Glacier National Park had been on our bucket list for years. We wanted to do the trip right when we finally made it out there. Tonya, my wife, was 8 weeks removed from knee replacement surgery, which meant that when putting together our Glacier National Park itinerary I had to think carefully about every activity, every trail, and all of the different logistical decisions.
Glacier is a big park with regions that are spread far apart and very different from one another. Careful planning matters here more than most parks I have visited, and I say that having now been to 25 national parks.
The trip to Glacier was part of a larger 17 day trip that Tonya and I took. To help keep costs down we used points to fly to Montana, stayed on points, and saved on our rental car by booking months in advance.
This itinerary is not just about what we did. It is about how to actually pull off a Glacier trip without breaking the bank and while making smart decisions about where to spend your time.
Before jumping into the itinerary, here is a quick overview of what we covered in our 3 days in Glacier National Park.
3 Day Glacier National Park Itinerary at a Glance
Day 1: Apgar Visitor Center, Lake McDonald, Red Bus Tour, Going-to-the-Sun Road, Trail of the Cedars, Avalanche Lake
Day 2: Two Medicine, Running Eagle Falls, Appistoki Falls, Two Medicine Lake boat ride, Paradise Point, Aster Falls
Day 3: Many Glacier, Swiftcurrent/Lake Josephine boat ride, Grinnell Lake, Hidden Falls, Going-to-the-Sun Road east side.
If you only have 3 days in Glacier National Park, this itinerary will help you see many of the park’s highlights including Going-to-the-Sun Road, Many Glacier, Two Medicine, boat rides, waterfalls, scenic overlooks, and some of the best easy to moderate hikes in the park.
- 3 Day Glacier National Park Itinerary
- Best Time to Visit Glacier National Park
- What to Pack for Glacier National Park
- Location of Glacier National Park
- Regions of Glacier NP
- Places to Fly Into for Glacier NP
- Renting a Car for Glacier NP
- Where to Stay for Glacier
- Using Credit Cards to Save Money
- 17 Day Trip Itinerary
- Vehicle Reservations for Glacier NP
- Ways to Get Around the Park
- FAQ About Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park 3 Day Itinerary
Day 1 of Our Glacier National Park Itinerary
I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure what to expect on our first day in Glacier. We had a lot planned and I had no idea how much Tonya was going to be able to handle given that she was only 8 weeks out from knee replacement surgery.
What I can tell you is that Day 1 ended up being one of the best days we had in the park and it set the tone for everything that followed. The Red Bus Tour alone was worth the price of admission and that was before we even got to Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake.
- Drove to Apgar Visitor Center
- Walked to Apgar Village and Lake McDonald
- Took Red Bus Tour
- Drove Part of Going-to-the-Sun Road
- Hiked Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake
Drove to Apgar Visitor Center
The main reason that Apgar Visitor Center was our first stop was that it was where we were starting our Red Bus Tour.
The drive from our hotel in Kalispell took around 45 minutes. While you are there the rangers can answer questions about trail conditions and what is going on in the park that day.
Maps are available there too. I would grab one even if you plan on using your phone for navigation since cell service inside the park can be spotty.
The parking lot is large. We got there around 8am and had no trouble finding a spot. By the time our Red Bus Tour wrapped up around 1pm it had filled in more but there were still plenty of spaces available.
Walked to Apgar Village and Lake McDonald
We had some time to kill before our Red Bus Tour so we took the nice flat paved path from the visitor center into Apgar Village.
It took us 5 to 10 minutes to walk from the visitor center to the village. We saw a couple of deer along the path. It was still pretty early so most everything was still closed in the village.
Make sure you have your phone ready when you get there though. The view of Lake McDonald from Apgar Village is fantastic. You can see the full 10 mile length of the lake with the mountains surrounding it. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Taking a Red Bus Tour
The Red Bus Tour was one of the activities that we wanted to do for two reasons. The first was the fact that it would be something to keep Tonya off of her knee. The second reason is that the Red Bus Tour was super highly rated and we wanted to experience it for ourselves.
We did the tour from Apgar Visitor Center to Logan Pass on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. These are model 706 buses produced by the White Motor Company in the 1930s.
The benched seats fit 16 to 17 people and are pretty comfortable. We sat in the back and had a little extra leg room, which was nice.
