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How to Enter Glacier National Park (and score a highly coveted Going-to-the-Sun Road Reservation)

If you’re planning a family trip to Glacier National Park, one of the first things you’ll quickly learn is that you can’t just show up and drive across the park as you please. The Going-to-the-Sun Road is a windy road that takes you across the entire National Park, and takes about 2 hours to drive across. Without accessing this road, you must drive around the outside of the park to get from the east to the west entrance (or vice versa), which takes even longer.

This world-famous scenic drive has become so popular in recent years that the park now requires a special vehicle reservation to enter during peak season. Don’t worry though, it’s not as complicated as it sounds once you know the process.

What You Need to Enter Glacier

To enter Glacier National Park during the summer months, you’ll need two things:

  1. A National Park entry pass – You can purchase this online in advance or at the park entrance stations. A day pass cost $35/vehicle, or you can purchase an annual National Park pass for $80, which will get you into any National Park site for an entire year.
  2. A vehicle reservation – This is the trickier part. Depending on where you’re entering, you may need a time-entry ticket specifically for Going-to-the-Sun Road.

If you are visiting the park between June 13th and September 28th 2025, you will need a vehicle reservation to enter the west side of the Going to the Sun road between the hours of 7am and 3pm.

How to Get a Going-to-the-Sun Road Vehicle Reservation

The vehicle reservations open on Recreation.gov in the spring, and they go fast. Like, really fast. Here’s what you need to know:

  • When to book: Reservations are released 120 days in advance of your visit date, starting at 8am MST, on a rolling daily basis. They sell out quickly, usually within minutes. If you know your travel dates, be ready to log in and grab your spot as soon as the window opens.
  • What they cover: A vehicle reservation is valid for entry to the park for anyone in the vehicle for the specified day, and you can stay in the park for as long as you wish.
  • Last-minute option: If you can’t score a reservation 120 days out, the park also releases a small number of reservations the day before your visit at 8:00 a.m. MDT on Recreation.gov.

Other Ways to get in the Park

If the thought of fighting tooth-and-nail to score an online reservation stresses you out, you do have a few other options for entering the park during your visit.

  • Book lodging inside the park: If you have reservations at Lake McDonald Lodge, Granite Park Chalet, Motel Lake McDonald or Sperry Chalet, your hotel confirmation acts as your vehicle reservation for the dates of your stay. Also, Avalanche Creek and Sprague Creek Campgrounds will grant you vehicle access.
  • Book a tour inside the park: If you’ve booked a tour for inside the park, such as a boat ride, rental or horseback riding tour, this will grant you access to the Going-to-the-Sun road for anytime the day of your tour. Note that this will only give access to the road for tours leaving from near the West Entrance. Check the list here to see if your tour qualifies.
  • Time your entry: Vehicle reservations are only required between 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. If your family are early risers (or night owls), you can enter before or after those hours without needing a ticket. We actually much preferred exploring later in the day, as the crowds were much thinner and it was easier to find parking. During summer months, it stays light out until close to 10pm, which leaves plenty of time for exploring.
  • Know which entrances need tickets: As of now, reservations are required for the West Entrance of Going to the Sun road, and North Fork. This means you can avoid needing a pass by entering from the other side of the road, near St. Mary’s Village. Split your stay on both sides of the park, and you won’t need vehicle reservations for half of the time!

Bottom Line

The reservation system may feel like one more thing to juggle when planning your family adventure, but it’s absolutely worth it for the chance to drive the breathtaking Going-to-the-Sun Road. With a little prep work (and maybe a flexible bedtime for the kids so you can slip in an evening drive), you’ll be able to soak in Glacier’s stunning scenery without the stress.

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