This blog post is all about driving Going-To-The-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Here, you’ll learn the best stops on Going-To-The-Sun Road, the best hikes on Going-To-The-Sun Road, all about the timed entry reservation system (plus its loopholes) and more.
Where does Going-To-The-Sun Road start and end?
First and foremost, Going-To-The-Sun Road officially starts in West Glacier off of US-2 and ends in St. Mary off of Highway 89. The road is seasonally open depending on snow, usually open between late-June through mid-October. To drive Going-To-The-Sun Road from west to east, you will likely need a timed entry reservation ticket (which we’ll discuss next).
One of my best tips for driving Going-To-The-Sun Road is to download the Shaka Guide app audio tour for this scenic drive. The Shaka Guide app connects with your phone’s GPS to cue audio tour segments according to where exactly you’re driving in the park. You’ll learn about the scenic drive’s best stops, hikes, local wildlife, the park’s establishment, native history, construction history and more. We’ve used Shaka Guide for a few different trips now and love it.
Going-To-The-Sun Road Tickets
Next, it’s super important that you fully understand the ticketing system for Going-To-The-Sun Road. Otherwise, you could be denied entry. (Yes, seriously. They will make you turn around.) Glacier National Park started implementing a timed entry reservation system for Going-To-The-Sun Road to limited vehicle traffic and preserve the road. As you could imagine, construction for Going-To-The-Sun Road was extremely complex, dangerous and expensive. So, in efforts to make the construction last as long as possible, every vehicle driving Going-To-The-Sun Road past Apgar Village needs a timed entry reservation between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. from June through September.
You can get your timed entry reservation for Going-To-The-Sun Road here. The reservations cost $2 USD, but this does not include entry into the national park. National park entry is a separate cost. Timed entry reservation tickets are released 120 days (about four months) before your preferred date of entry at 8:00 a.m. Mountain Time. This means you need to plan ahead because the reservations do sell out. If you don’t score a reservation four months beforehand, a second set of next-day reservations will be released at 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time the night before your desired date of entry. I highly suggest being logged into your recreation.gov account ready to refresh the ticketing page immediately at 7:00 p.m.
Note, these reservations do not guarantee parking. And, parking is extremely hard to come by in some areas of Going-To-The-Sun Road. I’ll go more in depth about parking when we talk about the best stops and hikes.
Going-To-The-Sun Road Timed Reservation Exceptions
Thankfully, if you’re like me and (A) don’t plan your trips far enough in advance and/or (B) aren’t able to score a timed entry reservations, there are a few ways you can still drive Going-To-The-Sun Road without a timed entry reservation.
One, you can enter the Going-To-The-Sun Road reservation checkpoint in Apgar Village either before 7:00 a.m. (recommended for parking) or after 3:00 p.m. Two, you can enter Going-To-The-Sun Road from the St. Mary entrance on the east side of the park. However, know that this will add an additional two hours driving in your day — in addition to actually driving Going-To-The-Sun Road — if you are staying on the west side of the park. Three, you can book qualifying tour, camping or lodging reservations west of Logan Pass, which can double as your Going-To-The-Sun Road entry reservation. Although, these bookings also usually sell out far in advance.
Kenny and I stayed on the west side of Glacier National Park. We opted to enter the Going-To-The-Sun Road reservation checkpoint at Apgar Village before 7:00 a.m. each day of our trip, which worked perfectly. Not only were we able to drive through the checkpoint without issues, but we were also able to snag competitive parking spots in areas of the park that are extremely congested during the day, such as Logan Pass and Avalanche Creek. Note, you do not need a timed entry reservation to access Apgar Village, the Apgar Village Visitor Center or Lake McDonald, as the reservation checkpoint is past these popular Apgar area stops.
How long does it take to drive Going-To-The-Sun Road?
Driving Going-To-The-Sun Road takes approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes one way without stopping. However, there are some incredible views, stops and hikes along Going-To-The-Sun Road, so you will definitely want to stop. I suggest you designate at least 1-2 full days of your Glacier National Park trip to exploring the Going-To-The-Sun Road area, perhaps even more if you plan to hike. If you want to take the scenic drive and only make short stops at quick overlooks, then you could probably do Going-To-The-Sun Road in 6 hours if needed (two hours driving each way for four hours driving total plus stopping). Check out my exact 7-day Glacier National Park itinerary here.
When does Going-To-The-Sun Road close?
Seasonally, Going-To-The-Sun Road typically closes in mid-to-late October because of snow. On a daily basis, the Going-To-The-Sun Road timed entry reservation checkpoint closes at 3:00 p.m. Although, you can still drive on Going-To-The-Sun Road past the checkpoints through the night. In fact, we went stargazing along Going-To-The-Sun Road one night of our trip, which was incredible. We even saw the Milky Way Galaxy!