The buses have a canvas rollback top which our driver rolled back after our first stop at Lake McDonald Lodge. If you are doing a morning tour bring a sweatshirt or jacket because it can be quite chilly in the park early in the morning. I’m talking from experience.
The rollback top gives you an interesting vantage point since you can stand up at certain points to get a better view of things along the road.
We slowed down or stopped at numerous places along the route. A few of the highlights included Bird Woman’s Falls Overlook, McDonald Falls, the Loop, and Logan Pass.
Once we got to Logan Pass we had 30 minutes to walk around and take in the scenery. The Logan Pass Visitor Center has restrooms and rangers available if you have questions.
Beyond the scenery the tour is a wonderful way to learn about the park and the history of the buses themselves. Our driver talked for the entire 4 hours and I mean that in the best possible way.
He shared so much interesting information, including the fact that Red Bus drivers were known as Jammers because of the sound the original transmissions made.
One thing I really appreciated was being able to take in all of the scenery without having to focus on driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road. If you want to do a Red Bus Tour, book it as soon as you can because the tours sell out quickly.
Drove Part of Going-to-the-Sun Road
I wanted to drive part of Going-to-the-Sun Road since there were some places that I wanted to stop at that we didn’t stop at while on the Red Bus Tour like Trail of the Cedars and the West Tunnel.
At the West Tunnel, you can walk into the tunnel and see excellent views of Heaven’s Peak and the upper McDonald Creek Valley.
We also revisited a few of the same stops from the Red Bus Tour like the Loop, Haystack Falls, and Big Bend. We turned around before we got to Logan Pass.
If driving the road again doesn’t appeal to you, some other things you could do would be to do some extra hiking, take a boat ride, kayak, or canoe on Lake McDonald.
Hiked Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake
The Trail of the Cedars trailhead is one of the busiest areas on Going-to-the-Sun Road. There are parking spots right off of the road and parking lots near the trailhead. Even with all of those parking spots it can be difficult to find a spot.
We looked for a parking spot on our initial drive on Going-to-the-Sun Road but weren’t successful. We were fortunate to find a spot on our way back through.
My suggestion is stopping in this area early in the day or later in the day. The other option is to park somewhere else and take the shuttle to the trail head.
This is a popular area since you have two great hikes to do. The first hike is an easy hike called Trail of the Cedars. The hike goes through an ancient cedar and hemlock forest. It is only .9 miles long and is flat with a raised boardwalk on much of it.
It was a great hike for Tonya to do or anyone else that may have some physical limitations. As you enjoy the hike, there are areas to sit down and soak up the atmosphere of the woods.
The other hike that you can do in this area is the Avalanche Lake hike. The trailhead to this hike splits off of the Trail of the Cedars hike and is about halfway around the Trail of the Cedars hike. This hike is a natural fit to do since you have already covered a half mile of the hike.
The Avalanche Lake hike is a moderate 5.9 mile round trip hike so it’s a little more challenging than the Trail of the Cedars hike. I wasn’t going to do the hike because Tonya wasn’t going to be able to do it but Tonya talked me into it. I’m glad she was persistent.
The trail follows Avalanche Creek for the first part of the hike and there is a gradual incline. About 2 miles on the trail, you start to descend down to the lake. There is a large beach area at the lake to enjoy the lake and surrounding mountains.
The mountains themselves are spectacular. There are multiple waterfalls that cascade down the mountains. Think postcard material.
I stayed at the lake for about 10 minutes. It would have been nice to stay longer but I didn’t want Tonya to have to wait too long as she went back to the car to read.
Planning to drive Going-to-the-Sun Road? I put together a guide on the 22 best stops worth pulling over for so you don’t miss some of the best views in the park.
Day 2 of Our Glacier National Park Itinerary
Day 2 took us to one of the more underrated areas of the park, the Two Medicine region on the southeast side. If you want to experience Glacier without fighting the crowds that some of the more popular areas attract, this is your day. We packed a lot in and it ended up being one of my favorite days.
Once you get to the Two Medicine Lake area, there is a main parking area by the lake with some other smaller parking areas that are a little further away. If you have to park in the lots that are further away, it will be a 5 minute walk to get to the lake. I initially had to park in one of the smaller lots but was able to move our car to the larger parking lot after our boat ride.
