Glacier's Going-to-the-Sun Road: 10 Things to Know Before You Go!

[@Don-md6wn]

Recommended full day itinerary along the Going to the Sun Road - start at the east side of the road in St. Mary's before sunrise. Stop at the Goose Island Overlook, make the short walk and stay there through sunrise. Get back on the road, continuing to head west. Park at Logan's Pass, which fills up very early. Hike out on the HIghline Trail for spectacular early morning views above the Going to the Sun Road for at least a mile or two before turning back. If you can do a 6-7 mile hike, I'd recommend hiking out to Haystack Pass and then returning to Logan Pass. Get back on the Going to the Sun Road and continue west, stopping at overlooks along the way. Stop for lunch and a break in the Lake McDonald or Apgar Village areas. Continue west on the Going to the Sun Road and do a short in and out hike through the Trail of the Cedars. Drive the remainder of the Going to the Sun Road to the west. In late afternoon, drive the Going to the Sun Road from west to east (with the sun mostly behind you) at a leisurely pace, stopping at overlooks to take in the views. In addition to the Highline Trail and Trail of the Cedars hikes, the Sunrift Gorge hike to 3 beautiful waterfalls is another great hike whose trailhead is on the east side of the Going to the Sun Road. It is abut 5-6 miles round trip, out and back, and best on a cloudy/drizzly day (as is the Trail of the Cedars). Depending on how long your trip to Glacier is, I'd try to spend at least a couple of days along the Going to the Sun Road and at least 2-3 days hiking in the Many Glacier area. Some of the top day hikes in Many Glacier are Grinnell Glacier (book the boat trip in advance that cuts the length of the hike), Iceberg Lake and Bullhead Lake. The best place in the park to see moose is at Fishercap Lake, which is a very short hike (about a half mile one way) from the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn. There is a very high probability of seeing moose in and around the lake early in the morning and late in the afternoon as they like to feed on the vegetation at the bottom of the shallow lake.

[@WereintheRockies]

We love the Grinnell Glacier hike! Thanks for sharing your ideas!

[@trailerparkart2429]

Wow! You are a wealth of information for the area! Do you live nearby?

[@2chuck]

Glacier N.P. was one of the best road trips I've ever done. The year I was there the Going to the Sun Road didn't open until the end of June and they were still ploughing some areas. I saw a Bear sauntering across the road right in front of me. I stayed at a National Park Motel overlooking Lake McDonald and loved to just sit on the patio and look over the lake. Fresh air and relaxing peace and quiet.

[@WereintheRockies]

Yes, it is so relaxing and beautiful.

[@patriotmama]

We went in before 6 a.m. and after 3 p.m. you don't need reservations. We loved going that early b/c the sun was coming up over the mountains and it was absolutely GORGEOUS!

[@jackiedotson5804]

My husband and I road our Goldwing on this trip. It was and still is the most enjoyable ride I’ve taken. I will go back again. 💕

[@WereintheRockies]

That sounds amazing!

[@ProspectorAl]

Thanks for posting. I did the drive in 1991, and I need to go back again.

[@CDRDDJ]

We visited this summer and stayed on the east side- so we really didn't need a reservation but I got one in case we drive back east before 3pm but we hung out at Lake Mcdonald until it was 3pm. It's is by far my favorite NP so far!

[@mickster1780]

i found the Beartooth highway to be "scarier" than this. i think it's mainly because you always have those stone curbs guarding the drop offs on the Going to the Sun Road. Both roads are amazing!

[@ChuckNorthSideGuy]

Thoroughly enjoy your videos! What a service you provide, and just wonderful cinematography too. Thank you!

[@WereintheRockies]

Thank you very much!

[@joeydupuis4484]

Thank y’all so very much. The video was amazingly informative.

[@headdown1]

I first drove Going to the Sun Road in around 1980. A gf and I were living in Edmonton, and we were in Kalispell skydiving for the long weekend. We approached from the Lake MacDonald side, having never heard of the road. There is a point where the cliff face with the road is visible ahead, and my gf said that there were cars driving up the cliff face. I was driving and couldn't look as closely as she could, but I told her that it was impossible. Nobody could or would ever build a road in such a place. Blah, blah, blah... A half hour later we were driving on the road, climbing the rock face. I was and still am amazed that they built a road in such a place, and at the incredible beauty of the drive.

[@WereintheRockies]

It's unbelievable isn't it?

[@VandaBrown-m3x]

We visited first weekend in July 2022 and the entire road was not yet open for travel - bur in 2023 it opened the earliest ever I heard - mid June...

[@ShowMeAnAdventure]

This is so helpful! I wish GTTS road had been open when we went in mid-June, but it was still closed. One more reason to go back to Glacier again someday!! 🎉😅

[@beebeesfuntasticadventures6110]

Interesting, I think I'll skip this place, it seems like it's a hassle to just go anytime and have fun there. I'll check out other amazing places in Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, etc. Thank you for this important information, you couple rock.

