Visiting Glacier National Park: Amazing Views near the Canadian Border

Glacier National Park, with its 26 glaciers, 200 lakes, 1000 miles of rivers, rushing waterfalls and majestic peaks, is certainly one of the more decentralized American parks compared to the main tourist destinations (it is practically on the border with Canada) but it can be a magnificent experience for those who love mountain landscapes. To get there, you can take the Vigilante Trail, perfect for those coming from Yellowstone, or take the road further east that passes through Helena.

Unfortunately, it would seem that this natural wonder of Real America is about to undergo profound changes: since the beginning of the twentieth century, many glaciers have in fact melted and according to the experts, it is only a matter of time before all other ice formations suffer the same fate. Better hurry then. Here is some advice on the best things to do at Glacier Park: excursions, routes to be taken by car, itineraries, some tips on how to get there and where to stay overnight.

Glacier National Park Location and Directions

Glacier National Park is located in the northern region of the state of Montana, on the border with Canada (and its Waterton Lakes National Park).

You can reach it by car (for example via the US-2, open all seasons) or by Amtrak trains, which stop in at least 3 stations in the surroundings. Here are some useful directions:

• By car: If you enter the park from the west side, you’ll be closer to attractions such as Lake McDonald, Apgar Visitor Center and the west side of the Going-to-the-Sun-Road. If you enter the park from the east side, there are three entrances to the park: St. Mary’s (eastern entrance to Going-to-the-Sun-Road, closer to Logan Pass), Two Medicine Valley to the south, the mountain lake area, and Many Glacier to the north, the glacier area. The nearest towns that can be taken as reference points for the various entrances are listed in the paragraph on where to stay in the park at the end of this article.
• By train: yes, Glacier is one of the few American parks, together with Denali National Park, that can also be reached by train thanks to the Empire Builder that stops at the stations of West Glacier, Essex and East Glacier (but in the latter only in high season). There are also shuttle services connecting West Glacier station to the Lake McDonald area. The service is operated by a private company and you can find prices, schedules and other information on this page.
• By plane: there are two international airports near the park, Glacier Park International Airport, near the town of Kalispell in the west of the park and Great Falls International Airport in the east. For those with special needs, it may be worthwhile taking a domestic flight and then rent a car directly from the airports.

The park is open 24 hours a day every day of the year. Admission is $35 per vehicle (or $20 per person), but if this is not the only park you visit, you might want to get an America the Beautiful park card.

In 2022, to address summer crowding in the park, a reservation system was introduced to access the Going to the Sun Road and North Folk, Two Medicine, and Many Glacier areas. For more information, I refer you to our article dedicated to American parks that require reservations.

One last note: Glacier National Park attracts a lot of tourists in the summer and will often find parking lots full. My advice is to leave early in the morning to limit the inconvenience as much as possible.

Best time to visit Glacier National Park

The park is open every day of the year, but because it is prone to heavy snowfall, not all roads and entrances are always open. Most tourists visit Glacier Park in the middle of summer, as the main roads are usually open, especially Going to the Sun Road. To avoid any nasty surprises, I suggest you read our section dedicated to the openings and closures of this road and keep an eye on the park’s official website, to check if there will be any roads or accesses closed during your stay.

Glacier National Park Entrances

The park covers an area of 2548 miles² and includes several areas within it. Those that you are most likely to visit are, as already mentioned, served by 3 entrances to the east and one to the west:

• Two Medicine Entrance
• Saint Mary Visitor Center
• Many Glacier Entrance
• West Entrance (West Glacier)

There would also be another entrance to the west in the remote area of North Fork but, as you will read in the description below, it is of interest only to the most prepared visitors who have a certain spirit of adventure.