Important Information: If you want more details about the hikes make sure to check out my post 10 Excellent Hikes to Do in Glacier National Park.
- Drove to Two Medicine
- Hiked to Running Eagle Falls
- Hiked to Appistoki Falls
- Boat Ride on Two Medicine Lake
- Hiked to Paradise Point
- Hiked to Aster Falls
It took just under 2 hours to drive from our hotel in Kalispell to the Two Medicine area. The scenery along US 2 was beautiful with dense forests. US 2 borders Glacier National Park for much of the drive so you’ll see the towering peaks as you drive. The dense forests along the way make the two hours go by quickly.
Hiked to Running Eagle Falls
Not too long after getting in this area of the park, you will find Running Eagle Falls. The falls early in the summer are a double falls.
Water pours over the top of the rocks early in the summer while water flows out of the rocks below the upper falls. Later in the summer the top water stops flowing only leaving the lower falls.
It is a short .7 mile round trip hike. The path is wide and is nice and flat. There are various places as you approach the falls to get pictures.
There is a small bridge that you can cross that leads to an overlook where you can get some close up pictures. If you are adventurous, you can go down from the overlook to get closer to the falls.
Hiked to Appistoki Falls
Appistoki Falls is a 1.3 mile hike that is classified as easy. It may be classified as easy but it ended up being the most adventurous part of the day. More on that in a minute. The trail is relatively flat with a little climbing at the end to see the falls. It was steep enough that Tonya didn’t try to get a view of the falls.
I did make the climb but I could not find a good spot to get a clear view of the falls. Out of all of the hikes that we did in the park this hike was my least favorite.
As I mentioned before, Tonya didn’t do the last part of this hike. As she was heading back to the car, she came face to face with a lynx. The lynx was an adult and was about 20 feet from her.
She told me that she was nervous and excited at the same time. She didn’t know exactly what to do but they both looked at each other before the lynx ran away from her.
She did pick up the pace after that going back to the car. Who could blame her? Fortunately, neither the lynx or Tonya were worse for the wear after the encounter. It is a good reminder to keep your eyes open when hiking in the park.
Boat Ride on Two Medicine Lake
Two Medicine Lake, like some of the other lakes in the park, has boat rides. There were a number of things that I liked about the boat ride.
First, they give you a different perspective being on the water versus the land. They also shared the history of the area and park. We were also able to go to the front of the boat and take pictures.
While out on the water, some of the mountains seem to be so close that you can touch them while others are further away. The mountains themselves have trees near the base of them but most of the mountains are rugged exposed rock.
After getting on the other side of the lake, there was an optional hike that we could take with the guide that was driving the boat. We also had the option of hiking on our own.
There was no guarantee that we could get on the next boat back to the dock so we didn’t go. It wasn’t appealing to us to possibly have to wait there for an hour or so for a boat.
We stayed on the boat and headed back to the main dock. The ride on the lake took around 45-50 minutes round trip. It is something that we both enjoyed and would do again when we get back to the park.
If you are wanting to do a boat ride, I would suggest booking in advance. It guarantees you a spot on the boat. Plus, you are allowed to cancel leading up to the ride at no cost to you. They do have same day standby seating. There were people who were able to get on that way.
Hiked to Paradise Point
The hike to Paradise Point is a 1.4 mile out and back hike. There is a little over 150 feet elevation change in the hike. We could see Paradise Point when we were on the boat ride. You’ll travel through the woods and then in an open meadow area to get to the point.
Once you get to the point, there is a beach area that gives you great views down the full length of the lake. You can travel down the shore to get different views of the surrounding area. Across from the point, there is a mountain that leads right down to the shore on the other side of the lake.
Hiked to Aster Falls
Part of the hike that goes to Aster Falls is along the same trail that goes to Paradise Point. So, when we got out to the main trail, Tonya went back to the car while I went onto the falls.
The hike is an out and back trail that is 2.6 miles in length from the trailhead. The trail is relatively flat with a little climb at the end up to the falls.
I am a sucker for waterfalls and Glacier has many waterfalls to pick from in the park. The falls themselves aren’t the biggest falls but it was still pretty to see.
Even though I love waterfalls, the thing that stood out to me was not the payoff at the end but everything leading up to the waterfall itself. On the hike, there were open meadows that gave you beautiful views of the mountains.
