When Is the Best Time to Visit Glacier National Park?

The short answer is late June to early September. The very best time to visit, in our opinion, is mid-August.

How did we come up with this answer? Well, we had to draw a picture to explain. See below.

Three Key Things to Consider

You’ll want to consider three things when deciding when is the best time to visit Glacier National Park:

When the Going-to-the-Sun Road will be open,
Lodging availability, and
Dates you’ll need a vehicle reservation to drive in some regions of the park.

Focusing on these three things will also answer most of your questions about when the best time is to hike, bike, take a boat tour, horseback ride, etc.

Note: This post is an excerpt from Glacier National Park: Planning Tips For Your Summer Visit. Check out that post for more planning information.

Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTRS)

If you can, plan your visit for when the GTSR is open.

Going-to-the-Sun Road is a 50-mile scenic highway that cuts through the center of the park, linking its east and west regions. Construction of the road began in 1921 and was completed in 1932. It’s nothing short of a stunning engineering accomplishment.

At its highest point, Logan Pass, you can stop to explore hiking trails and visit the park’s popular visitor center. However, parking can be a challenge at Logan Pass and anywhere along GTSR so, go early or take the park shuttle.

Is driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road scary?

GTSR has a reputation for being nerve-racking for both drivers and passengers. Drivers must navigate hairpin turns and narrow passages.

We have driven the road several times in both directions and yes, it requires the driver’s undivided attention. However, in the summer, thousands of drivers a day navigate the road safely by using reasonable caution.

Note: the park restricts certain vehicles from the road. According to the park’s website, vehicles and vehicle combinations longer than 21 feet (including bumpers) or wider than 8 feet (including mirrors) are prohibited between Avalanche Creek and Rising Sun. Vehicles over 10 feet in height may have difficulty driving west from Logan Pass to the Loop due to rock overhangs.

By the way, rangers are stationed at Logan Pass watching for violators, and they regularly issue citations.

Why is driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road so popular?

In essence, it’s one of the most popular attractions in the park because it provides an opportunity to experience the diverse and awe-inspiring beauty of Glacier National Park in a single, unforgettable drive.

Visiting the park when the road is open is not an absolute necessity. But being there when it’s open gives you access to many of the park’s best areas, provides you a chance to experience the drive, and can be a time-saver if you need to travel between the east and west sides of the park.

When is the Going-to-the-Sun Road open?

The dates when the park opens and closes the road vary each year depending on how long it takes to clear the snow from the previous winter and when snow accumulates in the fall. Even when the road is officially “open,” it sometimes closes briefly due to snow.

The graph below shows the range of dates the road was open for the thirty years ending in 2022. In that timeframe, the road had always been open by July 13th and had never closed for the season before September 2nd.

Lodging

Lodging options in or near the park begin opening for the season around mid-May to mid-June. They typically close for the season starting in late September. Hotels and motels further away from the park, such as those in Columbia Falls, Whitefish, and Kalispell, have longer operating seasons. Many in those towns are open year-round.

Vehicle Reservations

This brings us to our third item to consider: vehicle reservations. In our companion blog post, we discuss the details about when you need a vehicle reservation, for which areas of the park, and how to get a reservations. Check out that post for the finer details.

We mention them in this section to make a couple of points. First, the park implemented a vehicle reservation system to manage the crush of traffic that descends on the park in the summer. Therefore, the range of dates for which the park requires vehicle reservations typically indicates the busiest days of the season.

Second, to remind you that you’ll need a vehicle reservation if you plan to drive through some areas of the park during these dates.