You'd be hard pressed to say anything about GTSR aside from "unmatched views of beautiful meadows, massive mountains, gorgeous valleys, and the occasional waterfall." The road is only open 3-4 months out of the year in summer once the snow has been cleared and it can become closed again if it snows late in the season (that happened this year in 2025), so bear that in mind when planning your trip. That said, it is absolutely worth at least one trip in everyone's life as far as I'm concerned to make the drive along this famous road. It is absolutely stunning, every lookout point is an incredible photo op, and even the visitor centers are in the most stunning, picturesque locations so even if you can't hike any tough trails, you can see some absolutely incredible parts of this park without even leaving the car (although would strongly recommend getting out for hikes if you are physically able - you miss a lot of other grandeur if you don't ). If very afraid of heights be aware the road is kinda narrow and the drop offs can look kinda steep. But there are barriers all along the road, rest assured about that. Overall - this is without a doubt one of the most beautiful drives and parks I've ever been in, period. STRONGLY rec a visit. read more

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Definitely a highlight of any trip to Glacier National Park. The cool thing is you can do it several times and it will likely yield different views each time. We did it three times over 4 days and saw different things each time. Between 7am to 3pm you must have a timed entry reservation. The parking spots fill up fast so you might need to go several times just so you can head to where you want to go first thing. Then hit less popular areas after. Or don't drive and take the shuttles. read more

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Going-to-the-Sun Road is a highlight in Glacier National Park. The scenic road spans 50 miles & crosses the Continental Divide taking us up to Logan Pass. I traversed past impressive glaciers, beautiful valleys, cascading waterfalls, towering mountains & colorful wildflowers. My eyes were busy scanning for wildlife sightings on my trip across the Sun Road. We rode with Cassidy on the famous Red Bus Tours run by the National Park Service, she whisked us around the park for a couple of hours.. read more

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Spectacular highway! [Glacier National Park] We drove for roughly 5 hours to Glacier National Park. My hubby did the research prior to our visit and read about a ticketed entry for the Going-to-the-Sun Road. This can only be obtained online and is separate from the $35 park pass entry fee. -whew- we would've been disappointed if we were turned away because we didn't have that Entry Reservation Ticket. The cost is $2. We begun our adventure from West Glacier entrance making stops at scenic turnouts and wayside exhibits including: *Lake McDonald - 3,153-ft *Avalanche Creek - fun dipping our feet in the cold glacial streams *Weeping Wall - drive-by *Logan Pass - arrive early or late to find a parking spot along the Continental Divide... unfortunately, we were not able to find parking here :( *Rising Sun - view towering mountain peaks and St Mary Lake *St Mary Lake The 50-mile-long road follows the shores of the park's two largest lakes -- Lake McDonald and St Mary Lake. The views are magnificent and we also enjoyed dipping our feet in the icy cool glacier water. Snow was still melting in high elevation areas so we enjoyed many waterfall sites. The Weeping Wall was really weeping! Free shuttle rides are available and runs from July 1st to Labor Day. They also have the red bus tours for a fee. We decided to drive and enjoy the park at our own pace. We didn't do any camping, we did very light hiking just enjoying the sites. We didn't see any wildlife in this trip. The park is shared by Waterton Lakes NP on the Canada side with most of the park on the U.S. side. We stopped at all the Visitor Centers so I can get my National Passport book stamped. By limiting guests inside the park traffic was controlled and it wasn't too crowded inside. Don't forget to go online and book your Entry Reservation Ticket. Review #2318 read more

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This is the iconic road that goes through Glacier National Park and is one that you need to add to your bucket list if it's not already. It's a windy road and is pretty narrow so you'll need to concentrate on the drive and not look off to the side to see the beautiful views of the park. If you're with other people I'd recommend switching off on driving through the road so everyone can marvel at its beauty. There are also a lot of pullouts along the road to take your pictures. Unfortunately I was by myself but there are still plenty of opportunities to bask in it all. Be aware that in 2021 there is a ticketed entry to get into Going-to-the-Sun Road to Glacier National Park. You'll need to get it online at recreation.gov to enter between 6am-5pm, and of course you'll also need a park pass to enter. I recommend getting the America the Beautiful pass for $80 that lets you enter all national parks for an entire year. Generally in the past the road fully opens in late June or early July because they work to remove all the ice/snow from the road and put railings. Regardless of whether you get the reservation ticket or not I recommend getting here early to get a parking spot because all hikes and all places fill up fast. Most of the trails branch off of this road and there are parking lots of various sizes at all of them. It can get crowded especially in the summer but it is definitely worth the trip! read more

