Glacier National Park will implement timed entry system for west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road, North Fork in 2025

Glacier National Park announced Thursday it would implement a one-day timed entry reservation system for the west side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road for the summer of 2025, but visitors can still drive the road from the east side without a reservation as they could in 2024.

The North Fork region will also have a timed entry system. Reservation are technically free, but do require a $2 service charge. 

The Park did not immediately release details on how the timed entry would work other than to say multiple blocks will be available, but if a visitor misses their time, they can enter after 3 p.m. In other words, if one misses the reservation time, they’d have to wait. Once in the park, they can stay as long as they want. People can get into the west side of Glacier before 7 a.m. and after 3 p.m. without a reservation.

That’s a change from previous years, as folks used to have to get in before 6 a.m.

Visitors can begin making advance reservations on Feb. 12, 2025 at the recreation.gov website. 

“In 2025 we are continuing successful measures from the 2024 season, including access to Apgar Village, Two Medicine, and the East Entrance to Going-to-the-Sun Road outside of the vehicle reservation system. Within that successful framework we are going to try timed entry to see if we can minimize congestion, optimize visitor arrival, and improve visitor experiences,” Glacier Park Superintendent Dave Roemer said a release. “Timed entry has proven to be a valuable tool in other popular national parks and should reduce congestion and wait times at the West Entrance to Going-to-the-Sun Road.”

The park has also changed the date window for reservations. It used to run from Memorial Day weekend to the second weekend after labor Day.

This year it will run from June 13 through Sept. 28, so the entire month of September.

Glacier saw record visitation in September this year, presumably as people visited the park later in the year so they could avoid the reservation requirement.

Like 2024, people can still access Apgar Village and Lake McDonald, as well as the Camas Road, without a reservation. In addition, visitors with lodging, camping, transportation, or commercial activity reservations can access their intended service within the Going-to-the-Sun Road reservation area with proof of their reservation. Only commercial reservations that originate beyond the Apgar vehicle reservation checkpoint and west of Logan Pass will provide entry in place of a vehicle reservation.

Lodging, camping (including Fish Creek and Apgar campgrounds), and commercial activity reservations originating in Apgar will not provide access beyond the Apgar vehicle reservation check point.

Many Glacier will also see tighter access in 2025. Last year Many Glacier also required a reservation, but the Park hasn’t announced what it will do in 2025 yet. There’s construction ongoing in the Swiftcurrent Valley, so parking will be limited anyway. It’s still looking at its options, park officials said.

Vehicle reservations will only be available on Recreation.gov, the Recreation.gov mobile app, or through the Recreation.gov Call Center (Reservation Line: 877-444-6777). Each of the specified areas of the park will require a separate reservation. Visitors will need to set up an account on Recreation.gov to obtain reservations.

Vehicle reservations will be available through two booking windows. 

• A portion of reservations will be available 120 days or approximately four months in advance, starting on Feb. 12, 2025, at 8 a.m. MST on a rolling basis on Recreation.gov. 
• The remaining vehicle reservations will be available at 7 p.m. MDT for next-day entry starting on June 12, 2025.  

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 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.    

Pursuant to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, vehicle reservations are not required for tribal members throughout the park.