One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to drive on roads that are breathtaking. For example, UT 128 outside of Moab, UT is one of those roads. One of the most iconic and scenic roads that you can drive in the United States is Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Along this almost 50 mile stretch of road, you can see spectacular waterfalls, plush alpine meadows, towering peaks, and pristine lakes.
My wife and I were able to drive the road this past summer (2024). The road more than lived up to all of the hype. What I want to do in this post is to give you some insight about the road, different ways to travel the road and stops you need to make along the way. Each one of the stops offers unique insight into the majesty of this national treasure.
A Little History About the Road
Going-to-the-Sun Road was started in 1921 and was completed in 1932. The road officially opened in the summer of 1933. Going-to-the-Sun Road is just under 50 miles long. It is the only road that goes all the way through the park from east to west. The highest point on Going-to-the-Sun Road is at Logan’s Pass at 6,646 feet.
When the Road Opens and Closes
The Going-to-the-Sun Road typically opens in mid to late June and closes typically in mid to late October. The latest date the road has ever opened was July 13, 2022.
The earliest date the road has opened was May 16, 1987. The lower elevations of the road are open all year round. You can go to the National Park Service site to see the latest status on the road.
No one can know from year to year when the road will be open or closed. You just need to be aware that if you plan on coming into the park from mid to late June there is a possibility that the road may not be all the way open. The same is true if you are in the park in mid October.
Size of Vehicles on the Road
The National Park Service has some limitations on the size of vehicles on Going-to-the-Sun Road. Vehicles or vehicle combinations 21 feet long including bumpers or wider than 8 feet including mirrors are not allowed on the road between Avalanche Creek and Rising Sun. Vehicles more than 10 feet tall may have issues from Logan Pass to the Loop because of overhanging rocks.
Ways to See Going-to-the-Sun Road
Red Bus Tour
My wife and I did a Red Bus Tour before we drove the road. I would highly recommend taking one of their tours. It allows you to learn a lot about the history of the road and the park. If you are always doing the driving, it allows you to take in the scenery without having to worry about driving the road or finding a parking space.
The White Motor Company built the buses in 1936. Ford Motor Company has restored them through the years. The buses have bench seating that fit up to 4 people each which allows up to 16 people to ride in the bus.
The buses come with roll back roofs which allows you to see the views above you while on the road. It is quite a cool experience. You will be able to get out and take pictures at various stops on Going-to-the-Sun Road. Other times, you will be able to stand up and take pics through the top of the bus.
Tours start on the east and west sides of the park. They have different length tours that you can choose. All of the tours are round trip, which means that they return to the same location that they started from. You can click the link to learn more about the different tours.
Helpful Tips
- We had a morning tour. After our first stop, our driver rolled up the roof. It was a nice day but it was quite chilly. You will probably want to take a jacket or sweatshirt just in case.
- Make sure to take some water and some things to snack on while on the tour. Our tour ended up being almost four hours. So, it is nice to have something to snack on.
- The sooner you can book the tour the better off you will be since these tours sell out.
Sun Tours are another bus tour that you can take through the park. The tours are put on by the Blackfeet Nation. The buses for these tours hold 25 people. You can visit their site to learn more about their tours.
Park Shuttles
A second way to see Going-to-the-Sun Road is using the park shuttles. The shuttles have 13 different stops on the road and are free to use. Summer shuttle services begin July 1st and run through Labor Day. Reduced services of the shuttle usually run into the middle of September.
There are a number of advantages in using the shuttles. First, you don’t need a car reservation when entering the west side of the park. I have more on that later. Next, you don’t have to worry about trying to find parking spots at popular locations.
This can be a real hassle. Taking the shuttle also allows you to take in the scenery as you are traveling the road. Plus, if you don’t like driving on tight windy roads the shuttles will keep you from doing that.
There are some disadvantages in using the shuttles. First, you have less freedom since you have to wait on a shuttle to arrive. Sometimes there can be many people waiting to get on a shuttle. So, you may have to wait for a couple of shuttles before you can get on to go to your next stop.
Drive The Road Yourself
The last way to see the road is by driving it yourself. Driving the road yourself gives you the most freedom. You can stop where you want to and stay as long as you like. If you don’t mind battling for parking spots at various locations and you’re okay driving narrow, windy roads this is a great option.