Going-to-the-Sun Road - You can see the road on the right along the mountains - Parks Near Me - West Glacier, Montana

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The views along this road were absolutely stunning and there were many places to stop for photos! My friends and I visited during autumn and we could see the red, orange, gold hues of trees along the mountains from miles and miles away. We could also very clearly see the rivers cutting through the mountains in the distance. Everything looked so perfect, it was honestly hard to believe all of it was real. All our photos turned out so beautifully we didn't even need filters!! read more

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TRANSPORTATION:  We drove through ourselves.  Keep in mind they have free shuttles, or the Red Bus Tour (awesome stretch retro red "jammers" for $55) for those of you who want to be escorted through the park, the benefits being less congestion, less CO2, and a tour guide.  West Glacier entrance is even a train station w/ rental cars (imagine coming by train from Chicago or Seattle) The Going-to-the-Sun Road is 52 miles: Mile 1: Park entrance sign (Photo op!)  Watch out for bears.  They won't hurt you- but they might do rabbit ears behind your head.  With a real rabbit. Mile 2:  Apgar Visitor Center.  Even though it was small, it seemed understaffed. From here you can go NW on Camas (to Apgar Village) or NE on Going-to-the-Sun Road.  (I did both).  The village has tons of shops and places to eat.  Though I'm not too impressed with lake views, the Amazon Fire screensaver has a shot of the dockside at village end where people kayak at Lake McDonald. Mile 8:  take the Eminem Trail and lose yourself.  (Ok, not really) Mile 9 or so:  Sprague Creek.  I recommend stopping for the viewing areas (and trail heads) to see the rapids of turquoise blue waters. Mile 11:  Lake McDonald Lodge.   Mile 12:  McDonald Falls. I'm lovin' it. Mile 16:  If you like trees, you can take a quick simple hike at the Trail of the Cedars at Avalanche Creek. (I didn't stop there.  I don't like the name- it worries me.  It's also the same reason why I didn't stop at Landslide Cliff or Moose Attack Ridge.) Mile 23:  You might want to stop for the West Side Tunnel because you can walk through and view the valley through "windows". Mile 24: The hairpin turn of the Loop, with views of the nearly 9000' foot Heaven's Peak.  Park here for panoramic views of the park.  (Say Park one more time!).  The view is crazy majestic, like something not found in our country: more Switzerland or something.  Looking across the valley to see the fog/clouds/mist swirling up and over a mountain toward the 500' Bird Woman Falls was truly dizzying... literally breathtaking and my legs felt weak. Mile 28: Stop at the lot before you hit the stunning HAYSTACK FALLS, which above you is a layered, staircase waterfall that pours nearly into the road, under it, and falling under a small arch bridge. This is NOT a safe viewing area... only fools walk to the edge of the busy narrow road to peer down the steep falls below you.  I did. It was a great view. Mile 29:  Weeping Wall, is an impressive granite wall flushed with melted snow water that wets the road and possibly your car depending on the year.  The wetness ranges from Broken Water Slide to Betty White. Mile 30:  Big Bend, another great turnout for views, with a 60' Triple Arches bridge. Mile 32:  Logan Pass Visitor Center, at the Continental Divide, and the highest point in which you can drive.  In early July, the entire peak was completely encased in fog/clouds/mist, so I couldn't see the 360 degree views.  I regret not taking the wooden trails to look for wildlife, in particular the trail to Hidden Lake to see goats.  I regret using the bathrooms outside the center.  I saw the World's Largest Chocolate Waterfall outside Portland- here I saw the 2nd largest. Mile 37:  Three miles past the East Side Tunnel (Mile 34), you can view Jackson Glacier.   MIle 40/41: Sunrift Gorge or Sun Point Nature Trial, both with short hikes to 25' Baring Falls (.8 mile roundtrip), and the triple-tiered 35' Saint Mary Falls (1.7mi if you turn back) on the way to multi-tiered 50' Virginia Falls (3.6 mi roundtrip).  I regret not attempting these beautiful hikes, known to be populated by American dipper birds that dive into the water. Mile 42:  Bear Jam!  People will stop their cars to look at bears- this time everyone just slowed down and people took pictures from their sunroofs! (Bears do move, so don't expect Bears at Mile 42) Mile 43:  Mountain peaks towering 4000 feet above the tiny Wild Goose Island make for an iconic photograph worthy the creation of a whole parking lot. Mile 51:  The St. Mary Visitor Center, with another Glacier National Park sign (photo op, easier than the first), followed by gift shops and places to eat in the town of St. Mary, all seemingly run by Russians. The day was late so we went south from St. Mary.  I regret not driving 9 miles north to Babb and then back into the park less than 12 miles to Many Glacier, which is where my friends saw many goats (not just in nature, but in the parking lots!), plus there's a steak restaurant that both my brother-in-law and Anthony Bourdain raved about. I think he said it was to die for. read more

