Gong to the Sun road - Glacier Park Montana

[Snagglefoot]

I finally did the Going to the Sun road in Glacier Park, Montana. My buddy Dave and I attempted this four years ago but forest fires caused the road to be shut down, then two years of the C word made it not worth it. We finally did it in Dave’s MB SLK 350.

Here are a couple of tips. Normally you need to reserve a park pass to do the road but a little known quirk is that you can do the road if you enter the park prior to 6:00 AM. We got a room at a motel at Hungry Horse, Montana for $200, then got up at 4:45, left, picked up coffees at the gas station and made it through the unmanned gate to the park. We then went to the Lake McDonald lodge and indulged in an excellent breakfast buffet for $30 each. The road is high up in the mountain tops and has a total length of about 30 miles. We like it so much we drove to the peak at Logan Pass, drove back down, drove up to the peak again, then drove down to the east end of the park. We then did a side trip to East Gate, Montana where they have the excellent Glacier Lodge. There happens to be a Amtrak station there for those looking for another adventure. Enjoy the photos.

 

[Elkins45]

Here’s a photo from Going To The Sun Road I took in early July, 2002.

 

[Bud]

That is a beautiful drive.

 

[NormanBuntz]

Awesome. During our visit in September 2017, the Sun road also was closed due to wildfires so we were disappointed. What a terrific American asset Glacier National Park is!

 

[Inked]

Beautiful scenery amazes along with thinking of the engineering involved in the bridges and tunnels to make such a road possible.

 

[Pew]

My favorite NatPark so far. How busy was it? I haven't gone back in years because of the times entry lottery. I usually stack multiple Parks in one trip so always arriving before 6am isn't always a possibility.

 

[Snagglefoot]

My favorite NatPark so far. How busy was it? I haven't gone back in years because of the times entry lottery. I usually stack multiple Parks in one trip so always arriving before 6am isn't always a possibility.

By entering the prior to 6:00 AM, and starting up the road at sunrise, we had the road to ourselves. I recommend starting from the west end. When we got to Logan pass, the parking lot was almost full, so a lot of cars had started from the east side for some reason. By noon, the road was very busy. Maximum vehicle length was 21 feet, so no trailers were on the road. There plenty of park rangers, so it is enforced. I highly recommend driving it in both directions. No one will stop you from doing that as long as you turn around prior to the exit gate.

 

[Nick1994]

I would love to go back. I didn't get to do the Going to the Sun road when I went to Glacier National Park in June 2017 as it was still snowed in.

 

[Pew]

By entering the prior to 6:00 AM, and starting up the road at sunrise, we had the road to ourselves. I recommend starting from the west end. When we got to Logan pass, the parking lot was almost full, so a lot of cars had started from the east side for some reason. By noon, the road was very busy. Maximum vehicle length was 21 feet, so no trailers were on the road. There plenty of park rangers, so it is enforced. I highly recommend driving it in both directions. No one will stop you from doing that as long as you turn around prior to the exit gate.

Good to know! I've done the Highline Trail, Siyeh Pass, and Swiftcurrent mountain but the last time I was there I made it in at 1am, passed out in a parking lot by the Swiftcurrent trailhead and a park ranger made me leave. The East entrance is definitely busier than the West but I like how there's a road that goes North through the mountains towards Waterton.

 

[Snagglefoot]

The best way to get to Waterton is to go north of St. Mary after exiting the Road to the Sun.Turn left at highway 17 and drive to the border. This crossing is a secondary crossing and I believe it closes at 6:00 PM. Best to check. It becomes highway 6 and takes you to Waterton.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

I’ll be there in less than two weeks, as a 10th Anniversary present to my wife. We’re taking the Northern Railway from Chicago Union Station to Whitefish, MT, and then spending the next 5 days touring around the park and area before doing the return trip on Amtrak. Hoping the weather all cooperates: this is after the daily pass rigamarole but dangerously close to when normal weather patterns cause road closures and/or park closures. First time heading to Glacier; hoping for some beginner’s luck and a warm fall…

 

[Snagglefoot]

I’ll be there in less than two weeks, as a 10th Anniversary present to my wife. We’re taking the Northern Railway from Chicago Union Station to Whitefish, MT, and then spending the next 5 days touring around the park and area before doing the return trip on Amtrak. Hoping the weather all cooperates: this is after the daily pass rigamarole but dangerously close to when normal weather patterns cause road closures and/or park closures. First time heading to Glacier; hoping for some beginner’s luck and a warm fall…

The breakfast buffet at Lake McDonald Lodge at the west side of the park is great. You also have to see the Glacier Lodge at East Glacier. Make sure you get a pic of the mountain goat in the lobby of the Lake McDonald Lodge to prove you were there! The drive on Highway 2 from East Glacier back to Whitefish is well worth it. Bring your passports in case you want to pop to Waterton for a day.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I remember visiting on family vacation back in the late 1980's. Such an amazing place.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Ha! Thanks to you and a high school friend of mine, I feel like I am on vacation in GNP also. He's posting pics on FB daily. Looks like a great place. Exploring the Northwest has been on my bucket list for a while.

 

[Finklejag]

My aunt and uncle live in Martin City, they said the crowds the last four years have been terrible. I had a friend that was born and raised in that area and said when he was growing up, no one went to Glacier. The locals had the park all to themselves, even in summer.

 

[ripcord]

Yep, it was not heavily trafficked even in the early nineties, either. We got overnight trail permits as walk-ins at the ranger station for the same day. I did felt pretty naked hiking back country trails in the park with those "grizzlies in the mist," not being able to go strapped. I don't think we knew about bear spray at the time.

 

[Snagglefoot]

This is why there are crowds. It’s all about access. Glacier Park International Airport (FCA), is close to both Kalispell and Whitefish which are both close to the gate of the park.