountain-community character.

Glacier sits along State Route 542, the Mount Baker Highway, a scenic byway that climbs from Bellingham through the North Fork Nooksack Valley to the Mount Baker Ski Area and the national forest. The highway is the community's lifeline, connecting it westward to Deming and Bellingham and eastward to the mountain's trailheads and ski runs. Bellingham, the nearest city and the location of the closest major airport, is roughly 40 miles west. Personal vehicles are essential, and travel is heavily seasonal, with winter road conditions shaping access to the mountain.

Recreation is the reason Glacier exists. The Mount Baker Ski Area, at the end of State Route 542, offers skiing and snowboarding on terrain known for record snowfall, and the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest surrounds the community with hiking, climbing, and backcountry access. The North Fork Nooksack River supports fishing and riverside recreation, while the wider North Cascades provide some of Washington's most dramatic alpine scenery. Glacier's location makes it a year-round base for both downhill and backcountry mountain recreation.