One of the most scenic drives in the country .. maybe even the world. We didn't do any hiking on this trip ... had to cover ALOT of area. From Glacier park to Yellow stone .. over to canada and Dakotas. This drive you see so much scenic beauty. some wildlife .. waterfalls flowing off mountains. the sound of hundreds of little waterfalls. It's beyond gorgeous. I wish so many lakes with mountains surrounding .. so peaceful. Couldn't believe there was that much snow in the summer ... the road just opened fully the day we were leaving but we still made the drive. read more

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This is a great activity to do while in Glacier. It's about 50 miles long with gorgeous views the entire way. There are a lot of pull offs to stop and get pictures along the way. We did a few hikes as well. The hike to Virginia Falls and St. Mary Falls was really pretty and about 4 miles. The hike to Hidden Lake was equally pretty. We could only hike to the overlook because of bear activity so we couldn't go down to the lake. The portion we did was 2.4 miles, but the whole thing is 5.4 miles if it's open. The parking lots fill up early, so getting there early is your best bet. Unfortunately, it is pretty crowded, but still well worth doing. read more

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Going to the Sun Road is located within Glacier National Park. It's one of the most scenic drives in the United States. It's a 50 mile long road that navigates the park from west to east. Along this drive, there are plentiful stops to be made, especially in the heart of Glacier that are a must! The views and overlooks of the grand stature of the mountains and surroundings is breath taking! I started my journey heading from West Glacier Village all the way east towards the St. Mary and Many Glacier area. Although folks will tell you this drive can take 2 hours or so...ABSOLUTELY NOT! There are an abundance of stops to make along with majestic hikes to traverse, I needed a full 4 days not just to drive GTTSR, but to explore all the wonderful trails that bring you to stunning landscapes encompassing all of Glacier. GTTSR is the main passageway to get you all around the park. Here are the highlights from my time driving this fantastic road..... - West Glacier Village is the beginning to GTTSR. Here you can stop for supplies, gifts, gas. They have a Canadian Visitors Center for those who plan on continuing their journey's into the Canadian Rockies. - Agpar Visitors Center - Here starts the free park shuttle. I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT RECOMMEND THE SHUTTLE. IT'S A WASTE OF TIME AND TAKES TOO LONG WAITING! TAKE YOUR OWN CAR AND TRAVEL AT YOUR LEISURE! I will say....the first 15 or so miles is sort of bland. The real action starts in the heart of the park. After the "Loop" section of GTTSR...then you'll truly appreciate the sights! - Lake McDonald - simple lake to walk around the shores. Though...there's no mountains here to help enhance the surroundings. Just okay. Lake McDonald Lodge is quaint and rustic. - Redrock - colorful red rock area w/ turquoise green waters to swim in. Beautiful area and waters are highly inviting! - Trail of the Cedars - highly congested. Not much room to park. You can skip it and come back another time. The Trail of the Cedars, although popular is quite ordinary. This area also starts trail to Avalanche Lake - a great 4 mile round trip hike I recommend doing. Though....due to the positioning of the sun w/ photos, don't visit here until the afternoon. - The Tunnel - decent spot to stop. Tunnel you drive your car through along the edge of the cliff. Although scenery will get better shortly after, people liked to stop here and marvel at this tunnel carved out through the mountain. - The Loop Area - parking area to stop and look around. Heavens Peak is located here though it's small in stature and far away. The Loop Trail starts here for those who want to hike extensively deep into Glacier. - Now the views REALLY BEGIN! - After the Loop, there'll be plenty of chances along the road to pull over and witness grand views of mind blowing scenery! Make sure to stop whenever there's a pull-out, at least