Best Stops On Going-To-The-Sun Road
West Glacier
The first best stop on Going-To-The-Sun Road is the village of West Glacier. In West Glacier, there’s a variety of souvenir stores (the largest variety I saw in the whole park), a gas station, camp stores, restaurants and coffee shops stores. We ate burgers at Freda’s Bar, took advantage of their outdoor seating and enjoyed a flavored iced coffee from their walk-up coffee window. There are also numerous adventure tours, such as white water rafting, that meet in West Glacier.
Lake McDonald + Apgar Village
The next best stop on Going-To-The-Sun Road is the famous Lake McDonald and Apgar Village. Lake McDonald is known for its superb water clarity and rainbow colored rocks that line the beach shore. In Apgar Village, you can access the main Lake McDonald beach for a beach day or rent a kayak, paddle board, canoe, rowboat or motorboat.
Apgar Village is a super cute mountain town right next to the beach. It’s definitely worth budgeting an hour or two in your Glacier National Park itinerary to spend some time here. There is a convenient walk-up coffee window right next to the beach, numerous souvenir stores, a restaurant and a walk-up ice cream window in Apgar Village. The village is small and easily walkable, so there’s no need for your car here. Note, parking in Apgar Village near Lake McDonald is limited. So, if there is no parking, you can also park at the Apgar Visitor Center and walk 10 minutes down the Apgar Bike Trail from the visitor center to Apgar Village. Feel free to stop inside the visitor center while you’re there too.
Red Rock Point
Next, if you like cliff jumping and swimming in crystal clear water, you may want to stop at Red Rock Point. Red Rock Point is a pooling section of McDonald Creek where you can swim, jump or lay out on the red rocks. There’s pullout parking here, and you can see the cliff jumpers from the road. It’s easy to find.
The Loop
Arguably the most beautiful, picture-perfect section of Going-To-The-Sun Road is the area around The Loop. This is where you’ll really gain incline while driving up the mountains, offering some of the best mountain overlooks, an unobstructed view of Heaven’s Peak and epic sights that will make your jaw drop. There are several pullouts and parking lots in this section of Going-To-The-Sun Road, so don’t hesitate to stop for a photo.
Bird Woman Falls Overlook
One of these views includes the Bird Woman Falls Overlook. Bird Woman Falls cascades down the mountains through a U-shaped valley. In the spring time, just after the snow melts, you can see Bird Woman Falls in full effect. Although, this waterfall is impressive any time of year.
Logan Pass Visitor Center
Gaining incline, you’ll soon reach the Logan Pass Visitor Center. At over 6600 feet above sea level, Logan Pass boasts 360-degree mountain views, some of Glacier National Park’s best hikes (which we’ll discuss later) a nice visitor center and loads of wildlife. Logan Pass is known to be home to many mountain goats, so keep your eyes peeled. We saw upward of a dozen of mountain goats here along the Hidden Lake Overlook trail.
However, be prepared for limited parking at the Logan Pass Visitor Center. The Logan Pass Visitor Center parking typically fills up before 6:30 a.m., so it is in your best interest to get here before sunrise if you want an easy parking spot. Otherwise, be prepared to circle, wait, or park down the mountain at a pullout and hike up to the visitor center. Alternatively, you could take the Glacier National Park free shuttle to Logan Pass from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Jackson Glacier Overlook
Unfortunately, many of Glacier National Park’s glaciers are rapidly disappearing. Most glaciers require extensive day hikes or overnight backpacking trips to see. However, you can still see Jackson Glacier without hiking at the Jackson Glacier Overlook on the Going-To-The-Sun Road. It’s a quick pullout on your way to the St. Mary Lake area of the park from Logan Pass.
Wild Goose Island Overlook
Another fun quick overlook is the Wild Goose Island Overlook. Wild Goose Island is a popular photography spot, and it was even featured in the movie “The Shining.” Like Jackson Glacier, this overlook a quick pullout along St. Mary Lake and offers fantastic views of Wild Goose Island, St. Mary Lake and the surrounding mountains.
Sunrift Gorge
Although not technically a pullout, Sunrift Gorge is still a short worthwhile stop on Going-To-The-Sun Road that most people can see without much physical effort. It’s a canyon carved by a river, and it’s only a staircase away from the parking lot. It’s also connected to the short Baring Falls hike, which we’ll talk about later.
St. Mary Lake
Finally for the best stops on Going-To-The-Sun Road that don’t require any hiking, St. Mary Lake is a beautifully turquoise lake that you can see. There’s a large parking lot by the St. Mary boat dock, as well as St. Mary Lake boat tours available through Glacier Park Boat Company. This is a much quieter part of Going-To-The-Sun Road, so if you’re hoping to avoid tourist chaos, you’ll probably like St. Mary Lake.
