Going to the Sun Road: Everything You Need to Know for a Trip to Glacier

Going to the Sun Road is hands-down the most scenic drive we have ever taken. This main road crosses the majority of Glacier National Park, which happens to be our favorite US national park (to date).

We visited Going to the Sun Road for a Pacific Northwest Roadtrip (National Park Road Trip: The Ultimate PNW Itinerary), where we hopped from Olympic National Park, to Crater Lake, then Glacier, and finally to the North Cascades. We are pretty quick (but thorough) travelers, so we collect must-see places and hidden gems, all of which you’ll find below!

Entrance to Going to the Sun Road

Depending on the time of year, tickets and fees vary, so read carefully below.

Tickets and Fees

To enter Glacier National Park in general, it’s $35 per vehicle. This pass will grant you admission for 7 days. If you’re on a national park roadtrip like us, or planning on visiting 2+ national parks in a year, you might as well invest in an annual pass for $80 – America the Beautiful Pass.

May – September Vehicle Reservation

Going to the Sun Road is the most popular road in Glacier National Park, which means it can get pretty congested. High season for the park is July – August. As of 2021, the park implemented a new vehicle reservation system (timed entry ticket). They open a certain number of vehicle slots within a given day and the tickets are first come, first serve.

We fully expect the vehicle reservation system to be in place in future years. Book in advance!

Who Needs a Vehicle Reservation?

As of 2022 the rules were:

If you were entering Going to the Sun Road from 6am to 4pm from May 27 – Sep 11.

OR

If you were entering the North Fork area from 6am to 6pm from May 27 – Sep 11.

AND

If you didn’t already have a tour, lodging, or other “service” type reservation in the park (if you booked an overnight stay in a hotel, that counts as your reservation).

How Early Can I Buy a Timed Entry Ticket?

You’ve got 2 windows to book your timed entry ticket from Reacreation.gov:

1. 120 days before your trip is the earliest you can reserve a ticket. In 2022 May 27th was the first day it was required, so that means the earliest you could reserve for May 27th was January 27th.
2. The day before your trip, the leftover time slots are released at 8am MDT. If your park entrance was July 1, then you would try and reserve June 30th at 8am MDT.

How Do I Get a Vehicle Reservation?

Book your timed entry ticket from Reacreation.gov.

How Many Days to Visit Going to the Sun Road/Glacier

The time needed to see all of Going to the Sun Road or Glacier National Park really depends on your travel style and what you want to get out of the trip. The road itself can be completed in less than a day, but you’ll want to add hikes along the way. One of the best hikes, as you’ll see below, takes 4+ hours, which wouldn’t be possible in the same day as visiting the whole road. So here’s our final recommendation:

Budget 1 day to drive Going to the Sun Road and do the easy hikes. Add 1 day for longer hikes (Highline Trail, see below). And if time, add a 3rd day in Many Glacier (another section of Glacier National Park).

Best Time of Year to Visit Going to the Sun Road

The best time to visit Going to the Sun Road or Glacier National Park is from August – Early September.

Because Going to the Sun Road is the main way of getting across Glacier National Park, if there’s too much snow, the road remains closed. And, this is not ideal for seeing the highlights of the road and park. We visited in early July, and though the road was open, many of the best hiking trails were closed or partially closed due to snow.

August is ideal for visiting, as you’ll have the warmest weather with higher chances of melted snow. September is even more ideal if you want to wait for smaller crowds, but you risk road closures. We’ve also had friends visit in October and November, and benefit from drier trails, smaller crowds, and no need for a timed entry ticket.

Winter is a different ballgame. Anywhere between middle of September to middle of November, the park closes Logan Pass, the highest elevation point in the park. Full access to Going to the Sun Road doesn’t resume until end of May at the earliest. That being said, Lake McDonald, one of the most beautiful lakes in the park, is on the accessible part of the road.

Expect Going to the Sun Road to have snow closures from October – June. Plan accordingly. The road is typically open from Apgar to Avalanche Campgrounds year round.

How Do I Know if Going to the Sun Road is Closed?

Fortunately for everyone, you can easily check the status of road closures from this website: www.nps.gov. And, if you want to plan your trip for next year, you can check historical road openings and closures here.

How Do I Know if a Hiking Trail is Open?

You can check the status of your trail by visiting this website. We also love using AllTrails, because past hikers review the hikes with the month they hiked it, which gives you an idea of the trail conditions at that time.

Protip: you should check the status of your hiking trail regardless of weather conditions. Trails close regularly due to wildlife activity (bears!) as well.

Best Stops Along Going to the Sun Road

Besides hiking points, Going to the Sun Road has many viewpoints where we recommend stopping to take pictures and enjoying the view. Also, some of these are great picnic stops! For your convenience, all of these locations are bookmarked on our travel map below.