all the way until you arrive at Logan Pass. - Bird Woman Falls - lookout that sums up Glacier - cannot be missed! - Weeping Wall - spot for more incredible overlooks of the scenery hovering all around. - Parking Lot - 1/2 mile before you reach Logan Pass (apex of Glacier)...it's a small lot off the road that boasts maybe the BEST sights yet. There's a short boardwalk that leads to a viewing platform. DON'T MISS THIS! - Logan Pass - most popular area of Glacier NP. The parking lot fills up by 8am each morning. If you can't find a spot, wait till afternoon time for folks to start leaving around 4pm. Good thing during summers, sunset is 9pm. With Logan Pass - it's home to 2 OF THE BEST HIKES IN GLACIER! They have to be done! HIDDEN LAKE TRAIL AND OVERLOOK - anywhere from from 3 - 6 miles round trip immersing yourself in magnificent scenery. HIGHLINE TRAIL - walk beside the edge of the mountain w/ unimpeded views of the area. Quite simply....gorgeous! You choose how long to navigate this trail. It can go for miles. Logan Pass - also home to the Continental Divide at over 6600 feet above sea level. There's a unique sign for this right as you enter the lot. - Jackson Glacier - quick stop for a view from the road. Just alright. - Sunrift Gorge - skip, nothing much. - Sun Point - I stopped here for a quick hike to lovely Barring Falls. This was worthwhile. - Wild Goose Island - amazing! For me, humbling view of the water w/ grandeur mountains in the distance. A real easy stop for great glimpse. Definite worthy of pictures. Loved this stop. - St. Mary Trailhead - YES! I came here and hiked to St. Mary Falls and MY FAVORITE - VIRGINIA FALLS! Virginia Falls was the PERFECT waterfall. It was cascading right off the cliff, an indescribable moment. In all, hike 4 miles round trip. A MUST...in my opinion. - Since I'm short on room, eventually...St. Mary - home to the eastern part of Glacier. A Visitors Center here and road continues to Many Glacier and Two Medicine. Overall, Going to the Sun Road is quite emblematic of what makes Glacier one of the best national parks in the country. Enjoy it! read more

Absolutely a beautiful must-do drive, assuming that the road is open. By the way, the road is only open July-October and even then only if there's no late snowfall or avalanches or other reasons why it might not open at all in a given year. Expect the drive to take at a minimum 1-3/4 hour (no stopping, arriving early before most people) and in reality 2-1/2 to 3 hours (stopping, exploring, waiting on people to park and back up). This is a mountain road. For those like me who don't know what a "mountain road" is, it means a road with tons of cutbacks, narrow lanes, terrifying drop offs on one side (there is a barrier so you're relatively safe but you will feel scared as a passenger) and encroaching cliffs and waterfalls on the other, no passing and absolutely beautiful scenery everywhere you look. You have several options to transit - drive yourself (the driver will only minimally get to see the scenery because concentration on driving is a must), take the free park shuttles (there are several stops throughout the road) or take a paid tour (price varies on half day vs full day tour). We drove every time because we'd already paid for a rental car. There are tons of pull offs to stop and enjoy the scenery. Parking is very limited in the official lots, so expect to have to park in a pulloff and walk back to the more popular trail heads and the Logan's Pass visitor center (at the Continental Divide). You'll be fascinated by the different biosphere on the west vs east sides of the park. Totally different trees and plant types. This is truly one of the great roads to drive in the United States. TIP #1: You need to pay the National Park fee to drive the road. We knew we were spending a lot of time in the area, so we did the $30/car fee, good for 7 days. TIP #2: When the road is open, it's open 24/7. You still need to buy a park pass to drive or risk being pulled over and asked to show it during an off-hour. TIP #3: Want to enjoy the drive but avoid the crowds? Start your drive around 7 am. During the summer there's tons of light starting at 5 am all the way until 11 pm. read more

