Glacier National Park covers almost 1,600 square miles in the northern part of the state of Wyoming. The Park is set in a remote location far from major cities or airports. However, Glacier still attracts many visitors – and it is easy to see why.
Glacier National Park combines all the best of the Rocky Mountains, including majestic mountain peaks, glaciers, scenic valleys, alpine meadows, lakes and waterfalls. Driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR), an engineering marvel, is one of the greatest vehicle adventures in North America.
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Glacier NP offers world-class alpine hiking, boat tours on its fantastic lakes, and more, all set in the stunning beauty of the park.
For years, we had talked about traveling to Glacier National Park. When planning our trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks some years ago, it first seemed to us “Easterners” that Glacier NP was in the neighborhood. However, we quickly realized just how vast the western U.S. is. We decided to save Glacier National Park for another time. 2024 was the year we finally realized this dream!
Planning and Logistics
A must-see on our bucket list, we planned our trip to Glacier. We combined the destinations of Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Glacier National Parks into one epic adventure. Our detailed itinerary and route are included in the Banff post but also provided here.
The Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, Glacier Itinerary
This spreadsheet is downloadable as Open Document Sheets and can be used in Excel or a cloud spreadsheet tool (e.g., GoogleDrive or Office 365). Update your arrival date into cell A2. Then get started on your itinerary (embedded are automations/equations to make a few things quicker). This file can serve as a template for other trips as well.
The map below shows the over route for the full trip starting and ending in Calgary.
Download as a KML file and use in Google Maps, Google My Maps, OpenMaps, or other mobile apps. Start from the full screen view of the map.
Make sure to check out our Hiking the Grinnell Glacier Trail guide and Hiking the Highline Trail guide.
Our Entry to Glacier National Park
Our initial entry into Glacier National Park was at the West Glacier entrance since we were traveling south from Banff National Park via Kootenay National Park. We had spent the previous night in Radium Hot Springs, BC.
Tip: Vehicle Reservations Required When Visiting Most of Summer Season
Glacier National Park now requires vehicle reservations for most of the roads in the park for most portions of the tourist season. Please study the information at vehicle reservations – Glacier National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) carefully for dates and reservation requirements.
However, according to the National Park Service website (see link above):
“Visitors with lodging, camping, or commercial activity reservations (e.g., boat tours and horseback rides) within the specified reservation areas can use proof of their reservation for entry instead of a vehicle reservation to gain access to the vehicle reservation area for which they have a service reservation.”
Other Transportation within Glacier National Park
Park Shuttles for Going-to-the-Sun Road
The park offers free shuttles for the Going-to-the-Sun Road during peak season. The Westside shuttles run from the Apgar Visitor Center to Logan Pass. Eastside shuttles run from St. Mary Visitor Center to Logan Pass. You don’t need a reservation to take these shuttles, which are comfortable, climate-controlled mini-buses. See the schedules and get more information here.
We used the shuttle to get back to our vehicle which we had left at Logan Pass to do our Highline Trail hike down to The Loop.
Red Bus Tours
Since 1914, Glacier National Park has offered tours of the park. There are a variety of options for tours on the iconic Red Bus Tours, as well as multiple pickup locations, so check the website carefully. Reservations need to be made well in advance. (This urgency may not apply for those staying in one of the park lodges.) By the time we realized that we would not be able to take our 22 foot rented RV on the GTSR, the Red Bus Tours were all booked up. While a ride in one of the open-air buses would have been enjoyable, they make very few stops. We want to stop as we like for photography and hiking.
Our Going-to-the-Sun Road Dilemma / Vehicle Length Restriction
When we reserved our 22 foot rented RV, we were unaware of the vehicle length restriction for the GTSR. Vehicles longer than 21 feet are not allowed between Avalanche Creek and Rising Sun. This created a conundrum since we had planned to drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road one-way from the West Glacier entrance to the Two Medicine area. By the time we figured this out, all alternate forms of transportation for the Going-to-the-Sun Road were fully booked.
After much research, we decided the best option was to rent a car in Whitefish, MT on our way into the park. Now, we had an RV and a car.
Our Glacier Itinerary
A mile-by-mile drive of the Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR) starts at West Glacier, Mile 0. At Mile 1, you come to the Park Entrance, and at Mile 2 find the Apgar Visitor Center.
On Day 1 of our time in Glacier NP, we drove our rented car on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. We started from the park west entrance, driving all the way to St. Mary and back. While going to St. Mary, we stopped at the Avalanche campground (at Mile 17) to check in to our campsite and drop off the RV.
On Day 2, we drove to Logan Pass on the GTSR early, then hiked 12 miles down to The Loop (also on the GTSR). Day 3 also required an early start. We returned the car we had rented to drive the GTSR and then headed to the Two Medicine area.
We have split our time in Glacier NP into three posts:
Make sure to check out our Hiking the Grinnell Glacier Trail guide and Hiking the Highline Trail guide.