Let’s now look at the various areas in detail:

Area crossed by Going-to-the-Sun Road

This is the most popular area of the park, crossed from east to west by one of the most famous scenic roads in America. Drive along it admiring its incredible views is already a remarkable experience and, as if that were not enough, there are many trails here too. There are 2 entrances to this area:

• West Entrance: Shortly after the entrance you will enter Apgar, where the Apgar Visitor Center is located at the west end of the park. The town sits right on the shores of the beautiful McDonald Lake and offers a variety of tourism services.
• St. Mary Visitor Center: the visitor center on the east side of the park. A few minutes’ drive from St. Mary’s you will find the Blackfeet Indian Memorial, a memorial dedicated to the Indian tribe of the same name, from where you can enjoy a beautiful view.

The scenic road stretches for 50 miles through the McDonald Valley, with its beautiful views of the lake with the same name, and Logan Pass, the highest point on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, with dedicated Visitor Center.

Two Medicine Valley

This area full of waterfalls and lakes embraced by towering mountains is located in the southeast of the park and is the most quickly accessible for those coming from Yellowstone or from Montana towns such as Helena, Great Falls and West Yellowstone.

Near Two Medicine Lake, you’ll find a small ranger station, some tourist amenities, and access to major trails. In this area you can also take a nice tour of the lake aboard a historic boat: the full tour takes about 45 minutes with boarding from the parking lot where the South Shore Trail head is located (starting point for many popular trails in this area). Some tours include free guided ranger commentary.

You can complete the tour by getting off at the same point as embarkation, or stop on the opposite shore to hike the trail to another scenic lake, Upper Two Medicine Lake, the smallest of the three lakes after which the area is named. To book the boat tour go to the official website.

Many Glacier Valley

This is the Northeast area of the park, where most of the glaciers are concentrated. It’s about 45 minutes from the St. Mary’s entrance and the nearest town is Babb. After passing the rangers’ tollbooth, go straight on to find a tourist reception area, with refreshment and accommodation services as well as a small information point run by the rangers. This is also where most of Many Glacier’s trails start.

North Fork

This is the remote area of the park with reduced tourist services, accessed by a dirt track. If you decide to venture into this area, you’ll need to be prepared: there is no cell phone signal here and a 4×4 vehicle is recommended; make sure you also have a spare tire, as flat tires are a common problem. From what you may have gathered from this description, this area is usually ignored by most tourists.

Goat Haunt

This area is also not likely to be part of your road trip, unless you plan a trip to Canada. Goat Haunt can be reached from the neighboring Canadian park, Waterton Lakes National Park. If you find yourself in this park, you can take a boat ride on Upper Waterton Lake, a tour that, in addition to getting you to Goat Haunt, provides a beautiful mountain lake.

Visiting Glacier NP by car: Going-to-the-Sun Road

Going-to-the-Sun Road is one of America’s most famous scenic drives, a 50-mile stretch of road that skirts impressive mountain ranges and gives the impression of climbing into the sky. It’s the only road that crosses the park from one end to the other, and it’s obviously the one most often used for taking photographs and admiring spectacular natural views.

Along the way you’ll drive along the eastern shore of the sparkling Lake McDonald, admire the beautiful flower-filled expanse of the Garden Wall (9000 feet) on the west side of the Continental Divide, stop at Logan Pass to take some photos, and then enjoy a view of Jackson Glacier, one of the few glaciers you can see from Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Given the importance of this road and the many attractions and trails along the way, we’ve dedicated a detailed article to it Going to the Sun Road: the spectacular scenic road of Glacier Park

Glacier National Park Shuttles

Glacier also provides a shuttle service that allows you to traverse and admire much of the park. The service runs along Going-to-the-Sun Road between the Apgar and St. Mary’s visitor centers. While using this service allows you to enjoy the view without too many worries, it also greatly lengthens the time it takes to travel the scenic route.

In addition, although the frequency of the service is very good (there is usually a run every 15 minutes), in high season, due to the high influx of tourists, you may not be able to use the first shuttle that arrives and have to wait for the next, greatly increasing the time spent on your visit. This can happen especially if you decide to get off during the route, thus finding yourself having to get back on the shuttle at a stop that is not a terminus.

