Going-to-the-Sun Road Guide: Reservations, Shuttle and Best Stops

The road at a glance

Going-to-the-Sun Road crosses Glacier National Park for 50 miles between West Glacier and St. Mary, climbing over the Continental Divide at Logan Pass (6,646 feet). Finished in 1932, it is narrow and winding, with steep drop-offs and few guardrails in the alpine section.

Plan on at least 2 hours to drive it one way without stops, and a full day to do it properly. Traffic, construction delays and full parking lots can add a lot of time in July and August.

You need a park entrance pass to drive it. In 2026 that cost $35 per private vehicle in summer ($25 from November 1 to April 30), or $70 for a Glacier annual pass. Non-U.S. residents age 16 and older also pay a $100 nonresident fee unless they have an annual or America the Beautiful pass. The park is cashless.

2026 access rules: no vehicle reservations

From 2021 through 2025, Glacier required a vehicle reservation to drive Going-to-the-Sun Road in summer. For 2026 the park dropped that system. No vehicle reservations were required on the Sun Road, in Many Glacier, in Two Medicine or in the North Fork. Rangers could still temporarily divert traffic when an area was over capacity.

The park replaced reservations with two pilot measures at Logan Pass, both in effect from July 1 through Labor Day, September 7, 2026:

• Three-hour parking limit. Every private vehicle space at Logan Pass was limited to three hours, enforced 24 hours a day. After parking, you took a free timestamped permit from a kiosk and displayed it on your dashboard. NPS says three hours is enough for Hidden Lake Overlook, the visitor center or a ranger program.
• No overnight parking at Logan Pass, except for backcountry permit holders and Granite Park Chalet guests.
• Ticketed shuttle for longer trips. Hikers heading out on the Highline Trail or other long routes from Logan Pass were directed to the ticketed shuttle instead of driving.

The 2026 Logan Pass shuttle

The park's free shuttle became a ticketed, express service in 2026, running July 1 through September 7. Tickets cost only a non-refundable $1 Recreation.gov processing fee. Everyone age 2 and older needed a ticket, tickets were good for one day and not transferable, and they could not be bought in the park. Tickets were sold only through Recreation.gov.

Part of the tickets opened 60 days ahead on a rolling basis starting May 2 at 8 a.m. Mountain time. The rest were released at 7 p.m. Mountain time the evening before, starting June 30.

West-side shuttles left from Apgar Visitor Center and Lake McDonald Lodge between 6 and 10 a.m., stopping only at The Loop and Logan Pass. East-side shuttles left from St. Mary Visitor Center and Rising Sun between 6 and 11 a.m. The last westbound shuttle left Logan Pass at 7:30 p.m. and the last eastbound at 8 p.m. The shuttles were wheelchair accessible, and pets, smoking and open alcohol were not allowed.

One big change from earlier years: the 2026 shuttle did not stop at Avalanche Creek, so Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake were not reachable by park shuttle. You had to drive and find parking there.

The 2027 plan has not been announced. NPS called the 2026 changes a pilot and announced them on February 18, 2026, so expect the 2027 rules in late winter or early spring. Check the park's website before booking anything.

When the road is open

The lower ends of the road are open year-round or close to it: the west side from West Glacier to Lake McDonald Lodge is plowed all winter, weather permitting. The alpine section over Logan Pass opens only after crews finish plowing, which starts in early April.

Full opening dates vary with snow. The road opened on June 22 in 2026, June 16 in 2025 and June 22 in 2024. Between 2010 and 2022, opening day ranged from June 16 to July 13. Before the full opening, parts of the plowed road are often open to hikers and bicyclists only.

The road usually stays fully open until the third Monday in October (October 19 in 2026), weather permitting. Snow can close it sooner. Between 2010 and 2022, recorded closing dates for the full road ranged from September 3 (2017, when the Sprague Fire closed the west side) to October 18. After the fall closure, the west-side gate moves to Avalanche Creek or Lake McDonald Lodge.

Vehicle size limits and bicycles

Vehicles and vehicle combinations longer than 21 feet (including bumpers) or wider than 8 feet (including mirrors) are prohibited between Avalanche Creek and Rising Sun. That rules out most RVs, trailers and many truck-and-trailer setups. NPS also warns that vehicles taller than 10 feet may have trouble with rock overhangs in the alpine section west of Logan Pass.

