Entering Glacier National Park Requires No Vehicle Reservation

Vehicle Reservations

In 2026, a vehicle reservation is  not required for any areas of the park.


​A great benefit of staying at The Cottages at Glacier is that you can enter Glacier National Park
​at the St. Mary Entrance and access the Going-to-the-Sun Road without a vehicle reservation.

If you do, however, wish to enter GNP via a different entrance, here's what you need to know:

How to Get a Vehicle Reservation

Navigating Glacier National Park

Going-to-the-Sun Road Shuttle Map

Tips for Dealing with Crowds

Glacier has become an extremely busy park. Expect crowds on roads, at visitor centers, on popular trails, and on shuttles.

Where and When to Expect Crowds

1. In the Summertime
May through September is the busiest part of the year, with about three million people visiting during each summer season. The parking areas at popular destinations, like Logan Pass and Avalanche Creek, begin filling before sunrise and remain congested for most of the day. Other areas often become crowded throughout the middle part of the day. Be prepared to spend time looking for an available parking spot.

2. On the Roads
You’re likely to encounter congestion and long wait times around parking lots, visitor centers, and entrance stations. During extreme congestion, access to whole areas of the park may be temporarily restricted for traffic to clear and to allow access for emergency vehicles. In the summer of 2018, access to Many Glacier was restricted 26 times, access to Kintla Lake was restricted 52 times, and access to Bowman Lake was restricted 68 times. If a lot is full, do not wait for spots to open; move on, and try again later. Never park on vegetation or in a manner that blocks traffic.

3. On the Trails
The top ten most popular hikes in the park, such as Grinnell Glacier, the Highline Trail, and Avalanche Lake, all average hundreds of hikers per day. In 2017, the Hidden Lake Trail averaged 1,604 hikers per day. However, with over 700 miles of trails, many visitors find that by taking a less popular trail they can get away from the crowds and still experience beautiful views.
Please keep the following in mind:
  • There are two ways to get to the Cottages and the East Side of Glacier from West Glacier. There is the Going to the Sun Road and also Highway #2 that goes around the perimeter of Glacier. Both take almost the same driving time.
  • Once at The Cottages and St. Mary, you are less than a quarter mile from the Park entrance and less than a half mile from the free shuttle at the St. Mary Visitor Center. When the free shuttles begin running on Going-to-the-Sun Road this summer, you will be able to walk into Glacier from The Cottages and use the shuttles to access the GTTS Road and the hikes and sites along the way. You can get off and on as you wish at various spots.
  • The Cottages are only 18 miles from Logan Pass, the highest point of the Going-to-the-Sun Road. It stays light for a long time, so there are plenty of hours of daylight to enjoy the drive up to Logan Pass and be back in time to take a short walk to one of the waterfalls or to the Hidden Lake overview and be back to the Cottages before dark.
  • Highway #2 is very scenic. It follows the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, enters GNP for a short distance (no pass required), and passes Goat Lick where mountain goats can often be spotted, especially in May and June.  Soon after Goat Lick you see a lovely waterfall, then Marias Pass, followed by the village of East Glacier. Historic East Glacier Lodge is beautiful and is on Highway #49, Looking Glass Pass, which is really a spectacular drive. The eight slow and curvy miles have lovely pull-offs. Once you reach Highway 89, it is only about 10 miles until you drop down into the wonderful St. Mary Valley with all the mountain views opening around you.  The total distance from East Glacier to St. Mary is only 32 miles, but takes about 45 minutes to drive.
  • We recommend that you plan at least one day in the Many Glacier Area, then another day in the Two Medicine and East Glacier area. Lovely hikes and sites are also available from the Cutbank Creek entrance and right at St. Mary, and of course, a day for driving Going-to-the-Sun Road and the many hikes along the way.
  • If you have your passport, a day visiting Waterton Lakes National Park (the Canadian side of Glacier) is well worth the visit.
Check Out the Wonderful Webcams at Glacier!
   https://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm​
Visitors are encouraged to check the park website frequently for updates and additional information.