Glacier National Park is often called the Crown of the Continent because of its incredible beauty. The main road in the park is called the Going to the Sun Road and is one of the most scenic drives in US national parks. Unfortunately, the road can often became a traffic jam due to the large number of visitors trying to access it, and the national park rangers often used to close it for several hours a day in the busy summer months.
To alleviate this congestion and prevent the need for unannounced closures, the National Park Service has now implemented a reservation system for access to the road – and, indeed, the whole park.
The reservation system can be a little complicated. I am a national park expert and I have written this detailed guide to the Going to The Sun Road ticketed entry (and other sections of Glacier National Park) to make your planning easier and help ensure you get on to the road and can enjoy the stunning scenery.
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Guide to Glacier National Park Ticketed Entry
Type of entry tickets/ reservations
There are four separate tickets needed (basically all sections of the national park):
1) Going To The Sun Road (West Entrance and Camas Entrance)
Glacier National Park reservations are required to enter the Going to the Sun Road between 6:00 am and 3:00 pm via the Camas Road Entrance and West Glacier Entrance. Reservations valid for 3 days.
2) Going To The Sun Road (East – St. Mary – Entrance)
Once the GTSR is open to Logan Pass, reservations are also required to enter the Going to the Sun Road between 6:00 am and 3:00 pm at the St. Mary Entrance. Vehicle reservations are checked at the Rising Sun check point, six miles inside the St. Mary Entrance, so you can still visit the Visitor Center here to get access to the free Going to the Sun Road shuttle. Reservations valid for 3 days.
3) North Fork
One ticket per vehicle is required at the Polebridge Ranger Station between 6:00 am and 3:00 pm to visit the North Fork area of the park. Reservations valid for 1 day.
4) and (5) Two Medicine and Many Glaciers valleys
Access to these areas between 6:00 am and 3:00 pm also requires reservations. Reservations valid for 1 day.
Note that reservations for these sections are all separate and one does not cover the others.
Period reservations are needed for
The ticketed vehicle entry system will be in place:
- between May 26 and September 11, 2023 for the West Entrance to the Going to the Sun Road and North Fork area. Both these areas are on the west side of the park.
- between July 1 and September 10, 2023 for Two Medicine, Many Glacier and the St Mary (east) Entrance to the Going to the Sun Road. These area are all on the east side of the park.
How to get entry tickets/ make reservations
1) The first round of the tickets are block released at 8:00 am Mountain Time each morning 120 days in advance, on the following block schedule:
- February 1, 2023 for May 26 – June 30, 2023 (Going to the Sun Road west entrance and North Fork).
- March 1, 2023 for July 1 – July 31, 2023 (all areas requiring reservations)
- April 1, 2023 for August 1 – 31, 2023 (all areas requiring reservations)
- May 1, 2023 for September 1 – 10, 2023 (all areas requiring reservations)
2) A small number the tickets are released at 8:00 am Mountain Time the day before, starting May 25, 2023.
Entry tickets are only available online at the NPS reservation system or on the phone. They will not be available at park entrance stations, visitor centers or park offices. Phone reservations will be available 8:00 am – 10:00 pm MST on 877-444-6777 (toll free); 606-515-6777 (international); or 877-833-6777 (TDD).
One thing to note is that more entry tickets will be issued each day than there are parking spots along the Going to The Sun Road, so getting an entry ticket doesn’t guarantee getting a parking spot. Try to get there early if you can.
Cost of tickets/ reservations
Tickets to each of these four areas cost $2 per vehicle (and all its occupants).
Tickets to the Going to the Sun Road (Camas Road Entrance, West Glacier Entrance and St Mary Entrance) are valid for three days. You can validate the ticket on any day of your three-day reservation; it does not need to be the first day.
Tickets for the North Fork, Two Medicine and Many Glacier areas are valid for one day only.
Note that this $2 is in addition to the park entrance fee and is not included in the national park fee.
When is it not necessary to make a reservation for Glacier National Park?
This reservation (and fee) is not required in the following circumstances:
1) It is not necessary to make a reservation for the Going To The Sun Road if you have a reservation for:
- overnight accommodations at:
- Village Inn
- Lake McDonald Lodge
- Rising Sun Motor Inn
- Granite Park and Sperry Chalets
- Fish Creek, St. Mary, Apgar and Sprague Creek Campgrounds
- an in-park private lodging
- wilderness camping
- one of the following services offered between the West and St. Mary entrances of the park:
- boat rides
- guided hikes
- horseback rides
- bus tours
You will need to show proof of a reservation in lieu of your entry ticket.