PS: For a complete list of all of our google maps, check out our Travel Map page.

1. Lake McDonald

The gem of Glacier National Park has to be Lake McDonald, undisturbed, in the morning. We recommend seeing the lake first thing in the morning, when no one has touched the water. It gives a beautiful, serene mirror effect that you can see in the picture above.

2. Saint Mary Lake

Saint Mary Lake Overlook

The second best gem of Going to the Sun Road has to be Saint Mary Lake. This lake is on the eastern side of the park and has a couple really good viewpoints, pictured below and above.

Wild Goose Island Lookout

3. Haystack Creek and Waterfall

If you have limited time in the park, this waterfall might be the best waterfall you see on your trip. It was definitely a busy stop on Going to the Sun Road, as it is easy to see. Unless you want to climb up a few rocks to take this picture, there’s no hiking required.

4. Weeping Wall

The Weeping Wall is a really cool spot to drive or walk by. Its essentially rock face wall with spring water and snow melt spraying over. It’s not entirely naturally-made, as it was formed during construction of Going to the Sun Road. Nonetheless, you will likely drive by it on your road trip, so might as well stop to admire it.

5. Any Gorgeous Lookout with Room to Pullover

There will be a lot of points during the drive where you want to pull over and take a picture – be careful! The road is two-ways, one lane on each side. And the traffic keeps coming! That being said, there are plenty of spots to pull off to the side and snap a few pictures, switch drivers, picnic, etc. This drive is truly the most scenic we’ve ever taken, so enjoy every moment.

Best Hikes Along Going to the Sun Road

There are over 200 miles of hiking trails in Glacier National Park, and some of the best trails are right along Going to the Sun Road. To help you decide which trails is best based on scenery, difficulty, and length, we’ve summarized our top 5 trails for you below.

1. Avalanche Lake

• Length: 5.9 mi out & back
• Elevation Gain: 757 ft
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Average Time: 2.5 hours

Avalanche Lake is one of the most popular hikes in the park, so we recommend getting to the parking lot early! Do this one first if it’s on your list. The trail takes you downwards to Avalanche Lake, so that you can see it at water level. The beginning of the trail is shared with the Trail of Cedars, so it’s a nice 2-in-1 trek as well!

2. Highline Trail and/or Garden Wall

• Length: ~15 mi out & back
• Elevation: 2,578 – 3,415 ft
• Difficulty Rating: Hard
• Average Time: 7 – 8 hours

The Highline Trail and the Garden Wall are some of the longest, but also most adventurous and picturesque hikes along Going to the Sun Road. The trails leave from Logan Pass (which gets busy, get there early for parking). They share a trail up until a point where Garden Trail veers right and climbs quickly upwards for a beautiful view of Grinnell Overlook.

To save time and energy, most people do these hikes one way. We recommend doing the trek outwards to Garden Trail’s end point, then heading back to the Highline Trail. Highline Trail ends at the Loop Trailhead where you can take a shuttle back to Logan Pass. The hike up to Grinnell Overlook is steep (and can be scary for those with fears of heights), so only attempt if you’re comfortable.

3. Hidden Lake Trail and/or Overlook

• Length: 2.9 – 5.3 mi out & back
• Elevation: 567 – 1,374 ft
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Average Time: 1.5 – 3 hours

Hidden Lake Overlook is the shortened version of Hidden Lake Trail: the full trail takes you down to the lake whereas the overlook stops on a platform above. We recommend going all the way down to the lake, the views at water level are more beautiful than from the overlook. Also, since this is a short hike around Logan Pass, a lot of families do this hike, which crowds the trail. Less people go down to the lake, so the hike is more peaceful.

Logan Pass gets busy very quickly – head there early to get a parking spot, or you’ll be forced to park and walk to the Pass.

4. St. Mary and Virginia Falls Trail

• Length: 2.9 mi out & back
• Elevation: 452 ft
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Average Time: 1.5 hours

The Saint Mary and Virginia Falls trail is a quick hike to see the falls, trees, creeks, and panoramic views around Saint Mary Lake. This ones on our list because it’s a big payoff of views for a small amount of effort and time. The trek is filled with views throughout between the lake and multiple waterfalls on the trail.

5. Trail of Cedars

• Length: 0.9 mi loop
• Elevation: 49 ft
• Difficulty: Easy
• Average Time: 20 min

If hiking isn’t your thing, or you’re really short on time and can’t do the full Avalanche Lake Trail, the Trail of Cedars is short and sweet and a must-see along Going to the Sun Road. A lot of the trail is covered in boardwalk or paved, which makes it handicap friendly as well. The views of the creek and rapids on this trail are insane – a beautiful aqua blue.

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