There is no reservation service for the shuttle so it is first come first served. Also, the buses are not very large (just over 20 people in the larger ones). You should also bear in mind that traveling the Going-to-the-Sun Road in its entirety will take at least three and a half hours, not counting the time needed to return to the starting point if needed.

The shuttle can, in my opinion, be more easily used to reach a particular trailhead, rather than for a full tour of Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Glacier National Park Hiking Trails

Glacier National Park is a true paradise for those who enjoy hiking or short walks in the mountains. There is an agency within the area (Glacier Raft Co.) that organizes half or full day trips. If, on the other hand, you want to organize your own, here are the best hikes divided by area:

Trails on Going-to-the-Sun Road

There are many trails with trailheads on Going-to-the-Sun Road, from short, easy hikes like the popular Trail of the Cedars (which can be extended to reach beautiful Avalanche Lake) to much more challenging trails, such as the long Highline Trail, a 12+ mile trail that ends with a stunning view of Granite Park Chalet.

Other popular trails are those that lead to St. Mary and Virginia Falls Trail, or to the spectacular view of the lake hidden between imposing mountain peaks (Hidden Lake trail).

More details on these walks can be found in our guide to the Going to the Sun Road.

Many Glacier Valley Trails

• Grindell Glacier Trail (11 mile round trip, 2200 feet elevation gain): it is a challenging trail that takes you to the glacier of the same name. The trail can be shortened to just over 7.5 miles by using the paid boats that cross Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine.
• Iceberg Lake Trail (9 mile round trip, elevation gain 1450 feet): a shorter and rather easy trail that leads to Iceberg Lake, so named because of the large blocks of ice that float on its surface in summer. The hike is truly wonderful, with a long section that travels between vertical rock walls and enchanting wildflowers.
• Apikuni Falls Trail (1.8 miles, elevation gain 550 feet): on the main road leading to Many Glacier’s information center you’ll find a small parking area where you’ll find the start of this short trail (as well as the very long Redgap Pass Trail). The end point is at the waterfall of the same name.

Two Medicine Valley Trails

• Running Eagle Falls (0.6 miles): less than 1.2 miles from the entrance of Two Medicine Valley, you will find the start of this short and easy trail that leads to 2 very special waterfalls, one on top of the other.
• Paradise Point & Aster Park Trail (4 miles, elevation gain 310 feet): at the parking lot near Two Medicine Lake, the valley’s landmark area, you’ll find the trailhead (South Shore Trailhead), which leads to Paradise Point, a beautiful viewpoint over the lake. From there you can either turn back (1.3 miles) or join another trail that goes along Aster Park to Aster Falls.
• Upper Two Medicine Lake Trail (11 miles, elevation gain of almost 900 feet, can be reduced to 4.3 miles): this trail leads to a beautiful view of the scenic Upper Two Medicine Lake, the smallest of the three lakes that characterize the valley, and also includes the possibility to see the Twin Falls. Taking the ferry both out and back will cut the trail length more than in half. The trailhead is again the South Shore Trailhead.

Watch out for the bear!

You’ll need to be careful while staying at the park, as the entire area is home to many grizzlies (as signs along the trails will repeatedly remind you). Avoid going off the marked trails, walking alone, or leaving food or trash that might attract them. And, if all these precautions aren’t enough, always carry bear spray (just in case).

Glacier National Park Activities & Tours

In addition to hiking, at Glacier National Park you can also enjoy:

• Boat trips, in addition to the one already mentioned on Lake Medicine, there is also a tour in the crystal clear waters of Lake McDonald, run by the Glacier Park Boat Co.
• Horseback riding trips, for example the one that leads to Grinnell Lake.
• Rafting, operated by the Glacier Raft Co.
• Fishing, for more information contact the visitor center.