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1. Going to the sun road is the most scenic road I have traveled. It is the main road going west-east across Glacier National Park. 2. Apgar is the start of GTTS on the southern tip of Lake McDonald, the largest lake within the park. Forests as far as the eye can see, with mountains looming on the far side of the lake. Apgar Inn on the lake and restaurants here. Free shuttle service start here. 3. GTTS road is two lanes and flat here, running adjacent to the 10 mile long lake, passing Lake McDonald Lodge on the north side of the lake, 4. Avalanche Creek has 100+ cars parked on the sides of the road and in the parking lots on both sides of the road. This is the transfer point for the free shuttle, with 12 passenger shuttle vans replacing the full size buses. 5. The trail of the Cedars Nature Trail is a 1 mile circular boardwalk trail running from GTTS to Avalanche Creek, covered by dense forests. The boardwalk is flat with no stairs, a wheel chair accessible trail. Railings on the sides of the boardwalk, for out of control wheelchairs! 6. Avalanche Creek is the start of the 4 mile round trip Avalanche Lake trail. This is an uphill, dirt trail, running alongside the roaring creek, with thunderous waterfalls from the melting snow, under a dense canopy of alpine forest. 7. I'm hiking in my women's Chako sport sandals, with light blue straps, as my hiking shoes became unglued from the 13 mile round trip Grinnell Glacier hike, the most beautiful hike I have ever done, two days earlier. 8. Strenuous, as I'm careful not to bang my exposed toes against the rocks and tree roots littering the dirt trail. The sport sandals have a thick area, in front of the toes, and it is easy to adjust the straps to eject any pebbles getting under my feet. 9. Good to have hiking poles, but these are not allowed as carry on luggage. 10. 75 minutes of uphill climbing, and the forests recede, with areas of brush, and then a large deep green Avalanche Lake. 11. Lake is surrounded by tall mountains on the opposite side, with snow topped mountains, and waterfalls in the distance. 12. A lady unhitches a kid off her back, the toddler promptly running into the lake, with the dad in quick pursuit, pulling the toddler out and onto the carrier on his back. Words between those two! 13. I find an unattended hiking stick next to a bench, look around for the owner, and start off, only to be chased down a quarter mile later by a teenager of the Chinese lady owner! 14. Going back is downhill, with the dense forest blocking out most of the sunlight. A guy carrying a child on his back, the kid missing a shoe! 15. Another group has a kid singing 'Old McDonald had a farm, he hi he hi ho', over and over again. My wife can't stand that singing! 16. We encounter a few astonished women looking at my Chako sports sandals, seen on teenage and college age ladies. 17. Plenty of restrooms at the shuttle stop on GTTS, but all parking gone by 10am. 18. After Avalanche, GTTS road goes uphill, and traverses across the mountain side. Sign says no vehicles longer than 21 feet. Vehicles wider than 9 feet, including mirror extensions risk hitting oncoming traffic. Tall campers will hit rock overhangs on the mountain side. 19. Another sign says no bikes between 11am and 4pm for the next 10 miles. Tough to pass a bicycle going uphill with the number of blind curves! 20. Vehicles on the outside of the road, have a 1 foot barrier of rocks separating them from a 1000 foot plunge into the deep forest covered gorge, while the inside lane is right against the rock wall of the mountain. Majestic mountains and glaciers in the background. 21. Road is as narrow as 18 feet, with full size pickups, SUVs, and 15 passenger Red Bus convertibles, all crossing the center line, when they see my tiny Sonic coming the other way! 22. GTTS reaches 'The Loop', the only hairpin curve in the road, The parking lot is filled. Weeping Wall, with water running down the walls of rock on the inside of the road. Triple Arches is where GTTS goes over three arches, supporting the road on the side of a mountain. 23. Logan Pass is the Continental Divide, the top of a mountain pass, with a 300 vehicle parking lot filled up by 10am, and the start of the Hidden Lake and Highline trails. We did the 3 mile Hidden Lake hike, me in Chako sports sandals, and saw mountain goats. 24. We go down the east side, past more sheer cliffs. Single lane traffic controls -fire fighting in progress, with fire equipment alongside the road. No stopping, with convoys of vehicles escorted by a front running vehicle, and a vehicle bringing up the rear, both with roof flashing lights. 25. Burned forests, both sides of the road, right up to the edge of the 10 mile long St. Mary's lake, running alongside GTTS. Rising Sun motel closed. 26. Three weeks later, a Labor Day weekend snowstorm closes GTTS at Logan Pass!. read more

