Cedar forest, a 50-mile mountain road, and a glacier you can still hike to. Three days in Glacier, with the 2026 shuttle rules.
Photo: m01229 from USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Glacier became a national park on May 11, 1910, and the Great Northern Railway soon built hotels and chalets in it, which is why the lodges are Swiss-chalet style. The Going-to-the-Sun Road, finished in 1932 and dedicated in July 1933, then gave drivers a 50-mile way across the Continental Divide. The park had more than 100 glaciers in 1910. By 2015 only 26 were big enough to count as active, so the name is a little ahead of the ice.
What remains is a park of cedar forest, big lakes and sharp peaks, and it is crowded. Glacier National Park gets about three million visitors from May to September, and the best trailheads fill before sunrise. Three days is the right length because the park is long rather than deep. The road alone takes about two hours without stops, and the two sides are two hours apart by highway. Three days gives one area a day with room for one real hike each. Two days turns it into a drive with views. Be honest about the season too: this plan works from roughly July to mid-September, when the road is open, the trails have melted out and the boats run.
Day one is the west side: Apgar, Lake McDonald, the Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake. Day two is the Going-to-the-Sun Road over Logan Pass, then down the east side to St. Mary. Day three is Many Glacier, the park's best hiking valley. Two Medicine and Waterton Lakes in Canada wait under More Time. Read the United States page for visa and travel basics. No weekday matters, because nothing in the park closes on a set day. What matters is a room on the east side for nights two and three, and that is the first thing to book.
Every stop from the plan below, colored by day. Pick a day to see its route.
A forest walk and a lake hike before the crowds, lunch at a 1913 lodge and an evening boat on Lake McDonald.
Over the Continental Divide at dawn, Hidden Lake and an honest look at the Highline, then down the east side to St. Mary Lake.
A hotel on a lake, a hike to Grinnell Glacier or Iceberg Lake, a boat and a long dinner.
The Avalanche Creek lot is one of the park's busiest, and it fills before sunrise. Be there at first light, do the walk and the lake, then spend the rest of the day on the water. Sleeping at Lake McDonald Lodge or in Apgar makes the early start easy.
Apgar sits at the south end of Lake McDonald, the park's largest lake, about 10 miles long and 472 feet deep. The Kootenai name for the spot translates as the place where they dance. There's a visitor center, gift shops, a camp store, boat and bike rentals, an ATM and a lakefront with a view up the valley.
Stop for water, a map or breakfast, then drive on to Avalanche, because the lot there is the one that fills first. If you sleep here, the lakefront at dusk is the other chance. The village is a base, not a sight.
The Trail of the Cedars is a paved, partly boardwalk loop of about 0.7 miles through old cedar forest, with some of the cedars more than 80 feet tall. It's accessible, flat, and the one place on this trip where you can walk among very big trees in shade.
It starts at the same picnic area as the Avalanche Lake trail, so do it first as a warm-up. Honest verdict: lovely and short, not a destination on its own. Skip it if you're short on time and the lot is jammed.
The trail to Avalanche Lake is 2.3 miles each way with about 500 feet of climbing, through forest to a mountain lake in a basin below the peaks. It's the park's classic easy-to-moderate hike, so on a July morning it's busy. That's the reason to start early.
Bring layers, water and bear spray, and hike in a group. Honest verdict: worth it, but don't expect solitude after 9am. The 2026 Logan Pass shuttles skipped this trailhead, so you drive yourself.
Lake McDonald Lodge was built in 1913 to a design by Kirtland Cutter. It's a Swiss-chalet lodge, a National Historic Landmark since 1987, with a lobby that rises three stories, a big fireplace and a lake view from the dock.
Walk through the lobby and out to the dock, then look back at the building. Come for an hour even if you aren't staying.
The lodge has Russell's Fireside Dining Room (breakfast, lunch and dinner), Jammer Joe's Grill & Pizzeria (lunch and dinner) and Lucke's Lounge. If a huckleberry dessert is on the menu, order it. Huckleberries are the local fruit.
The Glacier Park Boat Co. runs one-hour narrated scenic cruises from the lodge dock. For 2027 most boats run from mid-May to late September, and the 7pm departure runs until early September. The 7pm boat is the one to book, because the light on the peaks across the lake is the reason you came.
Honest verdict: it's a gentle hour on the water after a hiking morning, not an adventure. Children four to twelve ride for about half, and you can rent a small boat at Apgar or the lodge if you'd rather paddle.
