Glacier National Park is open 24/7 year-round, though snow blocks high-elevation routes like Logan Pass from late fall to early summer. Entry requires a 7-day vehicle pass costing $35 in summer or $25 in winter, and all payment locations are cashless.
Glacier National Park remains open 24 hours a day, year-round. Access to specific areas depends entirely on the season, with most visitor centers and services operating only from late May through September. The full Going-to-the-Sun Road typically opens between late June and the third Monday of October.
Swipe to see more
| Day | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Sunday | 24 hours | Visitor centers and in-park businesses operate late May through September. |
The park does not close for national holidays. The National Park Service waives the entrance fee on several specific dates, including Presidents Day, Memorial Day, the National Park Service Birthday, and Veterans Day. Winter weather rather than the calendar dictates access, shutting down high-elevation roads and lodges from November through April.
A standard 7-day private vehicle pass to Glacier National Park costs $35.00 in summer and drops to $25.00 between November 1 and April 30. Individual entry on foot or bicycle is $20.00, while motorcycles cost $30.00. The park operates entirely cashless, requiring card payment at all entrance stations.
Swipe to see more
| Category | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Private Vehicle (Summer) | $35.00 | Valid for 7 consecutive days |
| Private Vehicle (Winter) | $25.00 | Nov 1–Apr 30; valid for 7 consecutive days |
| Motorcycle | $30.00 | Drops to $20.00 in winter |
| Individual (Foot/Bicycle, 16+) | $20.00 | Drops to $15.00 in winter; under 16 enter free |
| Non-US Resident Surcharge | $100.00 | Per person 16+ unless holding an annual pass |
| Annual Glacier Park Pass | $70.00 | Valid for one year |
The National Park Service waives entrance fees on several holidays, including Presidents Day, Memorial Day, the NPS Birthday, and Veterans Day, while US military, permanently disabled residents, and 4th graders receive free passes year-round.
Planning your visit to Glacier National Park? Find tours with free cancellation and skip-the-line options.
View All ToursSeptember is the optimal time to visit Glacier National Park, offering noticeably thinner crowds, golden larch trees, and continued access to the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
July and August guarantee open facilities and reliable weather, but these peak months bring severe congestion where parking lots fill before 8 a.m. June provides a quieter alternative for viewing waterfalls, though high-elevation trails like Logan Pass usually remain snow-covered.
Swipe to see more
| Period | Crowd Level | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Dawn (05:00–08:00) | Low | Early risers secure parking at Logan Pass and Avalanche Lake while maximizing chances to spot grizzly bears along the road. |
| Morning (08:00–12:00) | High | Hikers arriving now find full parking lots at popular trailheads and must rely on the free shuttle system. |
| Afternoon (12:00–17:00) | High | Day-trippers fill the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor, pushing those seeking solitude toward the quieter Two Medicine valley. |
| Dusk (17:00–21:00) | Moderate | Photographers and wildlife watchers find active wolves and bighorn sheep along the roadways as the midday congestion clears. |
Most visitors spend two to three full days exploring the primary highlights on both sides of the park. A thorough trip covering multiple valleys—such as Many Glacier, Two Medicine, and St. Mary—requires five to seven days. Your timeline depends on whether you stick to self-guided drives along Going-to-the-Sun Road or join guided boat tours and ranger programs.
Arrive at Logan Pass or Avalanche Lake before 8:00 a.m. during July and August before lots fill. For 2026, the park enforces a three-hour parking limit at Logan Pass and operates a ticketed shuttle system, requiring a $1 reservation fee via Recreation.gov.
Glacier operates entirely cashless, requiring card payment for the $35 summer vehicle entrance fee. Non-US residents aged 16 and older face an additional $100 per person fee, which can be bypassed by purchasing an $80 America the Beautiful Annual Pass.
The full 50-mile Going-to-the-Sun Road over 6,646-foot Logan Pass rarely opens before late June or early July due to heavy snowpack. Visitors arriving earlier in June will find flowing waterfalls at lower elevations, but alpine sections remain closed to vehicles.
Pack clothing layers year-round, as summer temperatures at Logan Pass drop 20 degrees lower than at Lake McDonald. Weather shifts rapidly from sun to snow flurries within hours, requiring rain gear and sturdy boots for any trail use.
Fill your gas tank in gateway towns like West Glacier or St. Mary before entering, as no fueling stations exist inside the park boundaries. Carry EPA-registered bear spray on all hikes and maintain the legally required distance of 100 yards from grizzly and black bears.
A standard private vehicle pass costs $35.00 in summer and drops to $25.00 between November 1 and April 30. This pass covers entry for seven consecutive days. The park operates a cashless system, requiring visitors to pay by credit or debit card at the gates.
No vehicle reservations are required anywhere in the park for 2026. Glacier is instead piloting a ticketed shuttle system with three-hour limited timed parking at Logan Pass. Visitors book these shuttle tickets through Recreation.gov for a $1 processing fee.
The full 50-mile route over the 6,646-foot Logan Pass typically opens in late June or early July, depending on the speed of snow removal. Lower sections near West Glacier remain plowed and accessible year-round. The alpine sections usually close for the winter around the third Monday of October.
Non-US residents aged 16 and older must pay an additional $100 per person fee to enter the park. The park waives this surcharge if the visitor enters using a $70 Annual Glacier Park Pass or an $80 America the Beautiful Annual Pass.
The park gates remain open 24 hours a day, year-round. Most businesses, visitor centers, and services only operate from late May through September or early October. Between November and April, visitors must be entirely self-sufficient due to widespread facility closures.
There are no fueling stations within the park boundaries. Visitors must fill their tanks in gateway communities like West Glacier or St. Mary before passing through the entrance gates.
Launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft is strictly prohibited everywhere inside Glacier National Park. Casual visitor photography does not require a permit, but drone use violates park regulations year-round.
Browse verified tours with free cancellation and instant confirmation.
Find Tours