[@Don-md6wn]

I spent a week at Glacier in late August, 2019, after most kids were back in school. Crowds were reasonable provided you got out early, and as with most places the number of people goes way down when you hike away from the overlooks. You can have a good trip to Glacier if you do some advance planning and don't wait until 10 in the morning to leave your hotel or campground.

[@BeefNEggs057]

National parks just overdo it with the damn unnecessary rules. Seems worth the hassle for me. Beautiful

[@WereintheRockies]

Thanks for watching!

[@debbylou5729]

Thank you so much! Less people! It’s remarkable, getting anywhere is easy, it’s one of the few places that cross the continental divide. This means almost ALL of the flora and fauna,as well as weather, is completely different on the western and eastern side. Most campers don’t drag their stuff with them on this PARTICULAR highway. There’s literally no place like it. There are also 2 different places to camp, for specific wildlife. There’s one area of cabins with native mountain goats and another separate place to see more bears. No soft sided camping. Hopefully this won’t change your mind and you’ll stick with places with hardly anything green. I hear stickers, dead grasses and dirt are lovely, please go there

[@debbylou5729]

@@Don-md6wnimagine….complaining about taking longer on a drive through Glacier and complaining about it

[@robincook4349]

I went 30 years ago it was beautiful. The women (me, my sister and my mom) in the group were hesitant about the road so we made the men drive over to the east side and enter that way which made us on the inside of the road for most of it.

[@WereintheRockies]

That's a great option for those scared to drive it.

[@wncjan]

Done it once from west to east. It was rainy and foggy all the way, so we didn't see much. 😁

[@WereintheRockies]

Thats too bad! You need a do over!

[@wncjan]

@@WereintheRockies I hope I will some day

[@sharonteeters6703]

So there is no ticket entry this year ( for vehicles)?

[@sharonteeters6703]

I got it, Matt said it.

[@debbiec6216]

I am glad you mentioned all this, because I do get scared , are there anywhere we can visit Glacier without visiting the "going to the sun road"???? This is my first time, ever researching the Glaciers , and I just want to visit at least . I noticed you all went to Banff Canada, *that's on my "Dream come true list*

[@WereintheRockies]

The Going to the Sun Road connects St Mary's to West Glacier but you can get from one to the other without driving on the GTSR, but you'll need to drive around Glacier NP. You can do things in each of those cities. You can also drive some other roads. I believe you can also visit the Two Medicine and Many Glacier areas of the park without a GTTSR entry ticket, as well as Polebridge. You could also book a tour on Lake McDonald or St. Mary Lake. You'd only have to drive a small portion of the road to get there.

[@boytoy7605]

My question is I have tickets for Going-to-the-Sun Road... and a vehicle pass... I also obtained a permit for Outback camping.. my question is when I'm camping where do you leave your car

[@WereintheRockies]

That's a great question and I am not entirely sure. It looks like you can take shuttles to many trailheads: www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/backcountry.htm#transportation-and-services

[@oldones59]

Call the park.

[@andrealmeida7445]

Matt, do you know if there is a place to park the RV before the national park west entrance? Greetings!

[@WereintheRockies]

We don't know of any from personal experience, but I just did a quick google search and found this one: moosecreekrv.com/ There are probably more places as well. Good luck!

[@glennelson1907]

At least logging trucks aren't rear ending your car if you go slow on the GTTR.

[@dannyhyland9748]

How strict are they on the vehicle length? I have a hitch mounted cargo carrier(no wheels) that makes my tahoe longer than 21 feet.

[@WereintheRockies]

The max limit is 21 feet for your safety. There are long alpine roads with steep cliffs, tight turns, and limited room for pulling over. Anything longer than 21' is not safe.

[@jenkayla2492]

I have my vacation booked for september 6th of this year.. After watching this video I'm scared of driving the roads. I do have fear of heights..yikes! Maybe drive ourselves. We should just drive a little bit on the West entrance, And then another day going to saint mary's for a little bit... Scared to drive off the cliff!!

[@WereintheRockies]

All of that is understandable. You could look into Red Bus Tours so you can see the whole drive. Best of luck and have a great time in Glacier.

[@kazferns64]

I'm also quite scared of heights. My friends and I went last month (late June 2024) and it was a gorgeous day. I was NOT driving, just a passenger. I couldn't really appreciate it all until it was over because I was kind of freaking out. But, I waved my phone around and got pictures. We started on the west side and, in retrospect, I'm one of the people who should've headed back down around Avalanche or Heaven's Pass (I think that's what it was called). But we went all the way to Logan Pass. If I'm ever able to go back, I know my height limitations, for sure.

[@christines3867]

If I did the red bus tour do you think it would be inconvenient to not have a vehicle? I guess a tour means you’re on a schedule & not venturing away…total newbie as I’ve never joined a tour before

[@WereintheRockies]

Where we haven't done a Red Bus Tour ourselves, I'm not sure. I would probably reach out to the Red Bus Tour company to get more information on their tours and what kind of time you have to explore the different areas www.glaciernationalparklodges.com/red-bus-tours

[@jaclyngonzales-garcia2539]

if i have a half day at glacier-arrive at 11am and leave as late as i can is it possible to see lake mcdonald, do trail of the cedars, drive to logan pass? the next day i have a full day we plan on doing going to the sun road and hike st marys and hidden lake trail.

