Glacier, from our front door.
Typically thirty to forty-five minutes to the west entrance, depending on traffic — and a lot changed for 2026. Here’s how to plan a smooth day in the park from a Whitefish River base.
The park is closer than you think.
Most of our guests come for Glacier, and from our homes the west entrance at West Glacier is typically a thirty to forty-five minute drive up Highway 2, depending on traffic. You can be at the foot of Going-to-the-Sun Road before the morning crowds and back by the river for dinner.
For 2026 the park made some real changes — the timed vehicle reservation is gone, but Logan Pass now has a parking limit and a ticketed shuttle. The details below are current as of late spring 2026; always confirm road and shuttle status on the National Park Service site before you go.
What changed this year.
No vehicle reservations
The timed-entry vehicle reservation system is gone for 2026. You can drive into the park — Going-to-the-Sun Road, Many Glacier, Two Medicine, the North Fork — without an advance reservation. A standard entrance pass is still required.
Logan Pass: three-hour parking
Beginning July 1, 2026 (weather permitting), parking at the Logan Pass lot is limited to three hours, enforced around the clock. Plan to arrive early or late — or take the shuttle.
A ticketed Logan Pass shuttle
New for 2026, the express shuttle to Logan Pass is reservation-only: $1 per person (ages 2 and up) through Recreation.gov or 877-444-6777, not sold in the park. Some tickets release 60 days out starting May 2 at 8 a.m. MDT; the rest the night before at 7 p.m. MDT starting June 30.
Going-to-the-Sun Road opening
The high alpine section is plowed open sometime between mid-June and early July, depending on snow — there’s no fixed date, and in late spring it may not be fully open yet. Check the NPS road-status page before you count on driving the whole thing.
Park entrance fee
Still required: about $35 per vehicle for a 7-day summer pass ($25 in winter). An America the Beautiful or Glacier Annual pass works too.
Shuttle stops & limits
West-side boarding is at Apgar and Lake McDonald Lodge; east-side at St. Mary and Rising Sun, with The Loop as an intermediate stop. Avalanche Lake and Trail of the Cedars aren’t served by shuttle in 2026, and no pets are allowed aboard.
Drive times to the park.
The classic west-side day.
Leave early, enter at West Glacier, and drive Going-to-the-Sun Road as far as it’s open. Stop at Lake McDonald, walk the Trail of the Cedars and on to Avalanche Lake (an easy four-mile out-and-back), and if you want Logan Pass, plan around the three-hour parking limit or grab a shuttle ticket. Pack a layer — it can be seventy at the lake and forty at the pass.
A Plan B that’s often better.
If Logan Pass parking is full and you missed a shuttle ticket, don’t force it. Park at Apgar and walk the lakeshore, hike Avalanche, or point the car north to Polebridge for a huckleberry bear claw and Bowman Lake. The east side — Two Medicine and Many Glacier — is quieter and stunning if you’re up for the longer drive.
Glacier, answered.
Do I need a reservation for Glacier in 2026?
No. Vehicle reservations aren’t required anywhere in the park this year. You still need an entrance pass, and if you want the Logan Pass shuttle you need a separate $1 ticket per person.
When does Going-to-the-Sun Road open?
The full road typically opens between mid-June and early July, depending on snow removal. There’s no guaranteed date — check the NPS road-status page close to your trip.
How do I get a Logan Pass shuttle ticket?
Only through Recreation.gov or 877-444-6777, for $1 per person. Some release 60 days ahead (from May 2, 8 a.m. MDT); the rest the night before at 7 p.m. MDT (from June 30). They’re not sold in the park.
How far is the park from your homes?
Typically thirty to forty-five minutes to the West Glacier entrance via Highway 2, depending on traffic. Logan Pass is roughly an hour and a half once the road is fully open.
Can I drive Going-to-the-Sun Road in an RV?
Not the middle section if your vehicle is over 21 feet long or 8 feet wide — those aren’t allowed between Avalanche and Sun Point. A regular car or van is fine.
What if I can’t get a shuttle ticket?
Arrive early and park at Logan Pass within the three-hour limit, or pivot to Apgar, Avalanche Lake, Two Medicine, or Polebridge. Logan Pass isn’t the only good day in the park.
Stay close to the park.
Both of our riverfront homes put you thirty to forty-five minutes from Glacier’s west entrance — with a lawn and a river to come home to.
See Our Homes