This is the day the road rules matter. Decide before you leave the west side whether you're driving or riding the shuttle, and leave early either way. The plan below drives, then ends at a bed on the east side.
Logan Pass is where the Going-to-the-Sun Road crosses the Continental Divide, at 6,646 feet, and it is the highest point on the road. You climb to it past the hairpin called The Loop and, in good light, a view of Bird Woman Falls, a 560-foot waterfall that's strongest in early summer and thin by autumn. The pass has a visitor center, exhibits and mountain goats that wander the lot. Keep 25 yards away from them.
Vehicles over 21 feet long or 8 feet wide are banned between Avalanche Creek and Rising Sun, and anything over 10 feet tall may struggle with the rock overhangs west of the pass. The lot starts filling before sunrise, so plan to be there by 7am.
The Highline Trail follows the Continental Divide along the Garden Wall. It's 7.6 miles to Granite Park Chalet with 800 feet of gain, and most hikers continue downhill to The Loop on the road, about 12 miles in all. It is the park's most famous walk.
The honest part is logistics. The trail ends at The Loop, not where your car is, so you need a shuttle ticket for the return, and the 3-hour parking limit rules out doing it with a car at the pass. If you do it, ride up from Apgar or Lake McDonald Lodge on an early shuttle and ride back from The Loop to the same place. That uses the whole day and returns you to the west side. Our default for most people is to skip the Highline, take the Hidden Lake Overlook, and finish the road.
Five miles east of Logan Pass, an overlook shows Jackson Glacier, the easiest glacier to see in the park and the seventh largest. Late August and early September, after the snow has melted back, give the best view.
Bring binoculars and a park map to tell glacier ice from snowfields. It takes ten minutes.
St. Mary Falls is about 1.2 miles each way from the trailhead, losing about 260 feet on the way down, so the climb comes on the way back. Virginia Falls is another 0.6 miles beyond for anyone who wants more.
Honest verdict: a pleasant walk to a waterfall, not the highlight of the day. Skip it if the sky looks bad or you want a longer dinner.
Rising Sun is the main food stop on the east side of the road. Two Dog Flats Grill belongs to the Rising Sun Motor Inn and serves lunch and dinner, with a camp store next door and a dock for lake cruises. It's a basic grill, which is fine after a pass day. If it's closed or full, St. Mary is about 6 miles on.
Near the east end of the road, a pull-out looks over St. Mary Lake to the small, tree-covered Wild Goose Island. Come near sunset, when the light is low on the lake.
St. Mary is a few miles on, and Many Glacier is another 21 miles and about 36 minutes beyond it, so decide where you sleep before you reach it.
Many Glacier is the park's best valley for hiking, and it is a long way from everything. Sleep here, or at St. Mary, 36 minutes away. Utility construction at Many Glacier was proposed to start in 2027, so check the park's construction page.
The Many Glacier Hotel was built by the Great Northern Railway between 1914 and its opening on July 4, 1915. It's a five-story Swiss-chalet hotel on Swiftcurrent Lake, with 205 guest rooms plus suites and family rooms, and it's the park's largest hotel. It is a National Historic Landmark.
Walk the lobby and the shore before you hike. On the drive in you can see Salamander Glacier, just above Grinnell.
Pick one. Grinnell Glacier is the famous one: 5.3 miles each way with 1,600 feet of climbing, or 3.6 miles each way if you take the Glacier Park Boat Co. across two lakes from the hotel. The NPS calls it a very challenging day hike. The glacier lost 45 percent of its area between 1966 and 2015, and it's still a real glacier.
Iceberg Lake is easier: 4.8 miles each way, 1,200 feet of climbing, to a lake under the peaks. It starts from the Iceberg Ptarmigan Trailhead. Honest verdict: Grinnell with the boat is the better day if you're fit, Iceberg is the better day if you aren't, and both are crowded. Bear spray, a group and early start.
If you took the boat or chose a shorter hike, finish the day on the flat. Redrock Falls is 1.8 miles each way from the Swiftcurrent trailhead by the motor inn, with only 100 feet of climbing. The Swiftcurrent Nature Trail is a 2.3-mile loop, and its first quarter mile is wheelchair accessible.
Honest verdict: an easy lakeside walk to a small waterfall, not a showstopper. Pick it or the boat below, not both, after a big hike.
The Glacier Park Boat Co. runs a 1.5-hour scenic round trip at Many Glacier, about 43 USD at 2027 prices, with a one-way return for about 22 USD (19 EUR). For 2027 the schedule runs from June 11 or July 1 to September 19, depending on the departure.