[@WereintheRockies]

You're going to love Glacier! Yes, you can do all that in a half day but parking may be an issue. I would go to Lake McDonald first and spend as much time as you want there, it's a great place to hang out. Trail of the Cedars is a beautiful 0.7 mile loop on a nice, level boardwalk. It can be done later in the day along with Logan Pass. Both those two would be better in the evening, because the crowds die down and parking becomes more accessible. A good thing to remember is that Glacier has a lot of daylight hours so you can do things well into the evening.

[@BeefNEggs057]

Any chance you can do 4 wheelers on GTTS Road if it’s closed?

[@WereintheRockies]

I don't know for sure but my guess is no. You can check the official Glacier website:www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm

[@glennmiller7596]

The Red Bus Tours are on buses that are over 21 feet….. which is illegal. How does that work?

[@WereintheRockies]

That's a good question. I don't know.

[@ericbalza2747]

Id like to know that too. We were there about 10years ago with a F150 with pop up Camper on it. We were told the truck was to long for the road. I have seen other trucks in videos on that road.

[@glennmiller7596]

@@ericbalza2747 we have a Toyota Tacoma access cab with a pop up camper and we drove on it. It’s not 21 feet though …. It’s about 18 feet.

[@ericbalza2747]

@@glennmiller7596 We had a Ford F150 super cab short box. With the camper we were just under 21' and 8' 6" tall. we got a ways in and had to turn around at a checkpoint. Didnt think much of it at the time. but now years later I am seeing pictures of other fullsize trucks on that road im kinda getting mad that didnt get to drive it.

[@glennmiller7596]

@@ericbalza2747 Gosh… that’s too bad! I’ve been on that road several times and have never even seen a checkpoint. I have driven a Toyota Tacoma Access Cab pickup with a. Pop up camper…. I know it’s under 21 feet, but those Red Buses that the Park uses to do tours, I’m sure, are over 21 feet!

[@jaclyngonzales-garcia2539]

can i do red bus tour to st marys falls, hike there then take the red bus back to the west side of the park?

[@WereintheRockies]

I don't believe you can hop on and hop off the tour. I would check Red Bus Tours website or call for more information: www.glaciernationalparklodges.com/red-bus-tours/east-side-tours/

[@ShelleyLane-wc3qc]

Where did you get that Teddy teeshirt? I would like to get one.

[@WereintheRockies]

I got it at Theodore Roosevelt national park! But they might sell it online through Wild Tribute

[@ShabnamAskari-ii4fw]

We were in the Glacier July 23 /2024 😊😊

[@WereintheRockies]

Yes!!

[@qouavang3646]

Ok I'm good lol was worried I couldn't take my toyota tundra there but saw the busses and saw 2 toyota tundras in the video haha

[@WereintheRockies]

Your truck should be fine!

[@flossordie2256]

Just got back, booked a week there without knowing road was closed😢😢😢

[@WereintheRockies]

Oh darn!! We hope you still had a good time.

[@BeefNEggs057]

Going in June as part of a 2+ week RV journey. Is the going to the sun road very likely to be closed due to snow around June 20-23? Anyone with experience feel free to chime in.

[@locustjohn3865]

To be honest, at that time, it could go either way. Also, do NOT take an RV.

[@BeefNEggs057]

@@locustjohn3865 Right the RV will be left at Apgar campground. Just my truck which is less than 21’. Thanks!

[@Don-md6wn]

The west side of the Going to the Sun Road is maintained and open year round, with only temporary closures in extreme weather until they can clear it. As Locust John said, you're probably 50-50 that the entire east side of the road (which is the best part) will be open. If there's any flexibility in your itinerary, you might want to think about making Glacier the last place you visit to maximize the chance that the entire road will be open. They not only have to clear the road, which is a huge task as it can involve removing 20-30 feet of snow in places, but determine that the risk of avalanches has passed. In some years they have to clear sections multiple times. You can find a document on opening and closing dates by year on the park website. Since 2000, the opening date has ranged from May 22nd to July 2nd and closing dates have been from September 16 to October 31.

[@locustjohn3865]

Even if it's not open, Hwy 2 around the bottom of Glacier is a beautiful drive.

[@WereintheRockies]

Thanks for watching. This was taken from Glacier National Park's Website: The road is open year-round near the West Entrance. The entire road does not usually open until late June at the earliest. Please see the map above for the most up-to-date information. The alpine sections of Going-to-the-Sun Road typically close for the winter around the third Monday of October, but this can happen earlier due to wintery weather. In 2022, the road will close on September 30 at 10 pm MDT. You can find historical open and close dates on our Press Kit Page. Here is the Press Kit Page: www.nps.gov/glac/learn/news/upload/Logan-Pass-Open-Close-Dates_Press-Kit_10-21-20-2.pdf