The best time to visit Glacier National Park for the full Going-to-the-Sun Road is late June to the third Monday in October, according to the National Park Service. No vehicle reservation was needed in 2026. We read the NPS pages on 14 October 2026.
Month by month
Note: NPS gives no month-by-month temperature table in text, because its weather page shows the numbers only as a chart image. This table uses what NPS says in words, and the dates in its news releases. Seasons: winter has several feet of snow and many cloudy, snowy days. Spring is rainy and cool, even through June. July and August have hot days and cool nights. In fall, snow may fall at low elevations as early as mid-September. It is generally 10 to 15 F cooler at higher elevations such as Logan Pass (NPS weather page, updated 9 Jul 2026, read 14 Oct 2026)
| Month | What NPS says | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| November to March | Winter fee rate from 1 Nov. Several feet of snow in most of the park | Not confirmed: we did not read a winter road status |
| April | Spring plowing is under way. NPS says clearing the roads can take 2.5 to 3 months | The park cannot predict when Logan Pass opens |
| May | The whole road does not usually open until late June or early July | Hikers and bikers can use some sections while plowing continues |
| June | Rain and cool days, even in June. Full road opened 13 Jun 2023, 22 Jun 2024, 16 Jun 2025, 22 Jun 2026 | Opening day is the big variable |
| July | 2026 shuttle began 1 Jul. Hot days, cool nights | Shuttle and timed parking pilot ran |
| August | Hot days, cool nights | Shuttle and timed parking ran to 7 Sep in 2026 |
| September | Logan Pass visitor center hours cut from 13 Sep, closed after 27 Sep. Snow possible from mid-September | Logan Pass water shut off on 8 Sep 2026 |
| October | Road usually fully open to the third Monday, 19 Oct in 2026 | Gate moves to Avalanche Creek or Lake McDonald Lodge after |
The table mixes the park's seasonal text with 2026 dates. NPS does not publish the opening date in advance, so the dates for other years are history, not a promise.
Going-to-the-Sun Road opening dates
Note: The NPS hours page says the whole road "does not usually open until late June or early July", and before that it is often limited to hikers and bicyclists while it is plowed. It says that "conditions permitting" the road usually remains fully open until the third Monday in October. The west-side gate then moves to Avalanche Creek or Lake McDonald Lodge, depending on weather (NPS operating hours page, last updated 13 Sep 2022, read 14 Oct 2026)
Note: Full opening, from NPS news releases: 13 July 2022; 13 June 2023, which NPS called the earliest since 2005; 22 June 2024; 16 June 2025; and 2026, when the release dated 23 June, with a 22 June dateline, said the road was "now fully open" for the 50-mile length. NPS also lists 13 July as the late opening in 2011 and 2020, and 15 July 1933 as the original opening (NPS news releases, read 14 Oct 2026)
For a trip in June, plan for the road to open late. For the most reliable full road, pick July to early September. Weather can close it in summer too: NPS closed the road from Avalanche to Jackson Glacier Overlook at 5 p.m. on 6 September 2026 for heavy rain and possible rockfall, and reopened it around 2 p.m. on 9 September (NPS release of 9 Sep 2026, read 14 Oct 2026). We did not confirm the road status for today. Check the park's road status page before you drive. NPS limits vehicles between Avalanche Creek and Rising Sun to 21 feet long and 8 feet wide.
The 2026 reservation system and Logan Pass
Note: NPS said "Vehicle reservations will not be required anywhere in the park in 2026", including Many Glacier, Two Medicine and the North Fork. Instead the park piloted a ticketed shuttle and three-hour limited parking at Logan Pass (NPS vehicle reservations page, updated 22 Jun 2026, and NPS 2026 summer operations release, read 14 Oct 2026)
Price: Logan Pass shuttle 2026: service ran from 1 July to Labor Day, 7 September. Everyone aged 2 and over needed a ticket, and the only cost was a $1 Recreation.gov processing fee a ticket. Boarding sites were Apgar Visitor Center, Lake McDonald Lodge, St. Mary Visitor Center and Rising Sun Picnic Area. Timed parking at Logan Pass ran on the same dates, three hours, enforced 24 hours a day (NPS "Visiting Logan Pass in 2026" page, updated 28 Jul 2026, read 14 Oct 2026)
Note: On 8 September 2026 NPS said the shuttle and the three-hour parking limit ended for the season. Logan Pass has 235 parking spaces, and on most days the park issued 1,200 to 1,300 free parking permits. Parking went back to first come, first served with no time limit until the alpine section closes for winter. Logan Pass visitor center hours were 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from 13 September, and it closed for the season after 27 September (NPS news release of 8 Sep 2026, read 14 Oct 2026)
NPS also said vehicles may be turned away at park entrances when areas get too crowded (NPS Visiting Logan Pass in 2026 page, read 14 Oct 2026). The pilot was new in 2026. Whether it returns, changes, or goes away in 2027 is not confirmed.
Where to fly in
Note: NPS: "Glacier Park International Airport is located near Kalispell and is approximately 30 miles west of the West Entrance." The same page puts Missoula International Airport about 150 miles south of the West Entrance and Great Falls International 130 to 165 miles east of the St. Mary and other east side entrances (NPS directions page, updated 7 May 2026, read 14 Oct 2026)
The airport code is FCA. We did not check which airlines serve it, or any airport shuttle, so check those when you search flights. Driving distances from the West Entrance, per NPS: St. Mary 50 miles and about 2 hours, Many Glacier 70 miles and about 2.5 hours. St. Mary to Many Glacier is 20 miles and 40 minutes.
Getting there by train
Note: Amtrak's Empire Builder stops all year at West Glacier (Belton) and at the Izaak Walton Inn at Essex, and seasonally at East Glacier Park. In summer a Glacier National Park Lodges shuttle takes West Glacier train passengers to Apgar Village and Lake McDonald Lodge, for a fee and with a reservation (NPS directions page, read 14 Oct 2026). The timetable we downloaded on 13 October 2026 lists train 7 at West Glacier at 9:27 p.m. on day two and train 8 at 7:57 a.m. (see our Empire Builder page)
Train 7 arrives at night, so book a bed for that night. Our Empire Builder page has the full timetable, the seasonal stop at East Glacier Park and the on-time record.
Fees for 2026
Price: Private vehicle $35 (winter rate $25, 1 November to 30 April). Motorcycle $30 (winter $20). On foot or by bike $20 a person (winter $15). Annual Glacier pass $70. America the Beautiful pass $80 for residents and $250 for non-residents. Non-US residents aged 16 and over pay an extra $100 each, unless they hold an Annual or America the Beautiful pass (NPS fees page, updated 24 Feb 2026, read 14 Oct 2026)
Note: Fee-free days left in 2026 for US citizens and residents on that page are 27 October and 11 November. Other fees may still apply (same page)
What we checked and what can change
Checked on 14 October 2026: the NPS Glacier pages for vehicle reservations, fees, hours and seasons, directions, weather, the Visiting Logan Pass in 2026 page, the 2026 summer operations release, the 8 and 9 September 2026 releases and the road opening releases for 2022 to 2026.
Not confirmed: today's status of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, the 2027 shuttle and reservation plans, airlines and shuttles at the airport, the distance from Calgary, and monthly temperatures and visitor numbers. The NPS operating hours page we used was last updated in 2022, so its "third Monday in October" rule may have changed. We did not drive the road.