There were parts of the hike that led through the woods. It was a really relaxing hike and well worth the time in doing it.
Day 3 of Our Glacier National Park Itinerary
In doing research for this trip, many people felt that the Many Glacier area is the most beautiful in the park. After spending part of a day there, I would have to agree. Besides spending time in Many Glacier, we also drove the length of Going-to-the-Sun Road before leaving the park. That was worth the trip all by itself.
The parking lot for the Many Glacier area is located above the Many Glacier Hotel. You can drop people off at the hotel before you go park the car. The parking lot is pretty big and we didn’t have an issue finding a spot.
The road from the entrance to the main parking lot is pretty rough. You will want to take your time especially if you don’t have a higher riding vehicle.
The wind on the east side of the park is much stronger than the wind on the west side. You’ll definitely want to have a light jacket or sweatshirt with you just in case.
- Drove to Many Glacier
- Boat Ride on Swiftcurrent Lake/Lake Josephine
- Hiked to Grinnell Lake
- Hiked to Hidden Falls
- Hiked Swiftcurrent Trail
- Walked through Many Glacier Hotel
- Visited St. Mary Visitor Center
- Drove Going-to-the-Sun Road
Drove to Many Glacier
It took us a little over 2.5 hours to drive from our hotel to the Many Glacier area. The final 30 minutes on US 2 has wide open plains and goes through the small town of Babb. The road leading into Many Glacier was on the narrow side and was bumpy.
Boat Ride on Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine
The boat ride in this area was a little different than the previous day since the boat ride takes place on two lakes. First, you take a ride on the Swiftcurrent Lake and at the end of the lake, you get out of the boat and hike 5-10 minutes to Lake Josephine.
The hike between the two lakes is around 0.2 of a mile. The path is paved and has a climb and descent that can be done by most people.
The same company does all of the boat rides in the park. So, it was like the one the previous day. The guide captaining the boats told us the history of the lake(s) and area. You could also go out and take photos from the front of the boat.
The mountains that surround the lakes are towering, jagged, and have some sheer cliffs. There are a number of waterfalls that come down the mountain sides. The water in the lakes is clear and blue. In the right light, the water is a turquoise color.
Hiked to Grinnell Lake
There are numerous hikes that you can do once you get off the boat. Grinnell Glacier is a very popular one. I was thinking about doing it but I didn’t want to do it without Tonya. Instead, we took the hike to Grinnell Lake. The hike to Grinnell Lake is 2.2 miles round trip from the dock of Lake Josephine.
There were about 20 people that created a traffic jam on the trail because there was a mother moose with her kids eating right by the trail. The mother was on the one side of the trail and the kids were on the other side.
It took about 10-15 minutes before the mother moose and her kids moved on to another location. It was cool to see the moose up close and personal.
As you get close to the lake, there are numerous places that you can choose to get to the lake. It doesn’t matter what place you choose to get to the lake the views are going to be spectacular. Jagged and rugged mountains surround the lake with one of the mountains having a waterfall on it.
There are beach areas all around the lake, so you can explore as much as you want while you take in God’s creation.
Hiked to Hidden Falls
The trail to Hidden Falls is located on the hike to Grinnell Lake. It is just .4 miles round trip from the Grinnell Lake trail. We initially had to do some climbing on the trail but it wasn’t too bad.
The falls were kind of small but since you only have less than half a mile to see the falls, it is worth your time to take the short hike to see the falls.
Hiked Swiftcurrent Trail
We initially took the boat across Lake Josephine after we were done with our hikes. Instead of getting on the boat that would take us across Swiftcurrent Lake, Tonya and I decided to hike around the lake back to the dock. The hike is just under a mile long.
There are trails that go the whole way around the lake. We went in a clockwise direction as you would be looking at the Many Glacier Hotel. The hike was very flat and is considered easy. The trail follows along the lake but then turns more inland. Towards the end of the trail it comes back towards the lake.
The prettiest part of the hike is when you are walking close to the lake. There are numerous places where you can see the Many Glacier Hotel across the lake through the trees that surround the lake.
Walked through Many Glacier Hotel
Many Glacier Hotel is the hotel located right on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake. Many Glacier Hotel is 5 stories that was built in 1914-15. It is a very rustic and magnificent hotel. It is hard to believe that they built it in just over a year.
