The Going-to-the-Sun Road is the best thing to do in Glacier National Park! It is the most stunning and scenic drive we have ever taken. Before going on the drive, you should check road conditions, learn about the vehicle size restrictions, and always take your time and stay alert!
The road should be on everyone’s Glacier National Park itinerary, as it leads 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.
**Please note that this road does not have a set open date. It is all based on the weather and remains open as long as the weather cooperates. It usually opens 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, which will impact your trip. You can check out more details here.
If you are planning a trip to Glacier, 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!
The Road
You can enter the road through 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 it is barely two lanes and the edge of the road is right next to your car. Only vehicles under 21 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 10 feet tall are allowed on 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 Road. We highly recommend stopping at the Logan Pass Visitor Center. When we drove up, we saw Big Horn Sheep multiple times. 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 Logan Pass Visitor Center parking lot. It is worth it. Just be patient.
You can also watch as people are leaving and follow them to their cars. Most likely, this is how they got their spot, so they will understand.
There is a small visitor center and gift shop. Rangers are normally present to answer questions, show you a Big Horn Sheep skull, and teach you more about the area.
They also have Ranger-led talks and bathrooms here. Since this is the highest point, it can be cold here—about 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 wildflowers.
Once you reach the overlook, you get a fantastic view of Hidden Lake and the mountains behind it. The overlook is a perfect place to take out your beer, 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 anyway for two reasons. First, it is very populated and has defined stairs and a path. Second, the views are pure Glacier—big mountains and a glacial lake. 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, it’s about 1.5 miles (so 3 miles round trip). To get all the way down to the lake, it’s 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 one isn’t for the faint of heart, as you walk right along the ledge, but the views are amazing!
We didn’t walk the whole thing but went about one mile in, 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). Driving from West Glacier to the East Glacier entrance will 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 drive from the east to the 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 can also drive by the Jackson Glacier lookout. There are fewer and fewer glaciers, so we highly recommend stopping 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 drove the road in the pitch black when we were making our way back from Many Glacier. I would not 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, a Mama Bear and her 2 cubs crossed 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 must go very slowly and be very cautious.
Red Bus Tour
If driving the road just doesn’t 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 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 the sun, you will be cold!
There is no internet service for most of the drive on Going To The Sun Road. Seriously, trust me on this.
This is one scary but fantastic 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 go on 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, 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 pass a few picnic areas where you can pull off to enjoy a bite to eat. If you don’t need a picnic table, 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 that 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, 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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