Have you heard the news? Glacier National Park rolled out a reservation process for entry to the Going to the Sun Road. If you’re planning a trip to Glacier National Park, please keep reading to find out how to get reservations for Going-to-the-Sun Road.
UPDATE: Many Glacier and the North Fork (Polebridge community) now require vehicle reservations.
Keep in mind, 2021 is the first year Glacier has required ticketed entry for the Going to the Sun Road corridor. At the time of writing in 2021, reservations have not opened yet so I am not exactly sure how this is going to play out.
UPDATE: Glacier’s temporary reservation process appears to permanent even though they still refer to it as a pilot temporary vehicle reservation system. Reserving entrances for many National Parks has become more and more common as visitors and crowds increase.
I know tons of people are frustrated and concerned about their summer Glacier National Park vacation – plane tickets purchased, cars rented, and travel plans already made that now hinge on getting a reservation for the Going to the Sun Road.
Glacier National Park Pass
You will still need a Glacier National Park pass to enter the park. The entry reservation ticket for Going to the Sun Road is separate.
Regular park passes are good for 7 days and range from $30.00 – $35.00 for motorcycles and vehicles. Glacier National Park Annual passes, America the Beautiful Passes, military passes, senior passes etc. are still valid.
The fact that you need a pass to enter the park has not changed.
Going-to-the-Sun Road Ticketed Entry
The Going-to-the-Sun Road ticketed entry reservation is what is new for 2021. If you enter the park from West Glacier or Camas Road you will be required to have a reservation for this Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor.
The day use Entry Reservation Ticket costs $2.00 per vehicle arriving between 6 am – 3 pm MDT. It is valid for one day and may be used any time during that day. If you plan on visiting for longer than one day you will need an additional entry ticket to cover those days.
Going-to-the-Sun Road Reservation Dates
The Going-to-the-Sun Road ticketed entry reservations are required if you are visiting the Going-to-the-Sun-Road corridor from May 24 – September 8, 2024. Yep, during peak summer vacation when the park is usually the busiest. One more reason to love the September shoulder season.
Who Is Not Required to Have a Ticketed Entry Reservation?
- If you enter the park/Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor on a bicycle or hiking, you do not need a Going -to -the- Sun Road reservation.
- If you enter the park at Two Medicine or St. Mary. If you enter at St. Mary you will only be allowed access to the Going-to -the-Sun-Road going east to west.
- If you have lodging or camping reservations at Lake McDonald Lodge, Village Inn, Rising Sun Motor Lodge, Granite Park and Sperry Chalets or Fish Creek Campground, backcountry permit or VRBO style reservations. These are the only for overnight accommodations along the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor. Your Entry Ticket is included in your overnight reservation for these lodgings. Proof of your reservation will be required.
- If you have tour/service reservations along the Going -to-the-Sun Road corridor between West and St. Mary entrances. This includes boat rides (Lake McDonald and St. Mary), horseback riding, guided hikes, and bus tours. Your Going-to-the-Sun Road Entry Ticket is included in your tour reservation. Proof of your tour/service reservation will be required. You will only be allowed entry for the day of your reserved tour.
- If you enter the the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor between 3 pm and 6 am.
How to Get Going to the Sun Road Entry Reservations
Reservations for 2024 became available on January 25. According to the National Park Service, reservations will be available 120 days or about 4 months in advance on a daily rolling basis. (This time frame is better than the 2021 release!) If you aren’t able to get your ticket in advance, you may be able to get a ticket the day before your visit starting May 23, 2024. (yikes, that’s nerve wracking!)
Here’s how to get your Going-to-the-Sun Road reservations:
- All entry reservations must be made online through Recreation.gov or the mobile app
- Set up an account on Recreation.gov
- Be ready to pay the $2.00 processing fee ( the entry ticket is technically free – you are paying for using the recreation.gov reservation system)
- Select the day you want to go to Glacier’s Going- to-the-Sun Road (if available!) and add to your cart and pay.
- Look for your email confirmation with your Entry Ticket Reservation
- Save this entry ticket by printing, downloading, or screenshot to show for entry along with a photo id.
- If you have to cancel your reservation, your ticket will be added back to the inventory.
- Tickets can not be resold or transferred.
Tips for Scoring Glacier’s Going to the Sun Road Reservations
I know it seems impossible to plan a Glacier National Park trip with these new reservation requirements, but these tips will help.
- Create your Recreation.gov account and get familiar with the site BEFORE trying to get reservations. You want to be ready to add your date to your cart quickly. To create your account, go to Recreation.gov and click “Sign Up”.
- Be online on Recreation.gov on early. These reservation tickets will go fast so don’t wait until the afternoon to try to get yours if you want to visit.
- Be sure to log in as soon as it is 120 days before your desired date.
- Check the day before your desired visit to see if you can get a reservation that is released then.