In the downstairs area of the hotel, there is a gift shop, snack shop, restrooms and seating areas. There are two sets of spiral steps that lead to the upper floor.
In the lobby area, there is a large check in desk and a wood burning fireplace located on top of a stone base. There are various areas to sit down and there are rocking chairs located in front of large windows overlooking the lake. Various sized lights hang down from the ceiling to help light the area.
Personally, my favorite spot in the hotel was the wall of windows with the chairs in front of them. It overlooked the lake and if I was staying at the hotel, it would be where you would find me.
Visited St. Mary Visitor Center
It was only a 30 minute drive from the entrance of Many Glacier to the St. Mary Visitor Center. The center has a lot of information about the park. There are 3D models, which help you see the glacial features in the park, restrooms, interactive exhibits, ranger led activities and more.
The visitor center has plenty of parking and when you stop into the visitor center, you can get recommendations or you can learn more about the park. The shuttle service for the east side of the park begins at the visitor center, also.
Drove Going-to-the-Sun Road
The one part of the Going-to-the-Sun Road that we hadn’t seen was from the St. Mary Visitor Center up to Logan Pass. So, this was a perfect way to see the rest of the road.
We stopped at numerous stops along the way. My favorite stop on this side of Going-to-the-Sun Road was the Siyeh Bend. At the stop, you can see meadows, a river, and mountain views. We didn’t have to fight traffic too much at the different stops since it was a little later in the day.
If you are headed to Yellowstone next like we were, check out our Yellowstone itinerary.
Best Time to Visit Glacier National Park
The honest answer is that it depends on what you are looking for. Each part of the summer season has its own advantages and tradeoffs.
Late June through early July is a great time to visit if you want to see the park at its most dramatic. The snowfields are still visible on the peaks, the waterfalls are running hard from the snowmelt, and the wildflowers are starting to show up.
The one thing to keep in mind is that Going to the Sun Road may not be fully open yet depending on how much snow the park received that winter. Check the NPS website before you finalize your travel dates.
Mid July through August is peak season. The road is fully open, all of the shuttles are running, and you have access to every region of the park. The tradeoff is that you are sharing it with the largest crowds of the year. Some of the more popular trailheads can fill up by 9am.
If you are going during this window plan to be at trailheads early or use the shuttle system to avoid the parking headache.
September is worth serious consideration if your schedule is flexible. The crowds thin out noticeably after Labor Day and the weather is still pleasant enough for hiking.
The shuttle runs on a reduced schedule into mid September and Going to the Sun Road typically closes at higher elevations by late October.
Tonya and I visited in July. The park was busy but with a little planning we never felt like the crowds got in the way of what we wanted to do.
What to Pack for Glacier National Park
Packing for Glacier does not have to be complicated. Here are the things that made a real difference for us.
A collapsible cooler. This was one of the better decisions we made for the trip. We kept lunch meat, snacks, and drinks in it every day. Food options inside the park are limited and what is there is not cheap. Packing your own saves both money and time.
Layers for the east side. The wind in the Many Glacier area is no joke even in July. We had a sweatshirt with us and were glad we did. Do not leave your hotel without one.
Binoculars. Some of the best wildlife and scenery in the park is at a distance. We saw mountain goats on cliff faces that we never would have appreciated without binoculars. Worth throwing a pair in your bag.
Bear spray. Glacier has both grizzly and black bears. Tonya ran into a lynx on her own on the Appistoki Falls trail. Wildlife encounters are real here. Know what you are carrying and know how to use it.
Good walking shoes. Even the easy trails have uneven terrain. You do not need to go out and buy serious hiking boots but you do want something with decent grip and support.
A physical map of the park. Cell service inside Glacier is spotty at best. Pick one up at the visitor center when you arrive and keep it in the car.
Location of Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park is located in the Northwest part of Montana. The park is adjacent to Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada. The two parks together are known as the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.
Popular Regions of Glacier National Park
The following are popular regions to visit in the park. We visited Going-to-the-Sun Road, Two Medicine, and the Many Glacier area.
Going-to-the-Sun Road
Going-to-the-Sun Road is a 50 mile stretch of road that goes through the heart of the park. The drive is one of the most if not the most scenic drives in the U.S. There are many different stops that you can make along the road to enjoy the scenery. Many popular hikes in the park can be found on Going-to-the-Sun Road, also.
