On Glacier Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road, motorists on one side, cyclists on the other

For the first time ever, Glacier National Park saw bicyclists streaming up one side of the Continental Divide and motorists up the other Saturday, June 14 on the Going-to-the-Sun Road.

The Park Service opened the west side of the road to cyclists and hikers all the way to Logan Pass. On the east side, it opened the pass to motorists.

Motorist traffic was relatively light. Even at 10 a.m. there were plenty of parking spots available at the Logan Pass parking lot.

On the west side of the divide, dozens of cyclists made their way up to the pass.

One was Kristy Dooling, a local woman who marked her 10th straight year biking up to the pass.

“Next year an e-bike,” the older woman joked.

The entire length of the road opens on Monday for the summer season.

There is a decided lack of snow at the pass. The boardwalk to the Hidden Lake Overlook was already bare in several spots and the glacier lilies are blooming. Skiing, a popular activity in the early season may not last long, though there is still enough snow to get some turns in.

The “Big Drift” east of the pass was a shell of what it typically is this time of year.

The mid-June opening is about average for the road. 

As a reminder, a reservation is required to drive the Sun Road from the west side from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

After 3 p.m. no reservation is required. East side reservations are not required any time of day.