Best Hikes On Going-To-The-Sun Road
McDonald Falls
There are few rewarding hikes in Glacier National Park under 10 miles in length, but the Johns Lake Loop trail to McDonald Falls is one of them. The hike itself features a wooden footbridge and endless flora, ultimately bringing you to the elegant McDonald Falls and Sacred Dancing Cascade along the McDonald Creek. It’s a quick 2.1 mile loop trail with only 193 feet of elevation gain.
Trail Of The Cedars
Similarly, Trail Of The Cedars is a short, flat 0.9 mile loop trail that is mostly on boardwalk with very minimal elevation gain (49 feet). On Trail Of The Cedars, you walk among giant, ancient cedar trees. It’s certainly a pleasant walk if you’re short on time or not keen on hiking. Then, connected to this loop trail, there is a spur trail for the longer Avalanche Lake hike.
Avalanche Lake
Avalanche Lake and Trail Of The Cedars are connected. With Avalanche Lake, both trails come to a total of about 6 miles and 760 feet of elevation gain. The trail to Avalanche Lake is in dense forest until you come to the main feature, a perfectly teal glacial lake that is surrounded by mountains and waterfalls. It’s stunning. In fact, Avalanche Lake reminded me a lot of Olden, Norway. This hike was a trip highlight for us. Although, like Logan Pass, parking at the Trail Of The Cedars and Avalanche Lake trailhead is hard to come by. I highly recommend you arrive at the trailhead before 7:00 a.m. to get a good parking spot. We arrived around 6:30 a.m., and the first lot was already full.
Hidden Lake Overlook
Another one of our favorite hikes was the Hidden Lake Overlook trail. We enjoyed this hike so much that we did it twice! The trailhead is located right behind the Logan Pass Visitor Center, and the trail is a quick 2.7 mile out-and-back hike with 551 feet of elevation gain (mostly boardwalk stairs). During the whole hike, you have 360-degree views of mountains and alpine meadows. At the overlook, you’re rewarded with a beautiful mountain view towering over a turquoise lake. Like I mentioned earlier, mountain goats are also known to hang out here. This is where we saw the most mountain goats of our entire trip.
Hidden Lake Trail
Likewise, if you’re feeling eager, you can also hike down to the shore of Hidden Lake, which is exactly what we did the second time around. The full Hidden Lake Trail is about 5.1 miles with over 1300 feet of elevation gain. Meaning, the full hike is very steep with a handful of switchbacks on the way back up from the lake. You do see a perfect reflection of the mountain on the water from below, though. Plus, you can jump into the lake for a quick alpine cold plunge if you’d like. I say this hike is worth it if you have extra time in your itinerary and want the extra elevation gain training. Otherwise, honestly, the best view is from the overlook.
Highline Trail
The Highline Trail is one of the most popular hikes in Glacier National Park for a reason. Not only can you hike the Highline Trail to epic places like Grinnell Glacier Overlook, Granite Park Chalet and The Loop, but you also get to take part in a notoriously “scary,” adrenaline-rushing section about 0.25 miles into the hike. At this section, nicknamed the Garden Wall section, you walk along a dangerous drop-off that hangs several hundred rocky feet above Going-To-The-Sun-Road. There is a cable built into the cliffside to hold onto, but be especially cautious when moving past oncoming hikers. We didn’t have time to do the full Highline Trail, so we just hiked past the Garden Wall section, and it was fun. It’s definitely an adrenaline rush, but we felt safe.
St. Mary Falls
Furthermore, St. Mary Falls is one of the best waterfall hikes on Going-To-The-Sun Road with just 3.1 miles of distance and 472 feet of elevation gain. You’ll get to see multiple waterfalls and hike through a burnt forest. I personally felt safer from wildlife in this fire-recovery area of the park because there is less dense vegetation for wildlife (i.e. bears) to hide in.
Baring Falls
Lastly, if you want to see a nice waterfall without hiking a ton, definitely stop at Baring Falls. Like I alluded to earlier, the Baring Falls trailhead is connected to the Sunrift Gorge overlook underneath the bridge of Going-To-The-Sun Road. We saw hundreds of monarch butterflies under the bridge. Plus, the hike to Baring Falls is a quick 0.6 miles round-trip with 111 feet of elevation gain. You get to walk over an adorable footbridge and see a 15-20 foot waterfall. Note, this hike, although short, felt longer and steeper than we thought it would. A few other hikers said the same. It’s a great stop while driving Going-To-The-Sun Road, nonetheless!
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