The road is open in the lower elevations year round. It is closed at higher elevations usually towards the end of October. Going-to-the-Sun Road varies when it opens back up. It can be as early as the middle of June or as late as the middle of July.
Two Medicine
This area of the park is located in the southeast part of the park. It is an area that has less traffic than some of the other regions of the park which is quite nice. There are 3 lakes that dominate this area of the park. You can also take a boat ride and there are many different hikes to enjoy.
North Fork
The North Fork area of the park can be found in the northwest section of the park. Only private vehicles can travel the rough dirt roads in this part of the park. You can learn more about this area here.
Many Glacier
The Many Glacier area of the park can be found in the eastern part of the park and is located north of Going-to-the-Sun Road. This region of the park is one of the more beautiful areas in the park. There are lakes, mountains, numerous hikes, boat rides, and horseback riding that you can see and do.
Places to Fly Into to Visit Glacier national Park
My wife and I live in Ohio. It would be a long drive so needless to say, we flew. We flew on Southwest Airlines to get to Glacier National Park. The two closest cities to the park that Southwest flies into include Bozeman, MT and Spokane, WA.
We chose to fly into Bozeman rather than Kalispell because we were headed to Yellowstone after Glacier and it made more sense geographically. The drive from Bozeman to the west entrance is around 5 hours. If Glacier is your only stop, flying into Kalispell is the better option since it puts you just 45 minutes from the west entrance.
Other places to fly into include:
Kalispell – 45 minute drive to the West Entrance.
Missoula – 2.5 hour drive to the West Entrance.
Another way to get to the park is by taking the train. There are numerous stops that Amtrak has for the park. If you are looking to rent a car, you would probably want to get off at Whitefish or West Glacier.
Renting a Car for Driving Glacier national Park
If you are flying, you want to make sure that you look for rental cars many months in advance. I am talking like 6 months at least. The more time you give yourself the more likely you will get a good deal. Rental cars are pricey since there is low inventory and high demand for them.
I was able to book a SUV 5 months prior to our trip with free cancellation. The price we got was $300 to $400 less than what the car was going for the rest of the time leading up to our trip.
I have 3 different posts about how you can save money when renting a car. The first post has some general tips that you can use to save money on a rental. I have also written articles about Costco Rental Cars and Autoslash which are both great sites to use to help you save money.
Where to Stay when Visiting Glacier National park
There are many different towns that you can stay at to visit Glacier. My wife and I stayed in Kalispell, which is a 45 minute drive to the west entrance of the park. The hotel we stayed at was the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Kalispell. The hotel was quite nice and a place I would recommend staying.
Besides Kalispell, some other towns you can stay in near the west entrance include: Whitefish, West Glacier, Columbia Falls, Essex and Pole Ridge. On the east side some towns to find accommodations include: East Glacier, St. Mary and Browning.
To save on driving, a strategy that you can apply is booking a place to stay on the west side of the park for part of your stay. Next, book a place on the east side for the other part of your stay.
Some other options include staying in the park. The following lodges, hotels, inns, cabins, and chalets are found in the park. Reservations at in park properties book up fast so you will want to plan well in advance.
- Many Glacier Hotel
- Lake McDonald Lodge
- Swiftcurrent Inn
- Rising Sun Motor Inn and Cabins
- Village Inn at Apgar
- Sperry Chalet
- Granite Park Chalet
If camping is more your thing, there are 13 different campsites with over a 1,000 sites located throughout the park. You can learn more at this site. There are also Airbnb and Vrbo rentals that you can book near the park.
Using Credit Card Points to Save Money
One of the ways that my wife and I save money when we go on trips is by using credit card points and miles. We did a number of different things to help us save money while visiting Glacier National Park.
For our flights into Bozeman, Tonya and I used the Southwest Companion Pass. The pass allows you to bring a companion with you. All you have to do is pay taxes and fees, which are usually $5.60 one way.
To earn the Companion Pass, I opened up two different Southwest credit cards. I earned points through the cards to earn the Companion Pass and I used those points to book my flight. Our total out of pocket money for our flights was $11.20.
If you are interested in learning more about the Southwest Companion Pass, I have a complete guide on how to earn the Southwest Companion Pass and how to use it.