- Pick a date a few days prior or after your expected arrival date if your desired date is not available.
- Reserve a tour or lodging reservation along the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor West and St. Mary entrances.
- Don’t wait until you arrive at the park to go online to Recreation.gov to purchase your ticket. I doubt any will be available and service is limited in the park.
For up to date information on entrance to Glacier National park please visit their website.
If You Can’t Get a Reservation
If you can’t get a reservation, you will have to decide if it is still worth it to you to just visit the other areas of the park. I imagine these other areas will be very crowded and fill to capacity. Parking is limited in these areas so I would expect temporary closures and delays.
I’m sure some people will try to enter the park after 3 pm and before 6 am when a reservation isn’t required. I’m just not sure how practical that will be. I imagine traffic will still be backed up and parking may not be available if you do get in after 3 pm. Plus, by the time you wait in traffic and try to park it very well may be dark. I also can’t help but wonder how the park will handle middle of the night entry and then parking filled by those night time visitors leaving no parking for people with reservations that arrive at 6 am (although the NPS site says that a ticketed entry reservation does NOT guarantee a parking space.)
Like I said earlier, no one is sure exactly how this will play out yet, but I wonder if visitors that enter in the middle of the night will be required to leave at 6 am and how they would enforce that. (Who knows??) Tickets will be checked at the West and St. Mary Entrances and NPS said at other locations on the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
If you haven’t made other travel arrangements yet, you may want to consider going after September 8. Keep in mind, the Going-to-the-Sun Road is typically open until the third Monday in October but that can change due to weather and snow. Services in and near the park close for the season in September and October.
Final Thoughts on Going to the Sun Road Reservations
According to the National Park Service, the Going-to- the -Sun Road ticketed entry is temporary for the 2021 season. Due to the expected high number of visitors, reduced staff due to Covid, and construction projects, they are hoping to eliminate congestion and temporary closures of the West Entrance. Glacier will still be very crowded!
Other national parks are implementing reservation systems, so I won’t be surprised if some kind of reservations for the popular parks are here to stay. It has became a balancing act of protecting the parks and resources, managing the crowds, and encouraging everyone to visit the parks we love.
UPDATE: Reservations still required in 2024
Expect some hiccups during this process this year. Glacier changed the opening time for the Recreation.gov reservations due to the Recreation.gov system while I was writing this post. Sometimes available information even contradicts each other. Check the Glacier National Park and Recreation.gov sites often, and I will update this article as I find out about any news.
I am devastated to say the least. I have made all the arrangement for a family vacation to GNP for June 23 – 27, I did all of this 6 months ago. I have flights scheduled, Rental car, Air BnB, and even a Park Pass. However, I heard I needed to get a “Follow the Sun Road Ticket” and I would be able to get it today beginning at 8:00 AM MT time. I followed the instructions and got on the link at 8:30 MT and all tickets were sold out. Im now told that I cant try again until 2 days prior to when I need it. Given my experience today I have no confidence they wont sell out in 2 minutes and Ill just be SOL. I now have to cancel my trip fully. This is so terrible.
I’m so sorry you didn’t get an entry ticket this morning! The tickets sold out very fast. Perhaps you could schedule reservations for a guided tour (if any are available!) along the Going to the Sun Road corridor. I understand not wanting to chance getting a ticket two days prior to your dates if you don’t want to only visit other parts of the park.
I made a campsite reservation application on March 17, 2021 as per the government instructions. It said that the application could take ip to eight weeks to process….it’s been over nine now and I have heard nothing. I missed the half-price Amtrak sale, have no reservation for lodging the day of arrival or departure (because On the application I checked the box that said my dates were flexible). Has anyone else heard from the park about their campsite application ?
Hi Ronald,
I assume you are referring to the wilderness camping advance registration. Accord to NPS website, they received over 3,700 applications on March 17, which is over twice the number they receive in a typical year. It states that you will receive an email and does reference the 8 weeks you said. I would guess they are just trying to go though all those applications, but I totally understand your frustration. Sorry, but I have not heard of any others waiting for approval on this application.
Can military go onto Sun Road without reservations? Please let me know ASAP, thank you.
The military pass does not include access to the Going to the Sun Road without reservations. You will need your pass and the new reservation.
We will be visiting Glacier National park next week, after Sept 6. Your website says we only need a reservation from May28-September 6th. I am assuming since we arrive September 8 that we will not need a reservation. Is that correct ?
That’s right. You will not need a reservation after September 6th, but a park pass will still be needed to enter any of the park entrances. I hope you have a wonderful time!
I have camping reservations at Sprague Creek in June. Since this is in the park, does this allow me to drive the going to the sun road without a reservation?
You will not need a reservation since Sprague Creek is along the Going to the Sun Road corridor. Have a great trip!