Vehicle Reservations When Driving the Road
When You Need and Don’t Need a Reservation
- You need a vehicle reservation from May 24th through September 8th if you enter Going-to-the-Sun Road from the west side of the park from the hours of 6 am through 3 pm.
- Reservations for Going-to-the-Sun Road aren’t needed if you enter the east/St. Mary’s side of the park.
How to enter without a reservation when driving
- Enter the park before 6 am or after 3 pm. Entering the park before 6 am isn’t a bad option since it is best to get into the park early to beat the crowds.
- You don’t need a reservation if you have a hotel reservation, camping reservation, or commercial activity like a boat ride, horseback riding, etc. along the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
The following ways are when you are driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road. If you aren’t driving you can travel the road by taking the shuttles starting at the Apgar Village or the Apgar Visitor Center.
Release dates of reservations
- A portion of reservations are released 120 days in advance at 8 am MDT. Depending on the month and day, reservations can disappear quickly.
- Next day reservations are released at 7 pm MDT for next day entry.
Where to get reservations
- You can get the $2 reservations at Recreation.gov or you can get the app on your phone to make reservations.
The length of reservations
- Each reservation that you get is good for one day.
Pro Tips about reservations
- It is best to set up your Recreation.gov account and have your information in your account before you try to get reservations. Speed can be the key and this will speed up your booking.
- I did a couple of dry runs before the day(s) that I wanted. I didn’t book the days but I wanted to see what the process was like before the day(s) I wanted.
- I personally like using the app versus doing it on the computer. I think it is faster but use whatever method you feel most comfortable with. I was 3 out of 3 when it came to booking reservations with the app.
- Make sure to go to Recreation.gov to see what the current news is related to the reservations. They have tweaked things before and you want to make sure you know the ins and outs before you book.
- Print out your reservation just in case you can’t access it on your phone for some reason. Wifi is almost nonexistent in the park. You can also take a screenshot of the reservation.
List of Stops on Going-to-the-Sun Road
We finally have made it to the main event. A quick note before we start the list. The stops that I have included are traveling west to east on Going-to-the-Sun Road. My wife and I stopped at each one of these places and we enjoyed them all.
1. Apgar Village
The first stop after entering the park is Apgar Village. The village is very quaint. In the village you will find gift shops, lodging, restaurants, and a camp store. Tonya and I walked to the village from the Apgar Visitor Center. The trail was paved and it only took us 5-10 minutes.
2. Lake McDonald
If you want to get your first views of Lake McDonald, a great place to do so is while you are in Apgar Village. It just takes a few seconds to be on the shores of the lake from the village. I liked this view since you can see down the whole length of the lake with the mountains as a backdrop. This is also a great place to see the sunrise coming up in the morning.
3. Apgar Visitor Center
The Apgar Visitor Center is one of three visitor centers in Glacier National Park. At the visitor center, you can get your questions answered and recommendations from park rangers and volunteers. You can also grab a shuttle and use the restrooms. This is where we got on the Red Bus Tour.
4. Lake McDonald Lodge
Lake McDonald Lodge is a Swiss style Lodge located 10 miles from the west entrance and is steps from Lake McDonald. The views along the beach area of the lake are really beautiful. The lodge was built in 1913. The lodge has 82 rustic rooms, as well as cabins that you can enjoy. I felt at home here since I live in Sugarcreek, OH which is known as the Little Switzerland of Ohio.
5. McDonald Falls
McDonald Falls is a short drive from the Lake McDonald Lodge. The pullout area is nice sized. There is a viewing area to take pictures of the falls. If you want to go down to the falls, you can head east once in the parking area. There is a short trail that leads down to the falls.
6. Avalanche Creek and Trail of the Cedars
This particular area is very busy and it can be hard to find a parking spot. It took us a few passes before we snagged one. The reason that this stop is so popular is the fact that there are two popular hikes to do here. The two hikes are Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake. Both hikes are worth doing. If you want to learn more about these two hikes and others, you can check out my blog post about the hikes we did in the park here.
7. West Tunnel
The West Tunnel is the shorter of the two tunnels that you will find on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. There is a small pullout that you can use to stop to take pictures. You can also walk into the tunnel and there are two windows that have views of Heaven’s Peak and Upper McDonald Creek Valley. You can get your inner child going by beeping your horn while traveling through the tunnel.
8. The Loop and Heavens Peak
The Loop is a hairpin turn that can be found on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. There is a pullout at the loop that holds around 20 cars. This stop also gives you great views of the valley below as well as the 8,987 feet tall Heavens Peak.
