Do I Need a Reservation to Visit Glacier National Park?

Visitors to Glacier National Park in 2025 will need to use a reservation system to access portions of the park during peak hours from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. At the west entrance (Apgar) of Going-to-the-Sun Road and the North Fork entrance, timed-entry reservations are required from June 13 through September 28, 2025. As of November 2024, reservation requirements had not yet been announced for the Many Glacier area of the park. Other entrances including Two Medicine and St. Mary will not require reservations in 2025. This special reservation is in addition to your park entrance fee. You may visit these areas of the park without a reservation before or after peak hours.

• Going-to-the-Sun Road: You will need one timed-entry reservation per vehicle to enter Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR) past Apgar Village from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 13 through September 28, 2025. Reservations are not needed to get to Apgar Village or to enter Going-to-the-Sun Road from the St. Mary Entrance on the east side of the park.
• North Fork: You will need a separate timed-entry reservation per vehicle at the Polebridge Ranger Station to visit the North Fork area of the park from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 13 through September 28, 2025. 
• The Many Glacier area of the park is not open to private vehicles July 1 to September 21, 2025 due to construction. All access to Many Glacier and Swiftcurrent will be by shuttle, unless you have a lodging reservation.

Most reservations for Going-to-the-Sun Road and North Fork become available on recreation.gov 120 days in advance at 8 a.m. MST. The remainder of reservations are released the day before at 8 a.m. MDT, also on recreation.gov. Although the park does not charge for the reservations, recreation.gov charges a $2 nonrefundable service fee. The reservation is required in addition to a park pass. Reservations are expected to sell-out quickly, so be sure to grab yours as soon as the advanced window opens for your desired date. Many Glacier shuttle reservations open on June 24 and are available seven days in advance of your desired visit date.

Visitors with lodging, camping, transportation, or commercial activity reservations within the reservation areas can use their lodging or activity reservation for entry in lieu of a $2 vehicle reservation.

The entry reservations are hoping to curb the famous traffic on Going-to-the-Sun Road. (Download a PDF map)

In 2020, temporary closures were required 29 times at the West Entrance due to congestion. The reservation system, in its fifth year in 2025,  hopes to alleviate that and allow visitors peace of mind that they’ll be able to access the park when they plan to. The timed-entry component of the reservation system is new for 2025 and superintendent Dave Roemer topes it will minimize congestion, optimize visitor arrival and improve visitor experiences.

Reservations won’t guarantee a parking spot at some of the more crowded parking lots like Avalanche, Logan Pass and St. Mary Falls. For your best bet at snagging a parking spot, enter the park early in the morning, or late in the evening. During Montana summers daylight lasts for 15 or 16 hours, so there’s plenty of time to explore if you get out early or stay out late. 

For more information, visit https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/gtsrticketedentry.htm