Staff Pick

Road Trip Glacier National Park – Going-to-the-Sun Road

West Glacier St. Mary
80
km
3h
drive
Summer
season

The Itinerary

Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park (Montana) is considered one of the world's most spectacular drives. Open only from late June to mid-October depending on snowfall, it crosses the Rockies for 80 km, topping out at Logan Pass (2,026 m).

The park, dubbed "Crown of the Continent," holds 25 active glaciers (rapidly receding), 1,000 km of trails, 700 lakes and iconic Rockies wildlife: grizzlies, mountain goats, bighorn sheep and Canadian lynx. Lake McDonald at the west entrance is famous for its multicoloured pebbles. The Logan Pass visitor centre accesses Hidden Lake Overlook (4 km round trip), a signature hike.

On the east side, Many Glacier is nicknamed "Switzerland of America": the Many Glacier Hotel facing Swiftcurrent Lake is its icon. Timed entry reservations required for peak season (NPS system).

Points of Interest

  • ✦
    Logan Pass
    2,026 m mountain pass, road's high point, Hidden Lake access.
  • ✦
    Lake McDonald
    Multicoloured pebbles, the park's largest lake.
  • ✦
    Many Glacier
    Nicknamed "Switzerland of America," 1915 historic hotel.
  • ✦
    Hidden Lake Overlook
    4 km round-trip hike, mountain goats guaranteed.
  • ✦
    Wild Goose Island
    Legendary tiny island on St. Mary Lake, signature photo.

Take this route offline

Cell coverage thins out fast once you leave West Glacier. Export the map as a geo-referenced PDF before you go and open it in BorealMaps — your GPS position shows on the map with no signal at all.

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Practical info
  • Departure West Glacier
  • Destination St. Mary
  • Distance 80 km
  • Duration 3h
  • Category Short (< 100 km)
  • Best season Summer
Themes
national-park mountain rockies Glacier scenic-drive Hiking grizzly Iconic

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