The Going-to-the-Sun-Road – the best thing to do in Glacier National Park! This is the most stunning and scenic drive we have ever taken. Before going on the drive you are going to want to check road conditions, learn about the vehicle size restrictions and always take your time on the road and stay alert!
The road should be on everyone’s Glacier National Park itinerary and will take you to some of the best hiking in Glacier!
The whole road is 50 miles but be prepared for it to take at least 2 hours, if not more, to drive it.
**Take note this road does not have a set open date. It is all based on the weather and remains open as long as the weather is cooperating. It usually is open in July (sometimes later July) – September.
***PLEASE NOTE – Glacier National Park has started requiring a reservation and a ticket to travel the Going To The Sun Road. This will impact your trip. You can check out more details here.
If you are planning a trip to Glacier be sure to check out our Glacier Guides.
Planning a trip to Glacier? We put together a series of digital guides that take the guesswork out of planning. Stop-by-stop itineraries for making the most of 1, 3 or 7 days in Glacier National Park including where to stay, where to eat, what hikes to take and the best driving routes.
We’ve even included links for you to book your stays and buy your park passes. Everything you need in one convenient digital guide. Just download and go!
Table of Contents
The Road
You can enter the road through the St. Mary or East entrance or the more popular west entrance by the Apgar visitor center (this is also a good place to stop to ask about the road status – to make sure it is open) where you drive by the Lake McDonald lodge before coming to the beginning of the Going to the Sun road.
Don’t worry, you will know when you hit the road because you start to climb up the mountain. The views on the way up keep getting better and better! There are multiple pull offs on the side of the road if you want to jump out for a picture.
Driving this road is not for the faint of heart since this 2 lane road is barely 2 lanes and the edge of the road is RIGHT next to your car. Only vehicles under 21 feet length, 8 feet wide, and 10 feet tall are allowed on the Going to the Sun Road and for good reason.
You will see waterfalls coming down from the mountain, drive by the Weeping Wall where, if your windows are open on this portion of the road, you could get splashed by the water and waterfalls! And yes, that is snow on the mountain in August.
Logans Pass Visitor Center
The Going to the Sun Road ends as it crosses the continental divide at Logan Pass which is the highest point on the Going To The Sun Road. We highly recommend stopping at the Logans Pass Visitor center. We saw Big Horn Sheep multiple times when we drove up. However, this is a very busy area and during the main season you can’t always get parking.
Be prepared to drive around for a while waiting for someone to leave so you can get a spot in the parking lot at Logan Pass Visitor Center. It is worth it. Just be patient.
You can also see as people are leaving and follow them to their car. Most likely this is how they got their spot so they will understand.
There is a small visitor center area and gift shop. There are normally Rangers here to answer questions or show you a Big Horn Sheep skull and teach you more about the area.
They do have Ranger led talks here as well. They also have bathrooms. Since this is the highest point it can be cold here – like 20 degrees colder compared to the Lake McDonald area of Glacier. For this reason always have layers with you.
Hidden Lake Overlook Trail
From here you can hike the Hidden Lake Overlook trail. Take our advice and do it. This ranked #1 on our list of Best Hikes In Glacier National Park With Kids.
The trail takes you up a set of stairs, so it is a bit strenuous, but you can do it! The views on the way are beautiful, you walk by streams, waterfalls, and fields of wild flowers.
Once you reach the overlook you get an amazing view of Hidden Lake and the mountains behind it. The overlook is a perfect place to take out your beer or wine and snacks and sit down for a minute to take in the beauty of Glacier National Park. There is also a chance you will see the mountain goats!
If you aren’t a hiker this is the one hike we recommend doing anyways for two reasons. First, it is very populated and has defined stairs and a path. Second, the views are pure Glacier – big mountains, a glacial lake, and both times we were there we saw wildlife! It was mountain goats both times, so we kept our distance, but luckily it wasn’t a bear!
If you are a hiker you can continue all the way down to the lake. This will add quite a bit more to your hike so if you plan to do this remember you do have to hike back too!
To get to the first overlook is about 1.5 miles (so 3 miles round trip). To get all the way down to the lake you are looking at more like 5.3 miles round trip. You can learn more about the Hidden Lake trail on AllTrails.