The other way we saved money was by using credit card points to book our hotel stay. Tonya and I earned points through two different sign up bonuses.
We were able to use the points from those credit cards to book our 4 night stay at the Kalispell Holiday Inn Express & Suites. We only had to use points for 3 nights of our stay since IHG gives you the 4th night free when using points to book a stay.
17 Day Trip Itinerary
If you want some inspiration for a trip of your own, you can read my full itinerary of the whole 17 day trip that Tonya and I took. In the itinerary, you’ll find details about all of the different places we visited, things that we did, places that we ate at, and tips that will make your trip go smooth.
Besides Glacier National Park, some of the other places we visited on the trip included: Yellowstone National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Garden of the Gods, Albuquerque, NM, Red Rocks, and Pikes Peak.
Vehicle Reservations for Glacier National Park
The National Park Service has done away with the vehicle reservation system to enter the park for 2026. You can enter the park anytime that you like.
You still need a park pass to enter. The most common passes are the 7 day pass to get in the park. It can be purchased online or at the park and costs $35.
Another popular option is the $80 America the Beautiful National Park Pass. It allows you to enter over 2,000 federal recreation areas including all national parks for a full year. This pass can also be purchased online or at the park entrance.
The America the Beautiful Pass was what Tonya and I got for this trip. We visited 3 parks that all charged to get into them. We were also able to use the pass the next summer on a trip that our family took to Yosemite National Park.
Ways to Get Around Glacier National Park
The best way to get around the park is by car. The problem with driving is that it can be a pain to find parking at times. Think of a bunch of vultures circling an animal waiting for it to die. That is what trying to find a parking spot can feel like at some locations in the park.
One way to beat the parking situation is by taking the shuttle through the park. The shuttles are free and they run in the park starting July 1st through Labor Day.
The shuttle service has 13 different stops throughout the park. A more limited shuttle service runs into the middle of September. You can see more about the shuttles here.
Besides the Red Bus Tour, you can also take Sun Tours through the park. Sun Tours are presented by the Blackfeet Nation. They also offer tours starting on the east and west sides of the park.
You can also use a combination of driving and using the shuttle. For example, you can drive to a less trafficked area and park. Then hop onto a shuttle to take you to the part of the park that you want to go to.
FAQ About Glacier National Park
Yes and we did exactly that. You are not going to see everything the park has to offer in 3 days but you can cover a lot of ground if you plan it out well. We hit Going-to-the-Sun Road, Two Medicine, and Many Glacier and came away feeling like we had a full experience.
More than you might think. My wife Tonya was 8 weeks out from knee replacement surgery when we visited and she was still able to enjoy a lot of what the park has to offer. Trail of the Cedars, the Red Bus Tour, and the boat rides on Two Medicine Lake and Swiftcurrent Lake are all great options that require very little walking.
The lower elevation sections are open year round. The full road including Logan Pass typically opens somewhere between mid June and mid July depending on how much snow the park got that winter. Check the NPS website before your trip for the current status.
Kalispell is about 45 minutes from the west entrance of the park. It is the closest town with a good selection of chain hotels and is where Tonya and I based ourselves for our 3 days in the park.
Without a doubt. It is one of the most scenic drives in the country. Even if you have already driven part of it on a Red Bus Tour it is worth doing on your own so you can stop wherever you want and take it at your own pace.
By car is the most flexible option but parking can be a real challenge at some of the more popular spots. The free shuttle system is a great alternative and runs from July 1st through Labor Day with 13 stops throughout the park.
That depends on how you want to save money. For flights we used the Southwest Companion Pass which got Tonya and I both to Montana for a combined $11.20 out of pocket. For the hotel we used IHG points which covered our 4 night stay in Kalispell. If you want to know exactly how we did it I have a full breakdown of the credit cards we used and how we saved over $7,000 on our larger trip.
Final Thoughts
For my wife and me, this 3 day itinerary worked out great for us. We were able to see a lot of the park and having various activities because of Tonya’s knee replacement made the planning worth the effort.
I hope that this 3 day Glacier National Park itinerary gives you some inspiration on things that you may want to see and do while you are in the park. For us this was our first trip to the park but Lord willing it won’t be our last. There is still much to see and do and we are looking forward to our next visit.
