Access to the Many Glacier Valley in Glacier National Park will be limited this summer/Rebecca Latson file

Construction tied to replacing a six-decade-old water system will limit access to the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park in Montana this year.

The work will replace the water system at the Swiftcurrent developed area and also involve rehabilitation of the road there, including pavement replacement and improved drainage between the Many Glacier Hotel intersection and the Swiftcurrent developed area. The construction area will be closed to vehicles, bikes, and foot traffic. As a result of the construction, about half of the parking in the Many Glacier Valley will not be available.  

“We chose to keep Many Glacier open during construction, with mitigations, after taking public comment on this project in July 2023,” said Glacier Superintendent Dave Roemer. “There was a lot of support for keeping the valley open and available for hiking, despite the limited parking capacity. The hiker shuttle service will be available to around 120 groups per day, limited by parking, and only available to reserve on short notice, either one week before or the night before at 7 p.m.”  

This temporary hiker shuttle service, accessed through a ticket purchased on Recreation.gov, is not part of the vehicle reservation system that the park has been piloting since 2021. Rather, it's a temporary solution for day hikers to access Many Glacier Valley during construction.   

“We are providing this shuttle option to maximize opportunities for hikers, within the parking constraints, while we complete the construction projects,” said Roemer. “2025 will not be an ideal year to plan a visit to the Many Glacier Valley, but we will have those projects complete, with new formalized parking, in 2026.”

There will be no general public entrance into Many Glacier between July 1 and September 21, without a shuttle ticket, or commercial service or lodging reservation. A gate will be in use at the fee booth to restrict overnight access and limit parking in the valley to reservation holders.   

In 2025, the Many Glacier Hotel, Swan Mountain Outfitters, and Glacier Park Boat Company will operate as usual. Visitors with a lodging reservation will be provided access details with their lodging reservation confirmation. Visitors with horseback and boating reservations can drive into the valley by showing their reservation confirmation at the park entrance during hours when the entrance is staffed. The only parking available during the closure will be at Many Glacier Hotel, and will be set aside for visitors with lodging, horseback riding and boating reservations between July 1 and September 21, 2025.  

To use the hiker shuttle service, hikers will need to obtain one shuttle ticket from Recreation.gov for their party to board the shuttle. Hikers with a shuttle ticket will park at one of several designated pull-outs, transformed into temporary parking lots, along the Many Glacier Road. Hikers will board the shuttle from their parking location for a 15–30-minute ride to Many Glacier Hotel.

A valid park entry pass is also required for each party boarding the shuttle. 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. Shuttles will stop near the Many Glacier Entrance station where park entry passes will be validated prior to entry.

Access to all trails will begin at the Many Glacier Hotel upper parking lot, with maps and signs indicating detours around the construction zone. Hikers should be aware that detours may add up to an extra mile each way to hiking distances.  

Shuttle tickets will be available seven days in advance each morning at 8 a.m., starting on June 24, and at 7 p.m. the night before entry, starting on June 30. Tickets will be limited and determined by shuttle and parking capacity. Time blocks for shuttle boarding and details on the daily shuttle service will be announced in late spring.

Shuttle tickets will be scanned when hikers board the shuttles. Hikers without a shuttle ticket will not be permitted to ride the shuttle. Parking areas will be reserved for ticketed shuttle riders only, and parking will only be allowed at designated parking locations. Only one shuttle ticket is required per vehicle and will admit all members of the party included in the vehicle. No overnight parking will be permitted in the parking areas intended for ticketed shuttle riders.  

The park is offering timed shuttle tickets to avoid hikers waiting for long periods of time for the shuttle in the dustiest part of the road. Visitors without a shuttle ticket, or commercial service or lodging reservation, are encouraged not to drive into the valley past Babb, since there will be no parking and additional traffic will cause congestion and dust.  

With no available general parking, hiking and biking will not be allowed on the Many Glacier Road between July 1 and September 21.    

Pursuant to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, tribal members will have access to enter Many Glacier Valley during all hours when the entrance is staffed.   

Prior to July 1 and after September 21, entrance to Many Glacier is accessible without a shuttle ticket or commercial service or lodging reservation. However, because parking is limited to the Many Glacier Hotel parking lot, capacity will be reached quickly, and daily temporary access restrictions are expected.  Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, Many Glacier Campground, and all trailhead parking in the Swiftcurrent area will be closed through mid-May 2026. All waters in the Many Glacier Valley will be closed to private personal watercraft the entire 2025 season.