Advanced reservations for Glacier National Park's west side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, North Fork become available Feb. 13

Glacier National Park has released more details on a timed entry reservation system for the west entrance of the Going-to-the-Sun Road and the North Fork region of the park this summer.

This is the first summer Glacier will institute a timed entry system. People can still enter the Sun Road from the east side at St. Mary without a reservation as well as Apgar Village, the Camas Road and Lake McDonald.

The 120-day advance timed entry vehicle reservations become available on Recreation.gov starting Feb. 13 at 8 a.m. Mountain Time. 

A timed entry vehicle reservation is required from June 13 to Sept. 28, 2025, for the West Side of Going-to-the-Sun Road and the North Fork. Reservations can only be purchased on Recreation.gov or by phone at 1-(877) 444-6777 ; (International) - (606) 515-6777 or for deaf (TDD) - (877) 833-6777    

The entry time blocks for Going-to-the-Sun Road and the North Fork will be in two-hour increments; 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., 11 .am. to 1 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. 

The advanced reservations become available on a “rolling window” 120 days out from the desired date. So someone looking to book a reservation June 18, for example, would need to book it on Feb. 18. 

It is important to note that the advanced reservations are just some of the reservations that are available. The Park releases same-day reservations beginning at 7 p.m. the evening before beginning June 12. 

As an example, someone looking to get a same-day reservation on July 4 could go to Recreation.gov at 7 p.m. July 3 to book a spot. The reservations remain open until they’re all filled, which can lead into same-day spots being available, depending on demand. 

Visitors can enter reservation areas at any time during the time block they have reserved and can remain in the park for as long as they like on the day of their reservation. Visitors who miss their reserved time block can enter after 3 p.m., along with the general public. People can enter either region after 3 p.m. or before 7 a.m. without a reservation as well. 

In the summer months, first light is around 5 a.m. in late June and early July and it doesn’t get dark until 10:30 p.m. as well. So starting out a trip at 3 p.m. still leaves plenty of daylight, as it takes about 1.5 hours to drive to Logan Pass from the west entrance. 

It is important to note, however, that a reservation does not guarantee a parking spot and spots at Logan Passs fill up quickly, especially in July and August. While visitors can access Going-to-the-Sun Road from the St. Mary Entrance without a reservation, visitors should be advised that if they drive west through the Apgar checkpoint into Apgar Village, they cannot reenter through the checkpoint driving east without a timed entry vehicle reservation for the appropriate time block or until after 3 p.m.   

Like previous years, 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. As a reminder, lodging, camping (including Fish Creek and Apgar campgrounds), and commercial activity reservations originating in Apgar will not provide access beyond the Apgar vehicle reservation checkpoint.  

Due to construction and limited parking, the park will restrict personal vehicle access into Many Glacier and provide a temporary shuttle service under a separate reservation system for a limited number of hikers to access Many Glacier and Swiftcurrent from July 1 to Sept. 21. Visit the Road Construction and Infrastructure Project Work page to learn more.    

In addition to a timed entry vehicle reservation, each vehicle entering the park is required to have a 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 timed entry 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.   

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.  

People can sign up for text alerts for park roads and trail conditions at: https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/road-trail-campground-status.htm 

As far as getting into Many Glacier, people with a reservation at the hotel can get in, along with reservations for boat tours and horseback rides. The park is also implementing a hiker shuttle into the valley as well. 

The details of that system will come later this year, but 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.

The expectation is that about 120 groups per day will be able to access the valley via shuttle. No hikers and bikers will be allowed on the Many Glacier Road itself.   

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. 

In addition, folks are reminded that because they're being dropped off the Many Glacier Hotel, most hikes in the valley will be a couple miles longer, because the usual trailheads at Swiftcurrent will be closed.

The construction work is expected to be completed by spring of 2026.