How many days in Glacier National Park?

As you may have guessed, the park is extensive and deserves to be explored in detail. Ideally, you should spend at least 3 days spending 1 day for each area (Going-to-the-Sun Road, Two Medicine Valley and Many Glacier), but often you don’t have that much time and you can just cross the Going-to-the-Sun Road in 1 day, maybe with a trail along the way. If you can spend even just one more day you will have the opportunity to visit another area of the park, or spend even more time in the area traversed by the scenic road, given the many beautiful trails it offers.

Best Places to Stay in Glacier National Park

Glacier is one of the American parks that manages to host a good number of accommodations inside, if you manage to book them in time you can enjoy not only the convenience of being close to the points of interest, but also admire spectacular views directly from your room.

Accommodations inside the park

Here are some recommended solutions if you want to sleep directly inside Glacier National Park along the Going-to-the-Sun Road: West Slope (West Entrance):

• Village Inn Apgar: This hotel’s strength is definitely its location. It is right next to scenic Lake McDonald, practically at the beginning of the west side of the famous scenic road. From the rooms that overlook the lake, as you can imagine, the view is wonderful both on the ground floor and from the terraces on the second floor.
• Lake McDonald Lodge: another structure built on the shores of the same lake but on the northern side that, in addition to the view, has on its side the fact that it has very nice interiors. The typical wooden architecture alone would be worth the choice of staying here. Much larger than the previous one, it is also renowned for having a much-appreciated restaurant.

East Slope (St. Mary Visitor Center)

• Rising Sun Motor Inn: a simpler structure that recalls the classic American motels that, despite being located near Saint Mary Lake, does not offer views of the lake but has various solutions for overnight stays.

In case you want to look for lodgings in other parts of the park, here are two tips for sleeping in the Many Glacier area:

• Swiftcurrent Motor Inn: the structure is a bit more spartan than the previous ones and for some it might not be worth the price asked for a room, but if you have not found alternatives and you want to stay inside the park, it is still a good solution.
• Many Glacier Hotel: this historic hotel is definitely the recommended choice for sleeping in the area. Overlooking the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake, it offers spectacular views of the lake nestled between the high peaks of the surrounding mountains.

There are no hotels in Two Medicine Valley but there is a camping area, also present in all other areas of the park.

Places to Stay Near Glacier National Park

Although staying overnight in the park can be a great experience, there are at least 3 reasons why you might prefer to sleep outside Glacier National Park:

• the need to spend a little less than the more expensive accommodations inside the park
• the lack of availability of Glacier’s facilities, which tend to fill up sooner than the ones in the surrounding area
• your Great American West itinerary makes it necessary for you to opt for a strategic foothold outside the park

Here are some small towns to consider when choosing your hotel:

West entrance of Going-to-the-Sun Road

• West Glacier (a few minutes from the entrance)
• Columbia Falls (20 minutes from the entrance)
• Whitefish (35 minutes from entrance)
• Kalispell (45 minutes from entrance)

East entrance of Going-to-the-Sun Road

• St. Mary (a few minutes from the entrance)
• Browning (40 minutes from the entrance)
• East Glacier Park (50 minutes from the entrance)

Two Medicine Valley area

• East Glacier Park (15 minutes from the entrance)
• Browning (30 minutes from the entrance)
• St. Mary (50 minutes from entrance)
• Great Falls (2 1/2 hours from entrance)

Many Glacier Valley area

• Babb (15 minutes from the entrance)
• St. Mary (25 minutes from the entrance)
• Browning (50 minutes from entrance)
• East Glacier Park (1 hour from entrance)

Coming from Yellowstone

If you are coming from a visit to Yellowstone and are looking for a stop-off point to break up the trip, I recommend Helena, an interesting town halfway along the itinerary, as well as the capital of Montana. Here are our tips for looking for lodging in town:

Where to stay in Helena