Honest verdict: a good rest after a hike, and the same boats shorten the Grinnell hike. Some cruises offer an optional guided hike.
The hotel's Ptarmigan Dining Room serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the Swiss Lounge is open for lunch and dinner. Nell's at the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn is the simpler option. Hotel restaurants run on the hotel's season, from dinner on opening day to breakfast on closing day.
What didn't fit, and what to check first.
Two Medicine is the quiet southeast corner, with a lake, a boat ride and good hikes. But the Two Medicine Road is being rebuilt: it closed at Highway 49 from mid to late September 2026, and work is scheduled to finish in late 2027 and may run into 2028. Check access before you count on it.
Getting there: About 34 miles from St. Mary, around an hour by car. Check the road before you plan.
Official website
Waterton is the Canadian half of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. The Chief Mountain crossing is open from May 15 to September 30 with changing hours, so check them before you go. The cruise from the Waterton marina to Goat Haunt cost about 91 CAD an adult plus GST in 2026. Park entry was 12.75 CAD an adult in 2026. Bring your passport and check your nationality's rules for entering Canada and coming back.
Getting there: About 50 miles and 80 minutes from Many Glacier via the Chief Mountain border crossing, which is seasonal. You need a passport.
Official website
Polebridge is a tiny town with a mercantile that bakes huckleberry bear claws, and the road goes on to Bowman and Kintla lakes. The park calls it an area for self-reliant visitors: a four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended and flat tires are common. Allow a full day and carry a spare.
Getting there: About 35 miles northwest of Columbia Falls. The roads to Bowman and Kintla lakes are rough, single-lane gravel, and there is no cell coverage.
Official website
Several outfitters run guided raft trips on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. Wild River Adventures, Glacier Raft Company and Glacier Guides are on the park's list. It's a fun half-day if you have a spare afternoon in West Glacier.
Getting there: The outfitters are based in West Glacier, at the park's west entrance.
Official website
The park's two backcountry chalets, run by Belton Chalets, are for hikers who want a night out. It's a different trip from this one, with long climbs (Sperry gains 3,432 feet), and they book out.
Getting there: Granite Park is 7.6 miles from Logan Pass on the Highline. Sperry is 6.3 miles from the Sperry trailhead near Lake McDonald Lodge.
Official websiteFood here is simple and built around huckleberries. Some national dishes fit, and some don't, and we say which.
The local answer to apple pie: a berry pie made with huckleberries, a wild mountain berry that shows up in this region on everything from pancakes to ice cream.
Where to try it: Two Sisters Cafe in Babb, near Many Glacier, is known for it. The lodge dining rooms also serve a huckleberry dessert.
Breakfast is the best meal of a hiking day. Order pancakes with huckleberry syrup, then walk it off.
Where to try it: Eddie's Café in Apgar serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the lodge dining rooms in the park serve breakfast.
A huckleberry pastry baked at the mercantile in Polebridge, which is the reason many people make the long drive north. Go in the morning for the best pick.
Where to try it: Polebridge Mercantile, in the North Fork. It is off the grid and has no cell service.
You'll eat a burger or two, because park grills serve them fast. Look for bison or Montana beef on the menu.
Where to try it: A lodge grill such as Jammer Joe's or Two Dog Flats Grill, or a diner in West Glacier or St. Mary.
The cold version of the same berry, a scoop or a shake after a hot trail.
Where to try it: Gift shops and camp stores in Apgar, St. Mary and Many Glacier often carry it.
Sweet cherries from the orchards along Flathead Lake, south of the park. The harvest usually runs from late July into early August and varies with the weather.
Where to try it: Roadside stands and markets around Flathead Lake, in the weeks of the harvest.
Whitefish has a small craft-beer scene. Pick an IPA or a lager after a long drive.
Where to try it: Bonsai Brewing Project in Whitefish, which Visit Montana lists with a taproom, beer garden and kitchen. Its own website is only a placeholder, so call 406-730-1717 for hours.
The trails have no cafes. Buy bread, cheese, fruit and water before you set out.
Where to try it: Eddie's Mercantile in Apgar, the Lake McDonald Lodge camp store, or the Swiftcurrent Campstore at Many Glacier.
Rooms inside the park are scarce and book up a year ahead. Gateway towns fill the gap.
