Late riser? Glacier National Park's Sun Road advanced reservations easier to get than one might think

Advanced reservations to enter the west side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road don’t appear to be going as fast as they have in previous years now that Glacier National Park has instituted a timed entry system, particularly for reservations that are later in the day.

For example, when reservations were released on Friday, March 21, reservations for July 19 at 11 a.m. were readily available and there were even reservations available at 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 8:10 a.m.. There were even reservations available for the previous day (July 18) at 1 p.m.

In past years, advanced reservations often sold out in minutes. 

The earlier morning hour slot — from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.— as one might expect, are going much faster. But in early July, it doesn’t get dark until well after 10 p.m. in Glacier, so even starting out at 1 p.m. gives a party plenty of daylight to enjoy  the park.

This is the first year Glacier has implemented a timed entry system, in an effort to reduce a surge of visitors at the west entrance. People can access the Sun Road after 3 p.m. from the west side without a reservation. They can also access it before 7 a.m. without a reservation as well.

People can still drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road from the east side without a reservation and they can access Lake McDonald and the Apgar area without a reservation, along with Two Medicine. People with campground or hotel reservations can access the Sun Road as well, provided their destination is beyond Apgar.

But if a person has a reservation at Fish Creek Campground, that does not include access to the Going-to-Sun Road on the west side beyond Apgar, because Fish Creek is not along the Sun Road.

The Many Glacier area requires a reservation for day hikers and visitors who don’t already have a reservation at the Many Glacier Hotel or other activity, like a horse ride or a boat trip as access is being restricted due to construction and utility work in the Swiftcurrent Valley.

The park plans on shuttling day users in and out of the valley this summer, but exact details have yet to be released. No hikers or bikers will be allowed on the road into the valley this summer.