Sunrise over Grinnell Mountain/Rebecca Latson file
If you want to drive through Glacier National Park in Montana this summer, you can reserve your slot beginning Thursday.
Advance vehicle reservation passes are being sold through recreation.gov beginning at 8 a.m. Mountain on Thursday through two types of booking windows. A portion of vehicle reservations will be available 120 days, or approximately four months, in advance on a daily rolling basis, beginning Thursday. Next day vehicle reservations will be available at 7 p.m. Mountain Time for next-day entry, starting May 23, on a daily rolling basis.
Going-to-the-Sun Road
New this year, Apgar Village will be accessible to visitors without a reservation. This includes Apgar Visitor Center and the free park shuttle. Lodging, camping (including front country developed campgrounds and wilderness camping permits), transportation, or commercial activity reservations originating in Apgar will no longer provide access beyond the Apgar reservation checkpoint just past the Apgar Campground turn off. A full list of which commercial lodging, and camping reservations providing access beyond Apgar can be found on the park website.
Vehicle reservations are required for east bound traffic on Going-to-the-Sun Road past the reservation checkpoint May 24 through September 8, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. New this year, reservations for Going-to-the-Sun Road are good for one day only. Visitors without reservations will be detoured at the checkpoint and routed back through Apgar Village. The village is expected to experience heavy traffic and parking will be in high demand.
Also new this year, visitors will be able to access Going-to-the-Sun Road from the east side beyond Rising Sun without a vehicle reservation. Visitors will also have access to the St. Mary Visitor Center and shuttle stop on the east side of Glacier National Park, as in 2023.
North Fork
Vehicle reservations are required for the North Fork area May 24 through September 8, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations are good for one day.
Many Glacier Valley
Reservations are needed for Many Glacier from July 1 through September 8, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Advanced reservations for Many Glacier will be available beginning March 3 at 8 a.m. These will be released 120 days, or approximately four months, in advance on a daily rolling basis at 8 a.m. Mountain Time. Next day vehicle reservations will be available at 7 p.m. Mountain Time for next-day entry, starting on May 23 on a daily rolling basis. Reservations for Many Glacier are good for one day.
Booking A Reservation
Each of the specified areas of the park will require a separate reservation. Vehicle reservations will be available on https://www.recreation.gov/, or the Recreation.gov mobile app. Visitors will need to set up an account on Recreation.gov to obtain reservations and are encouraged to do so prior to the day reservations open. The cost associated with booking a reservation is a $2 Recreation.gov processing fee.
Visitors may also make a reservation through the Recreation.gov call center. Contacting the call center does not provide an advantage towards securing a reservation but provides an alternative for those who don’t have access to the internet or are not as familiar with technology. Call centers are open every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mountain Time and the processing fee remains $2. The following lines are available for callers:
- Reservation line (Toll-Free) - (877) 444-6777
- Reservation line (International) - (606) 515-6777
- Reservation line (TDD) - (877) 833-6777
During May and June, it is likely only a portion of Going-to-the-Sun Road will be open. Check the park website for road status or sign up for text alerts.
Entrance Pass
In addition to a vehicle reservation, each vehicle entering the park is required to have an entrance pass for any entry point into the park. These passes could include any of the following: a $35 vehicle entrance pass, good for seven days; a valid Interagency Annual/Lifetime Pass; or a Glacier National Park Annual Pass. A vehicle reservation does not include an entrance pass, and the park entrance pass does not serve as a vehicle reservation.
Like previous years, visitors with lodging, camping, transportation, or commercial activity reservations within the specified reservation areas can use proof of their reservation for entry instead of a Recreation.gov reservation to gain access to the portion of the park for which they have a reservation.
Pursuant to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, vehicle reservations are not required for tribal members throughout the park.
Visitors are encouraged to plan their visit outside of peak hours (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). As in past years, entry may be temporarily restricted in areas of the park that don’t require reservations, such as Two Medicine, if they become too congested for visitor safety and resource protection. Visitors with service reservations (e.g., boat tours, lodging, horseback ride, guided hikes) in these areas will be permitted entry during temporary restrictions.
Parking at Logan Pass, Apgar Village, and other areas may be congested or temporarily unavailable. Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of free shuttles for hiker access to Logan Pass although waits for shuttles may be long depending on the time and location. Visitors are encouraged to check the park website frequently for updates and additional information.
Below is a table detailing an example of when a portion of the 120-day rolling vehicle reservations will be released, beginning with January 25.