Note that the North Fork area does not offer lodging, transportation or commercial services, and camping is first come, first served, so this exception doesn’t apply to the North Fork reservations.
2) You enter the road before 6:00am or after 3:00pm. The entry ticket is only required for entry between 6:00am and 3:00pm.
Exception: Entry to Going to the Sun Road from the West Entrance before 6:00AM will not be permitted in 2023 due to construction.
3) You hike or ride a bicycle. The entry ticket is only required for automobiles, not bicycles or on-foot entry.
Note though, that cyclists aren’t allowed on the west side of the Going to The Sun Road (Apgar turnoff (at the south end of Lake McDonald) to Sprague Creek Campground in both directions) and eastbound from Logan Creek to Logan Pass) between 11:00am and 4:00pm in summer (June 15 through Labor Day).
4) You take the park shuttle from the east (Rising Sun). The reservation checkpoint at the east end of the road is AFTER the parking for the shuttle, so you can enter the park and take the shuttle (be aware there are often long lines for the shuttle – especially to return at the end of your day).
NOTE that this is not true for the west (West Glacier) entrance because the reservations check point is before the start of the shuttle, so you can’t get to the shuttle without a reservation.
5) It is not necessary to make a reservation for the North Fork if:
- you are planning to camp there. The campground is first-come, first-served, but if you show up to the Polebridge Entrance Station and tell the ranger you want to camp that night, if there is a space available at that time, they will reserve it for you for you and let you enter without a reservation. Spots fill early!
- you enter before 6:00AM or after 6:00PM
6) It is not necessary to make a reservation for the Many Glacier area if:
- you enter before 6:00AM or after 3:00PM
- you have a reservation for a boat tour, horseback riding or accommodations in the Many Glacier area.
7) It is not necessary to make a reservation for the Two Medicine area if:
- you enter before 6:00AM or after 3:00PM
- you have a reservation for a boat tour in the Two Medicine area.
NOTE that if you have a reservation for an activity or accommodation, you will not need a reservation, but this only applies for that AREA on the day(s) of your reservation(s) only!
Tips For Making Reservations for the Going to The Sun Road, Glacier National Park
Read my post about which national parks require reservations for some insider tips on making reservations (and the low down on the other national parks that also require some form of reservations this summer).
In 2023, because you won’t be able to access the west side of the Going To The Sun Road before 6:00AM due to construction to get around the reservation requirement (this may change – check the NPS website for updates), if you are going to be staying on both the west and east sides, try to get a reservation for the dates you’ll be on the west first to maximize your chances of getting that reservation.
Remember, you have 15 minutes from when you place the first item in your shopping cart to check out, so you can Continue Shopping and try to nab more reservations for all the sections of the park you’ll be visiting.
If you miss out, book a boat tour or other activity (or accommodation) and/ or try again for the last-minute release.
Good luck and enjoy Glacier National Park!
Do you have any other tips for getting tickets for Glacier National Park? I’d love to hear them. Join my private Facebook group National Parks Collectors and comment and let me know.
Subscribe to regular updates with tips for planning, travel inspiration and trip ideas and get instant access to the free PDF of this
Guide to Glacier National Park Ticketed Entry
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If you are thinking about traveling to some other national parks, don’t miss my guides to:
Which national parks require reservations
Angel’s Landing permits lottery system
Yosemite National Park day use reservations
Rocky Mountain National Park timed entry system
Acadia Cadillac Mountain reservation system
Arches National Park timed entry system
Are you just starting to think about taking a national parks trip? Get Inspiration
Are you starting to plan a trip to a national park? Read my National Parks Guides
Do you want an itinerary to help plan your trip? Check out my Detailed Itineraries
Are you ready to book your trip? Use these Planning and Booking Resources
About the Author
James Ian has dedicated his life to travel and has traveled to 82 countries and all 7 continents. He’s visited all of the main national parks in the United States, as well as many national monuments and state parks.
As a national park expert, James has contributed to many publications, including Time Business News, Savoteur, and Wired. He also has several published detailed itineraries in addition to many free online guides.
James has rafted through the Grand Canyon; rappelled down slot canyons near Zion and Arches; hiked among the hoodoos in Bryce and the enormous trees in Sequoia; admired the waterfalls in Yosemite and the colored hot springs in Yellowstone; seen moose in Grand Tetons and seals in the Channel Islands, and much more.