Want help planning your trip to Glacier National Park? Check out our post: The Best Glacier National Park Itinerary from 1 to 7 Days.
Highline Trail
Another option is the Highline Trail. This is another one that isn’t for the faint of heart as you are walking right along the ledge. But the views are amazing!
We didn’t walk the whole thing but instead went about 1 mile in and turned around and came back. This is another trail you can do if you are parked in the Logan Pass Visitor center parking lot.
Learn more about the Highline Trail here.
Glacier National Park Guides
Planning a trip to Glacier? We put together a series of digital guides that take the guesswork out of planning. Stop-by-stop itineraries for making the most of 1, 3 or 7 days in Glacier National Park including where to stay, where to eat, what hikes to take and the best driving routes.
We’ve even included links for you to book your stays and buy your park passes. Everything you need in one convenient digital guide. Just download and go!
Driving back
From here you can turn around and head back towards the West Glacier area or you can continue going and make your way through the whole park (which we recommend). To drive from West Glacier to the East Glacier entrance is going to take you about 2 hours – assuming you don’t stop to hike or take a ton of pictures.
If you don’t want to drive back through the Going to the Sun Road (even though we recommend you do, the views look different when you are driving from the east to west) you can drive on the roads outside of the park for a much easier drive – but it may take you 30 minutes or so longer.
Wild Goose Island Lookout
On your way to the East side of Glacier you will drive by Wild Goose Island lookout. If you want that amazing, iconic, Instagram worthy picture you are going to want to make a stop here when the sun is in the right place and there aren’t many clouds. And seriously even an amazing picture doesn’t do this place justice. It is simply beautiful!!
Jackson Glacier
You also drive by the Jackson Glacier lookout. There are less and less glaciers so we highly recommend taking a stop to see this one. It is quite a ways away but you can see it from the lookout. If you have binoculars, this would be a great time to use them.
Animal Sightings
Once you get closer to the east entrance you will drive by a large field that is in front of the Rising Sun Motor Inn. We saw bears here twice. Both times it was about 6:30pm or later.
I think the closer to dusk you get the better your chances. One time it was a mama bear and her 2 cubs!
As you can see, taking a drive on the whole Going To The Sun Road is worth it! When visiting Glacier we recommend driving the road multiple times and at different times of day to have a different perspective. Each time you will be in awe of everything that you see!
If you continue out the St. Mary’s entrance, be sure to check out these Things to do in Many Glacier with kids.
Driving The Road At Night
We have driven the road in the pitch black when we were making our way back from Many Glacier. I would not say I recommend it. It was scary since it was so dark. Plus you have to be on the lookout for wild animals so you can’t drive too fast.
When we were driving at night we actually had a Mama Bear and her 2 cubs cross right in front of us. Luckily we noticed people slowing down and the oncoming traffic flashed their lights at us so we knew something was up.
If you do decide to drive at night know that you have to go very slow and be VERY cautious.
Red Bus Tour
If driving the road just does not sound fun to you but you don’t want to miss out you can take the Red Bus Tour! This leaves the driving to the professionals.
You can learn more about the Red Bus Tour here.
Things to know
There can be a big temperature change going from the west entrance up to Logans Pass. Even if you think it is a warm day, bring a jacket (maybe a winter one depending on the weather), pants, gloves, and a hat. If the sun is out and you decide to hike you will warm up quickly since the sun is so warm. But without sun you will be cold!
There is no internet service for most of the drive on the Going To The Sun Road. Seriously – trust me on this.
This is one scary, but amazing drive. You may want to take turns driving so each person can take in the views.
You will be tempted to stop at EVERY lookout to get a picture. If you have time, do it! If you are trying to make it to the other end or to do a hike just keep the time in mind. We highly recommend taking a day just to do the drive so you can take all of the time you want to stop and take in the scenery.
Visitor Centers
Visitor Centers – there are multiple visitor centers you can stop at on your way from one end of the park to the other. The national park service does a great job of offering guidance and some displays and facts about the area at the visitor centers so they are worth a stop. This is also where you can pick up t-shirts and stickers (we love collecting stickers of where we go!).
