Glacier National Park
United States, North America
Forty-mile ridgelines, goats on snowfields, and a road that shouldn't exist.
The Going-to-the-Sun Road crests at Logan Pass and you pull over because you have to, not because there's a sign telling you to. Mountain goats stand on a snow patch twenty feet from the car, indifferent. The glaciers that named this park are mostly gone now, which the rangers will tell you plainly. What remains is jagged, vertical, and green in a way that feels almost aggressive after the flatness of Montana below.
Our honest take
The park is genuinely spectacular and genuinely crowded in July and August. Timed entry reservations for Going-to-the-Sun Road fill weeks in advance. September fixes most of this: golden larches, elk in rut, fewer humans, same mountains. The hype is justified but the logistics require planning.
Why go
- Going-to-the-Sun Road is 50 miles of switchbacks through glaciated alpine terrain that opens fully only July through mid-September, requiring a vehicle reservation in peak season
- Grinnell Glacier Trail is a 10.6-mile round trip through meadows and moraine to an actual glacier remnant with a turquoise lake fed by meltwater at its base
- Many Glacier Valley on the east side of the Continental Divide is quieter than the west, has better grizzly sightings, and the historic Many Glacier Hotel sits right on Swiftcurrent Lake
Skip if you can
- Driving Going-to-the-Sun Road without a timed entry permit in July or August. You will be turned back at the entrance. Book weeks ahead at recreation.gov.
- Lake McDonald Lodge gift shop food: $18 sandwiches for something assembled hours earlier. Drive to Apgar Village or pack your own.
- Trying to hike Highline Trail on a weekend afternoon in August. Start before 7am or it becomes a slow-moving queue on a narrow ledge.
Things to do
Costs
Per person, per day on the ground, lodging, food, local transport and activities. Excludes international flights (see Getting there).
Park entry: $35/vehicle (7-day pass). Campsite: $20-35/night. Going-to-the-Sun Road vehicle permit: $2 reservation fee plus entry. Many Glacier Hotel rooms: $250-450/night in peak season.
Getting there
Where to stay
Park entrance access, Lake McDonald, most campgrounds and lodges nearby
Best wildlife corridor, historic hotel, quieter than the west, limited options book fast
35-45 minutes to west entrance, normal hotel prices, restaurants, fallback if park lodging is full
Good to know
- Grizzly and black bear country. Carry bear spray and know how to use it. Keep it on your hip, not in your pack.
- Afternoon thunderstorms build fast above treeline. Start alpine hikes early, plan to be off ridgelines by 1pm.
- Snow can remain on higher trails into early July. Check current trail conditions at the visitor centre before heading out.
- Cell service is nearly nonexistent inside the park. Download offline maps before you arrive.
Prices, visa rules, and transport details may change. Always verify with official sources before booking. Last updated: July 2026.
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