Glacier National Park

This National Park is all Montana’s. We should share that it borders Wateron Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada and together, these two parks form the world’s first international Peace Park. Great Falls is just 156 miles from the east entrance of Going-to-the-Sun Road at Saint Mary. This equates to a Montana Drive time of just under 2.5 hours.

The park is open all year, although, some of the entrances and modes of transportation have restrictions. Gaining access to this park requires some planning in the summer. Park pass and vehicle reservation tickets can be required to travel Going-to-the-Sun Road, depending on entrance and time of year.

2024 is the fourth year Glacier National Park has implemented a vehicle reservation system. The Crown of the Continent has seen a steady increase in visitation over the past 15 years, so the reservation system has been enacted to protect resources and provide a high-quality visitor experience.  Adjustments were made to the 2024 system based on visitor comments and recommendations.

There’s good news for those traveling to the east side of Glacier (that’s the side closest to Great Falls)! Visitors can access Going-to-the-Sun Road from the St. Mary entrance on the east side without a vehicle reservation.  A vehicle reservation is also not needed to access Two Medicine.  Another option? Go through any park entrance before 6:00 a.m. or after 3:00 p.m. without a vehicle reservation.

Vehicle reservations, which are valid for one day, will be required in three areas between 6:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. from:

  • West Entrance (Going-to-the-Sun Road at Apgar Checkpoint): May 24-September 8
  • North Fork Entrance: May 24-September 8
  • Many Glacier Entrance: July 1-September 8

Glacier National Park 2024 Vehicle Reservation Areas

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Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

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Vehicle Reservations:

 Vehicle Reservation Required

The West Entrance (Going-to-the-Sun Road at Apgar Checkpoint) and the North Fork Entrance will require a reservation from May 24-September 8, 2024.  Many Glacier will require a reservation from July1 – September 8, 2024.

 

 

Campground Reservations

Apgar, Sprague Creek, Fish Creek, and St. Mary Campgrounds will require advanced reservations.

Recommendations for Accessing Glacier National Park:

Rising Sun and Avalanche Campgrounds will remain first come, first served.
Try visiting the park outside of peak hours.  Go through any entrance before 6:00 a.m. or after 3:00 p.m. without a vehicle reservation.
There are a few loopholes to the vehicle reservation system. If you have lodging reservations, camping, transportation, or commercial activity reservation (guided hike, boat tours, bus tours) within the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor can use their reservation for entry in lieu of acquiring a vehicle reservation.
Schedule your trip well in advance to ensure you have transportation for your trip to Glacier National Park.
Remember, you still need a National Park Pass to access Glacier National Park. Either a $35 single-vehicle 7-day pass or annual pass will do the trick. Please read here for additional passes.
It does not matter if you try to access Recreation.gov via wifi, Ethernet, or dial-up. Once the reservation system is open and tickets are released, expect high traffic to cause delays and fast sellouts. Create an account on Recreation.gov before to save time when attempting to purchase tickets.

Questions? Call the Vehicle Reservation System Hotline: 1-406-888-7800, Press 1

WATCH this interview with Glacier National Park Public Information Officer Gina Icenoggle and LISTEN to episode 158 of our podcast We’re No Dam Experts (available wherever you listen to podcasts) or on our YouTube channel for a full breakdown of what you need to know to plan your trip!

Contact info

Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

Social Profiles:

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