Glacier National Park, Montana: The Complete Visitor Guide

Fact-Checked By Maya Whitfield, Senior Travel Editor at WakaAbuja

I have been to Glacier three times, and I still made a planning mistake on my second trip because I trusted the official park website to answer my questions. It does not. The National Park Service page for Glacier is a directory of links, not a guide. You have to click through eight different sub-pages to figure out that you need a vehicle reservation, that the shuttle is no longer free, and that Many Glacier is closed to private cars before 6 a.m.

Here is the one-page version I wish someone had given me before my first visit.

Jump to: Which Entrance Should You Use? | How Many Days Do You Need? | Shuttle & Going-to-the-Sun Road | Total Trip Cost Breakdown | Top Things to Do | Best Time to Visit | Where to Stay | FAQ | Plan Your Trip

Key takeaways

• The single most important planning decision is choosing between West Glacier and St. Mary as your base. They serve completely different parts of the park.
• For the 2026 season, a vehicle reservation is required for the Going-to-the-Sun Road from May 23 to September 14, and the free shuttle system has been replaced with a paid reservation shuttle.
• You cannot drive to Many Glacier before 6 a.m. without an overnight lodging or backcountry permit. Parking fills by 5:45 a.m. in peak season.
• Entrance fees are $35 per vehicle for seven days, but an annual Glacier pass is $70 and pays for itself on a two-day visit.
• Cellular service is nearly nonexistent inside the park. Download offline maps and trail guides before you leave the gateway towns.
• Bears are a real concern on every trail. Carry bear spray, hike in groups, and make noise in brushy sections.
• Mistakes first-timers make: booking lodging in the wrong entrance, skipping the Two Medicine Valley, and underestimating how long the Going-to-the-Sun Road takes to drive.

Which entrance should you use for Glacier National Park?

Glacier has four distinct areas: West Glacier, St. Mary, Many Glacier, and Two Medicine. They are not close to each other. Driving from West Glacier to St. Mary over the Going-to-the-Sun Road takes at least two hours without stops. Driving around the southern edge of the park to avoid the road takes three and a half hours.

I made the mistake of booking a hotel in Whitefish for a day of hiking at Many Glacier. The drive was nearly three hours each way. Do not do that.

How many days do you need in Glacier National Park?

One day is not enough. I have done the one-day drive through the park, and it felt like watching a movie on fast-forward. You spend more time in the car than on a trail. Three days is the minimum for a first-time visitor. Five days is comfortable. A week gives you time for Two Medicine, Many Glacier, and a full day at Logan Pass without rushing.

What changed with the 2026 shuttle and Going-to-the-Sun Road?

The biggest change for the 2026 season is that the free park shuttle is gone. The National Park Service replaced it with a paid reservation shuttle operating from Apgar to Logan Pass to St. Mary. Reservations open on a rolling basis, and each seat costs $8 per rider per segment. This is a significant shift from previous years, and many returning visitors do not know about it. I nearly got caught by this on my most recent trip because I assumed the shuttle was still free.

The vehicle reservation system for the Going-to-the-Sun Road remains in effect from May 23 through September 14. You need a reservation if you enter the West Entrance or St. Mary Entrance between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Reservations are released 120 days in advance on Recreation.gov, and the remaining block is released the night before at 7 p.m. Mountain Time. The reservation costs $2 in addition to the entrance fee.

If you have an overnight lodging reservation inside the park, a camping reservation, or a backcountry permit, that document serves as your vehicle reservation for the dates listed. This is the easiest way to avoid the reservation hassle, and it is why I now book a campsite at Fish Creek or St. Mary Campground even when I plan to stay in a hotel.

What does a trip to Glacier National Park actually cost?

The official park website lists the entrance fee and nothing else. Here is the real cost picture for two people on a three-day trip, using this year’s numbers from the National Park Service and current lodging rates in gateway towns.