9. Bird Woman’s Falls
Bird Woman’s Falls can be seen from Going-to-the-Sun Road. The falls drop nearly 500 feet. There is a small pullout located here. You also get some great mountain views at this stop.
10. Haystack Falls
Haystack Falls is one of the coolest waterfalls in the park in my mind. They built an arch in the road so that the waterfall goes under the road. The falls then continue on the other side of the road. These falls can easily be seen from the road and there is a pullout located just before the falls.
11. Weeping Wall
The Weeping Wall is best seen by early July when the snowmelt is at its highest. We saw the wall in late July. The water was still flowing but not nearly as strong as it would have been a few weeks earlier.
12. Big Bend
Big Bend can be found about halfway between the Loop and Logan’s Pass. The Bend is an iconic place on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. You will see great views of the mountains and valleys below. There is a nice sized pullout area on both sides of the road.
13. Triple Arches
The Triple Arches is a really cool looking 65 foot bridge. Engineers designed the three arch bridge instead of using a retaining wall. There is no pull off or parking here. The arches are best seen traveling from west to east.
14. Logan Pass
Logan Pass is the highest point on Going-to-the-Sun Road at an elevation of 6,646 feet. The pass is home to the Logan Pass Visitor Center, restrooms, and the start of numerous popular hikes. The pass has 360 degree views of the surrounding area. During the summer time, the parking lot can be full before 7 am. One alternative is to go to an area where the shuttles stop at and park there. You can then take the shuttle to Logan Pass.
15. East Tunnel
The East Tunnel is the longest of the two tunnels that you find on Going-to-the-Sun Road. The tunnel is 408 feet in length. Unlike the West Tunnel, there are no windows in the tunnel. There are small turnouts located before and after the tunnel.
16. Siyeh Bend
Siyeh Bend is very much like the Loop on the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road. There are great views of the surrounding area from the bend. There is parking available before and after the bend. This is also the starting point for Siyeh Pass and Piegan Pass Trails.
17. Jackson Glacier Overlook
The Jackson Glacier is the easiest glacier that you can view from Going-to-the-Sun Road. Pullouts for the overlook are on the right side of the road before and after the overlook. You can hike towards the glacier on the Gunsight Trail which begins at the Jackson Glacier Overlook.
18. Sunrift Gorge
Sunrift Gorge is located on Barring Creek. In the pullout area, head west to find the steps that lead down to the gorge. There are a number of different places in the gorge to take pictures. You can also hike to Barring Falls, St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls from the gorge.
19. Sun Point
Once you enter the parking area for Sun Point, you will want to pull into the smaller parking lot to the right. From this parking area is a .1 mile trail that leads down to the main part of Sun Point Trail. You have a nice view of St. Mary Lake at this point or you can travel another .3 of a mile to go to Sun Point. You can read more about this hike by clicking here.
20. Wild Goose Island Overlook
At this overlook, you get a nice view of St. Mary Lake and Wild Goose Island. You guessed it, the island looks like a goose. Plus, you have mountains rising 4,000 feet above the lake.The parking for this area is before and after the overlook. This is also a good spot to see the sunrise or sunset.
21. Rising Sun
There are a number of things that you can do at the Rising Sun area. You can stay at the Rising Sun Motor Inn. The inn offers gifts, groceries, a restaurant, and lodging in the inn along with cabins. You can also take a boat tour and camp in this area of the park.
22. St. Mary Visitor Center
The St. Mary Visitor Center is the last stop when heading east on Going-to-the-Sun Road. The visitor center offers one of the best views you will find in any visitor center. At the visitor center, you can get information about the park, see interactive exhibits about Native Americans, shop at the bookstore and use wifi for the first time since traveling through the park.
Final Thoughts
Glacier National Park is a true wonder of God’s creation. Going-to-the-Sun Road is one of the best places to see that wonder in the park. The following stops that I have listed will help you enjoy all that Glacier has to offer.
Personally, the top 3 stops for me were Avalanche Creek/Trail of the Cedars, the Loop and Logan Pass. Make sure to leave your questions or comments, if you have any.
If you are planning a trip to Glacier National Park, make sure to read my 3 day itinerary of what my wife and I did in the park. I also have a post on 10 hikes to do in the park.
You can also go to my blog Travelwidstom to see ways to save on travel, travel itineraries, how to earn and maximize credit card points and miles, and more.