Best for: Short drives and the historic lodges
Lake McDonald Lodge (May 14 to September 30 in 2027) and Many Glacier Hotel (June 3 to September 20 in 2027) are the two to want. Rooms can be booked up to 13 months ahead, and a deposit is refunded if you cancel at least 14 days before a stay between May 1 and October 14. The catch: no air conditioning, small rooms, and sold-out summers.
Best for: The west entrance and the train
A hamlet on US 2 at the west entrance, where the Amtrak stop is. The catch: the entrance line can reach 2 miles and 30 minutes at peak times, and Many Glacier is over two hours away.
Best for: Restaurants and a real town
A resort town of about 7,800, 26 miles from West Glacier. The catch: it adds about 40 minutes each way to the west entrance.
Best for: Close to Many Glacier and the east end of the road
The east end of the road, a village of 54 people with lodges, cafes, a small grocery and gas stations, about 36 minutes from Many Glacier. The catch: it's tiny and the dining rooms are few.
Best for: Arriving by train
A village of about 350 on the railway, with a seasonal Amtrak stop. The catch: it's 77 minutes from Many Glacier.
Pinpoint USA: click each state on a blank map of America - inside the border for full points.
The practical stuff that makes the first day in Glacier National Park easier.
The US dollar. Cards work almost everywhere, and the park entrance doesn't take cash. Tip 18-20 percent in restaurants and for guides. Montana has no general sales tax, but lodging carries an 8 percent state tax, and Whitefish adds a local resort tax. Rate used here: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (30 October 2026).
In 2026 a car paid 35 USD (31 EUR) for seven days, a motorcycle 30 USD and a person on foot or bike 20 USD, with a winter car rate of 25 USD from November 1 to April 30. Visitors from abroad aged 16 and over paid an extra 100 USD (90 EUR) each, unless they entered with an annual America the Beautiful pass. The non-resident pass costs 250 USD (224 EUR) and covers everyone in the same private car, so it beats paying per person for three or more adults from abroad.
In 2026 there were no vehicle reservations, a change from the 2021-2025 system. Instead the Logan Pass Shuttle needed a 1 USD ticket per person from Recreation.gov, tied to a boarding place (Apgar, Lake McDonald Lodge, St. Mary or Rising Sun) and time, from July 1 to September 7. Nothing was announced for 2027 as of late October 2026, so check nps.gov/glac in spring. Book rooms now regardless, because they sell out and the plan works either way.
The whole Going-to-the-Sun Road usually opens in late June at the earliest, and the alpine section closes around the third Monday of October. There are no gas stations inside the park, so fill up outside. The speed limit is 40 mph, and 25 mph in the alpine section.
Both black and grizzly bears live in the park. Carry bear spray where you can reach it, hike in groups (no attacks on groups of four or more have been reported), make noise and never run. Bear bells don't count. Don't touch dead or sick animals, and boil or filter stream water for at least a minute.
Wildfires are common in Glacier's summers and can fill the valleys with smoke. Check the park's fire and road alerts the morning you go, and have a backup plan for a smoky day.
In June the road may not be fully open and the Logan Pass trails are under snow, though lower trails and the lakes work. In October the lodges are shut. In winter the road stays open only near the west entrance, with skiing and snowshoeing and few services.
Cell coverage is limited even at Apgar and absent in much of the park, so download maps first. The park runs on Mountain Time, and the US switches clocks back on the first Sunday of November. Plugs are US type A and B, 120 V.
Yes, for a first visit: the west side, the road and Logan Pass, and Many Glacier, with one hike each. Add days for the Highline, Two Medicine or Waterton.
Not in 2026, when vehicle reservations were dropped. Instead the Logan Pass shuttle needed a 1 USD ticket, and cars got three hours of parking at the pass.
Usually late June at the earliest (June 22 in 2026), and the alpine section closes around the third Monday of October.
Mostly, with preparation: carry bear spray, hike in a group and keep 100 yards from bears. Drowning, not bears, tops the park's causes of death, so take care by streams and lakes.
For the west side and Logan Pass, yes. Amtrak stops at West Glacier, a paid shuttle links the depot to Apgar and Lake McDonald Lodge in summer, and Logan Pass shuttles need a ticket. Many Glacier needs a tour or a car.
Entry is modest, but visitors from abroad add 100 USD each. Rooms are the real cost and sell out.
Visitors from abroad need a US visa or ESTA to enter the United States. Waterton in Canada also needs your passport and the right Canadian entry papers for your nationality.
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