If your rig is too big, park it at Apgar, West Glacier or St. Mary and use a smaller vehicle or the shuttle. Large vehicles can still reach Lake McDonald Lodge and Avalanche Creek from the west and Rising Sun from the east.

Bicycles are allowed, but in summer parts of the road are closed to bikes during set afternoon hours on the narrow west side. The hours and dates change, so check the park's Going-to-the-Sun Road page before riding.

Best stops, west to east

These stops are listed in order from West Glacier. Parking is limited at most of them, so the earlier in the day you arrive, the easier it is.

• Apgar and Lake McDonald (miles 2 to 11): the park's largest lake, known for its colored stones. Apgar Village at the south end has the best shoreline access. Lake McDonald Lodge, about 10 miles in, is an NPS-concession lodge with a shuttle stop.
• Trail of the Cedars (Avalanche Creek): a 0.9-mile wheelchair-accessible boardwalk loop through old-growth cedars, past the narrow Avalanche Gorge. From here the Avalanche Lake Trail continues 2.3 miles one way, with 741 feet of gain, to a lake ringed by waterfalls. This lot fills early, and there was no shuttle stop here in 2026.
• The Loop: the road's one big hairpin turn and a shuttle stop. It is also where Highline Trail hikers often finish.
• Logan Pass: the high point at 6,646 feet, with a seasonal visitor center and the busiest parking lot in the park. Expect snow and cold wind even in late June.
• Hidden Lake Overlook: 1.3 miles one way from Logan Pass on boardwalk and packed trail, with 608 feet of gain. Mountain goats and bighorn sheep are common. Continuing down to Hidden Lake makes it 2.5 miles one way; that section sometimes closes for bear activity.
• St. Mary Lake and Wild Goose Island: on the drier east side, the road runs along St. Mary Lake. The Wild Goose Island pullout is one of the most photographed views in the park, and Sun Point and Rising Sun have short walks and picnic areas.
• St. Mary Visitor Center: the east end of the road, near the St. Mary entrance and a shuttle departure point.

Driving tips and which direction to go

Start early. Parking at Logan Pass and Avalanche Creek often fills by mid-morning in July and August, and NPS reported entrance waits of up to 30 minutes at West Glacier at peak times in 2026. Leaving before 7 a.m. gives you the best odds.

Driving east to west (from St. Mary toward West Glacier) puts you in the inside lane, against the mountain, along the Garden Wall. Nervous drivers usually find that direction more comfortable. Going west to east puts you in the outside lane on the climb to Logan Pass, with the drop-off next to you.

Use pullouts to let faster traffic pass and to take photos. Never stop in the road or park outside marked spaces; NPS notes that it damages fragile alpine plants. Fill up on gas before you enter, because there are no gas stations along the road.

Watch the weather. Conditions at Logan Pass can be 10 to 15°F cooler than at Lake McDonald, with strong wind, fog and snow possible in any month.

What to do if you can't get a shuttle ticket or parking

In 2026 you did not need a vehicle reservation to drive the road, so the main challenge is parking, not entry. If you can't get a shuttle ticket, you have several options.

• Drive the road anyway and enjoy it from pullouts. Many of the best views, including Wild Goose Island and the Garden Wall, don't require a parking lot.
• Arrive at Logan Pass very early or in the evening, when spaces open up, and use your three hours for Hidden Lake Overlook.
• Check Recreation.gov at 7 p.m. Mountain time the night before, when the next-day shuttle tickets are released.
• Spend the day in another area: Many Glacier for Grinnell Glacier and Iceberg Lake, Two Medicine for quieter lakes and a boat tour, or the North Fork near Polebridge. None required reservations in 2026, though rangers may divert traffic when lots are full.
• Visit after Labor Day, when the parking limit and shuttle system end and the road stays open into October.

More Glacier guides

• Best Time to Visit Glacier National ParkWhen to visit Glacier National Park, month by month: Going-to-the-Sun Road opening dates, snow, wildfire smoke, crowds, fall color and what is open in winter.