All About Glacier National Park in Montana
Glacier National Park is known as the Crown of the Continent in the northernmost reaches of Montana along the Canadian border.
Glacier National Park’s natural beauty is breathtaking! We spent 3 days in Glacier and only explored the main area along Going-to-the-Sun Road because we weren’t able to get a ticket on their pilot vehicle reservation system that year for the Many Glacier or North Fork areas.
What to do at Glacier National Park
The Best Trails and Hikes at Glacier
Glacier National Park is home to over 700 miles of trails. They are broken up based on the area of the park.
Trail of the Cedars
Hidden Lake Overlook
Lake McDonald Trails
- Avalanche Lake
- Fish Lake
- Trail of the Cedars
- Sperry Chalet
- Oxbow Trail
Many Glacier Trails
- Apikuni Falls
- Grinnell Glacier Viewpoint
- Piegan Pass
- Redrock Falls
- Swiftcurrent Pass
Logan Pass Trails
- Hidden Lake Overlook
- Hidden Lake Trail
- Granite Park Chalet
North Fork Trails
- Hidden Meadow
- Logging Lake
- Numa Lookout
- Goat Haunt Overlook
- Lake Janet
- Rainbow Falls
St. Mary Trails
- Baring Falls
- Red Eagle Lake
- St. Mary Falls
- Sun Point Nature Trail
- Virginia Falls
Two Medicine Trails
- Aster Falls
- Cobalt Lake
- No Name Lake
- Paradise Point
- Running Eagle Falls
- Scenic Point
- Twin Falls
- Morning Star Lake
- Firebrand Pass
Things to do at Glacier National Park
- Go through a border crossing into Canada to experience the entire Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park
- Take a boat tour on one of the lakes in the park.
- Join one of the many ranger-led activities such as guided walks, ranger talks, and astronomy programs
- Drive the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road all the way through the park (about 2.5 hours from one end to the other, one-way)
- Fish responsibly with a permit in one of the open fishing areas
What to see at Glacier National Park
Points of Interest
Glacier Visitor Centers
All three of the visitors centers in Glacier are in the main section of the park along Going-to-the-Sun Road. Each of them has a bookstore, gift shop, park ranger information station, restrooms, and a stamp for the Passport Book. You can also get a Junior Ranger book for any kids in your group to earn their badge.
Apgar Visitor Center
Passport Book Stamp Location
Logan Pass Visitor Center
Passport Book Stamp Location
St. Mary Visitor Center
Passport Book Stamp Location
National Park Passport Book Stamp Locations
- Apgar Visitor Center
- Logan Pass Visitor Center
- St. Mary Visitor Center
Glacier National Park Basics
64 Grinnell Drive,
West Glacier, MT 59936
$35 per vehicle
Valid for 7 days
Mountain Time Zone
1910
Location, Phone Number, and Address
Northwestern Montana is the home of the more than 1 million acres of land that encompasses Glacier National Park. Due to the size of the park, there is not one specific address for the park.
Headquarters is located at the West Glacier Entrance, 64 Grinnell Drive, West Glacier, MT 59936.
What are the Entrance Fees for Glacier?
Going into Glacier National Park will incur an entrance fee of $35 per private vehicle which is good for up to 7 days from the date of purchase. A motorcycle can get in for $30 and a pedestrian for $20 per person.
For those who live in the area and plan to visit throughout the year, Glacier offers an annual entrance pass for $70. Otherwise, if you are planning to go to multiple national parks in a year, the America the Beautiful Pass for $80 is the best deal.
Current as of July 2024
What Time Zone is Glacier National Park in?
Glacier National Park is in the Mountain Time Zone in the United States (UTC/GMT -6 hours).
When is the Best Time to Visit?
The best time to visit Glacier is also during peak season from July 4th through Labor Day. Most visitors come in the summer due to kids being out of school but also accessibility. Most of the park is closed in the winter months because of excessive snowfall.
When did Glacier become a National Park?
Glacier became a National Park on May 11, 1910, after the Blackfeet Native Americans ceded the mountainous parts of their treaty lands in 1985 to the federal government. Just after its establishment as a National Park, the Great Northern Railway started building hotels and chalets along the railway line.
How Big is Glacier National Park?
Glacier National Park covers 1,013,322 acres of land, about 1,580 square miles.
Park Website
Always check the official park site for the most up-to-date information, hours, prices, and conditions.
Travel Tips for Glacier National Park
Driving Through Glacier
Glacier National Park has three different sections, but the most famous scenic drive is Going-to-the-Sun Road from West Glacier and the Apgar Visitor Center to St. Mary on the eastern side of the park. Make sure to stop at the many pull-off locations and overlooks to get beautiful views of the park’s landscape, mountains, waterfalls, and glaciers.