Food inside the park is limited and overpriced. I bring a cooler and buy groceries in Columbia Falls or St. Mary. Gas is also noticeably more expensive near the park, so fill up in Kalispell or Great Falls before you arrive.

What are the top things to do in Glacier, ranked by trip length?

I am ranking these by how they fit into a three-day versus a five-day itinerary, not by objective beauty, because that is how real trip planning works.

For a three-day trip

1. Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road. This is the single best thing in the park. Budget at least four hours for the full drive with stops, not two. The road is 50 miles long and the speed limit is 25 mph in many sections. I have done it in August and the pull-offs fill by 9 a.m.

2. Hike to Avalanche Lake. This 4.5-mile round trip trail from the Trail of the Cedars is the best effort-to-reward ratio in the park. The trail climbs steadily but is not steep. The lake sits in a cirque with waterfalls pouring down the surrounding cliffs.

3. Hidden Lake Overlook at Logan Pass. The 3-mile round trip boardwalk and gravel trail starts at the Logan Pass visitor center. The elevation gain is 540 feet, and the views are immediate. This is the most crowded trail in the park, so go before 8 a.m.

Add for a five-day trip

4. Grinnell Glacier Trail. The 10.6-mile round trip from Many Glacier Hotel is the signature hike of the park. The glacier is shrinking fast, and the trail gives you a front-row seat to the climate story. Bring bear spray and start early.

5. Two Medicine Valley. The 2.2-mile round trip to Running Eagle Falls is easy, and the 9.7-mile round trip to Upper Two Medicine Lake is moderate. Fewer people, same dramatic scenery.

6. St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls. A 3.6-mile round trip from the St. Mary side, this is a good half-day hike with two waterfalls and a relatively gentle climb.

When is the best time to visit Glacier National Park in Montana?

The short answer is July through mid-September. The Going-to-the-Sun Road is typically fully open by early July, and the high-elevation trails are snow-free by mid-July. I have been in late June and hit a snow wall at Logan Pass. I have been in early September and had perfect conditions.

Where should you stay: inside the park or in a gateway town?

Inside the park is better for access, but it is expensive and books out a year in advance. I have stayed at the Lake McDonald Lodge, the Many Glacier Hotel, and the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn. The lodges are historic and beautiful, but the rooms are small and overpriced. You are paying for location, not comfort.

Gateway towns are more affordable and have better food. Booking.com is my go-to for finding motels in Columbia Falls, Whitefish, and St. Mary. Whitefish is the most charming town near the park, but it is 25 miles from the West Entrance. Columbia Falls is closer and cheaper. St. Mary is the best base for the east side, but lodging is limited and fills fast.

For families or groups, I recommend a vacation rental through Vrbo. A three-bedroom house in the Flathead Valley is often cheaper than two hotel rooms, and you get a kitchen.

What mistakes do first-time visitors make at Glacier?

1. Not getting the vehicle reservation. I have watched people get turned away at the West Entrance because they did not know about the reservation system. Do not let that be you.

2. Underestimating driving times. The Going-to-the-Sun Road is not a highway. It is a narrow, winding mountain road. Plan for 25 mph average speed, not 50.

3. Booking lodging in the wrong entrance. If you plan to hike Grinnell Glacier, do not stay in Whitefish. You will spend six hours in the car for one hike.

4. Skipping Two Medicine. Everyone goes to Many Glacier and Logan Pass. Two Medicine gets a fraction of the crowds and is just as beautiful.

5. Not carrying bear spray. Glacier has one of the highest grizzly bear densities in the lower 48. Bear spray is not optional. It is sold in every park gift shop for about $50.

6. Ignoring the weather forecast. Logan Pass can get snow in August. I have been caught in a hail storm at the Hidden Lake Overlook in July. Bring layers.

7. Trying to do everything in one day. This is the most common mistake, and it ruins the trip. Pick two things per day and do them well.

Frequently asked questions

Plan your trip: booking platforms we trust

Glacier requires more advance planning than almost any other national park. Here are the platforms I actually use for this specific park.