Picnic Area
Picnic area – as you travel on the road you will also drive by a few picnic areas where you can pull off to enjoy a bite to eat. If you don’t need a picnic table then we recommend you pull off at one of the many lookout areas on the Going To The Sun Road and get out to take in the views and have a bite to eat. If you want a table, keep an eye out for the picnic area signs along the road.
After checking out the Going To The Sun Road, don’t miss Polebridge and Bowman Lake when visiting Glacier.
Did you know the Going To The Sun Road is part of the National Register Of Historic Places? Interesting! You can learn more about it on the National Park website.
Map of the Going To The Sun Road area
When in Glacier don’t miss Many Glacier and the Polebridge Mercantile and Bowman Lake! There are also a lot of great things to do around Glacier like rafting and visiting the Whitefish Resort!
Don’t forget to get your Glacier Guide! And if you love National Parks check out all these amazing National Park Road Trip ideas!
Planning a trip to Glacier? We put together a series of digital guides that take the guesswork out of planning. Stop-by-stop itineraries for making the most of 1, 3 or 7 days in Glacier National Park including where to stay, where to eat, what hikes to take and the best driving routes.
We’ve even included links for you to book your stays and buy your park passes. Everything you need in one convenient digital guide. Just download and go!
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We loved driving the entire way from West to East Glacier on the Going to the Sun Road during our visit to Glacier National Park last year. I totally agree that you need to be ready for colder temperatures at Logan’s Pass. We actually forgot to bring tennis shoes for the kids and they ended up hiking through snow and water in their keen sandals!!
Lol, that’s totally something we would do.
This was extremely helpful as I’m heading there today. Now I’m even more excited about it!! I was planning on one day, though now I’m wondering if perhaps it should be two. Or three. Except I didn’t plan for overnight accommodations. Any advice for free camping, or van/car dwelling outside the park, on the east side (St. Mary)? I’m assuming hotels will be both expensive and rooms hard to come by, but I’d stiil appreciate suggestions! Thanks so much for all the helpful information already provided!
Check out freecampsites.net. They have a good online resource for finding free camping. Have fun in Glacier!
Would you say the road is similar to the roads in Yellowstone?
No, not at all. The Going to the Sun Road is quite a bit more beautiful than any road I can think of in Yellowstone. You’re pretty much on the ledge of a cliff the whole way up, but the views are absolutely stunning! There are restrictions on vehicle size on this road, so check that out before going.
Do you know if the roads are similar to those in Yosemite?
The Going to the Sun Road is quite a bit steeper and on the way up from East Glacier is right on the edge. The road is curvy too making it tight at some spots. It’s not as bad as it sounds and is absolutely stunning.
Considering doing this drive from the West Entrance and wondering if a “round trip” in the same day is very doable? Could this be a 7am to 9pm sort of adventure and still have time to enjoy the sights, maybe do the Hidden Lake hike, etc? Seems like with it being around 2hrs driving each way, there would be time to make that happen, no?
It’s definitely doable as we did it a few times. Depending on when you go, it is light out until after 9pm, so you’ll have plenty of daylight to do it if you got going early. The driving times vary depending on traffic and how many stops you make.
Are the views as good traveling east (St. Mary’s) to West (West Glacier)?
Yes!! You’ll come down from Logan Pass and you’ll have a better view actually (if you’re the driver) of the cliffs and valley below. Definitely take advantage of the pull-offs so you really enjoy it and keep everyone safe.
As a driver, if you have ANY queziness (sp?) about driving very narrow roads or close to big drop-offs, don’t drive this road. You cannot drive down the center of the road or take more than your share out of the middle. I’d highly suggest taking the free shuttle.
Great point. It does get a bit dicey at a few spots.
If you go from East to West, it shouldn’t be too scary, right??? wont you be driving against the wall road the whole time??
Going that direction you will be against the wall, so yes, a bit less scary, but it’s really not that bad going west to east either.
I plan on doing the road this summer.can anyone suggest the best month?went in may back in 2014.was still to snowy to take.im from MN.my fiance lived in Bigfork.Very excited to take the road and enjoy.Any wildlife tips or dangers?thank u
September might be your best month. The road can still be closed into June, so you don’t want to risk that. Also, by September, the crowds should be less. As for wildlife, check the NPS rules/regulations when it comes to wildlife. There are certain distances you should keep from different animals and that is important. Otherwise, just use common sense. Have a great trip!