Where are the National Park Entrances?
There are four entrances to the park, with two being at either end of Going-to-the-Sun Road.
The West Entrance is near West Glacier, Kalispell, and Whitefish, Montana which leads into Apgar Village. The easternmost end of Going-to-the-Sun Road is at the St. Mary Entrance.
The other two entrances are to smaller sections of the park that are further north. The Many Glacier Entrance takes you to Many Glacier and the Two Medicine Entrance takes you to the Two Medicine area. In between the other two entrances at Two Medicine and Many Glacier are the towns of St. Mary and Babb.
What is the Nearest City to Glacier?
The nearest city depends on which entrance you are going to.
Western Side
On the western side, the nearest cities are West Glacier, Kalispell, Hungry Horse, Columbia Falls, and Bigfork.
Eastern Side
Near the St. Mary eastern entrance, the closest cities are East Glacier Park, Durham, Kiowa, and Browning.
What is the Nearest Airport to Glacier?
Western Side
Glacier Park International Airport (FCA) is near Kalispell, about 30 miles from the West Entrance to the park. Missoula International Airport (MSO) is about 150 miles from the West Entrance.
Eastern Side
For those planning to stay on the east side of the park, the closest airport is Great Falls International Airport (GTF). It’s about 150 miles from the entrances.
Itineraries including Glacier National Park
Lodging Near Glacier National Park
Where to Stay
Glacier National Park is an extremely busy park, so if you plan to stay in the park make sure to plan ahead as they book up quickly during peak season.
Options for lodging inside the park include:
- Village Inn Motel
- Lake McDonald Lodge
- Rising Sun Motor Inn
- Swiftcurrent Motor Inn
- Many Glacier Hotel
- Apgar Village Lodge
- Motel Lake McDonald
Just outside the park, you can stay at Cedar Creek Lodge or any hotel or home rental in Kalispell, Whitefish, or the other small towns between there and the park entrance on the west side. On the east side, look for a place in Browning or Durham.
For those wanting to go to the North Forks or Many Glacier areas, the closest places outside of the park are St. Mary and Babb.
Campgrounds in the Area
There are two backcountry chalets that visitors can hike to for overnight accommodations. Both places are operated by Belton Chalets, called Sperry Chalet and Granite Park Chalet.
Six first-come campgrounds are available in Glacier:
- Bowman Lake Campground
- Cut Bank Campground
- Kintla Lake Campground
- Logging Creek Campground
- Quartz Creek Campground
- Rising Sun Campground.
For those who want a secure place to sleep, most of the campgrounds are reservation-based:
- Apgar Campground
- Avalanche Campground
- Fish Creek Campground
- Many Glacier Campground
- St. Mary Campground
- Sprague Creek Campground
- Two Medicine Campground
What are the Closest National Parks to Glacier National Park?
North Cascades
512 miles • 9.5 hour drive
Facts about Glacier National Park
The Plants and Animals of Glacier
There are more than 1,000 species of plants in Glacier National Park and hundreds of species of animals.
Glacier National Park in Montana is known for its diverse range of plant life, influenced by the park’s varied elevations, climates, and habitats. Some of the plants in the park include Douglas fir, western hemlock, ponderosa pine, subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, wildflowers, beargrass, Indian paintbrush, lupine, glacier lilies, pondweeds, cottonwood trees, and aspen trees.
Glacier National Park is teeming with wildlife from a few different ecosystems within the park. Some of the animals you may encounter in Glacier Park include grizzly bears, black bears, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, moose, wolves, coyotes, mule deer, white-tailed deer, squirrels, pikas, marmots, bald eagles, ospreys, and golden eagles.
What is the Highest Point? What is the Lowest Point?
Mount Cleveland is the highest point in Glacier National Park at 10,466 feet above sea level and the highest peak in the Lewis Range.
Glacier’s lowest point is only 3,150 feet above sea level at the Flathead River. This means there’s an elevation difference of 7,316 feet within the park.
Glacier Fun Facts
- The Great Northern Railway used to be the only way to get to Glacier National Park
- Glacier is home to the Triple Divide. The Continental Divide separates North America's watersheds between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In Glacier, there is a triple divide because the water can flow all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, Hudson Bay, and the Pacific Ocean
- There are over 700 lakes in the park but only 131 of them are named as of 2016 and 200 waterfalls throughout the park
- Glacier National Park includes parts of two mountain ranges, both sub-ranges of the Rocky Mountains
- There are at least 35 named glaciers on the US side of the national park with 25 of them being active glaciers