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GOING-TO-THE-SUN ROAD is about 50 miles long, and its highest elevation is about 6,600 feet. Three visitor centers are on this road, namely, Apgar, Logan Pass, and St. Mary visitor centers. Starting from the west, Camas Road changes name at the Apgar Visitor Center and becomes Going-To-The-Sun Road. The road hugs the southern shore of the entire length of Lake McDonald, takes you past the trailhead to Avalanche Lake (we stopped here and took this trail), and then once past Lake McDonald the road goes up, up, and up, and there is a sharp hairpin turn, and then the road continues to go up, up, and up, until you reach the Logan Pass Visitor Center. What a thrill it is to see the vehicles used for the Red Bus Tours. The buses look like vintage buses because they are. Of the 33 buses on the road today at Glacier National Park, 17 are from 1936, 11 are from 1937, 4 are from 1938 and 1 is from 1939. On one of the ascending parts of Going-To-The-Sun Road, drivers encounter a short tunnel. What a thrill that will be to the kiddies. MORE PLACES TO PARK AND HIKE, ALONG GOING-TO-THE-SUN ROAD. You can park at Logan Pass Visitor Center and then take a trail on a boardwalk leading you to a grand vista, featuring Hidden Lake. East of Logan Pass Visitor Center, the road descends and you past Lunch Creek (we stopped here and hiked among the beargrass to a little waterfall), past the trailhead to Saint Mary Falls (we stopped and took this trail), past Sunrift Gorge (we stopped here and took the short trail), past Sun Point Nature Trail which takes you to the edge of Lake Mary (we stopped here too), then past Wild Goose Island Lookout (we stopped here too), and finally to Saint Mary Visitor Center. Guess what, we stopped here too. MY PHOTOGRAPHS. The attached photos were all taken while I parked at various turnouts on the road. You can see a chipmunk in two of my photographs. This same chipmunk has accompanied by family to Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Monument Valley, and Natural Bridges National Monument. What a ham is this chipmunk - - - it gets its way and is sometimes featured in my landscape photographs. OTHER INFORMATION. The history behind the building of Going-To-The-Sun Road is a big deal, and books are available on this and other topics relating to this road. These include: B. Yenne (2013) Going-To-The-Sun Road; O. Raup (1983) Geology Along Going-To-The-Sun Road, and Pat O'Hara (1984) Going-To-The-Sun: The Story of the Highway. I own three other books by Pat O'Hara, and these are all excellent landscape photography books. read more

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One of the most spectacular drives you will ever find. Remember that if you travel early in the mourning it's best to go from East to West to keep the sun glare out of your eyes. If you plan to visit just make sure to plan your days activities as much as possible. You will also have to be prepared to change and adapt because so many of the stops are jammed with people and there are no parking spaces. Be careful where you park on the Going To The Sun Road. We saw Rangers giving parking tickets to cars that were parked where they were not supposed to be and blocking traffic in Logan's Pass. The views of the mountains are spectacular and the water falls are gorgeous. You will definitely take home many memories from here. read more

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Always check to see if the roads open because if the snow and now post covid you have to make reservation but that could change at any time.the roads beautiful and long and steep did I say it was steep I'm afraid of heights I've done it once never again read more

Great ride from one side of the park to the other. We were able to go on opening day 2018! As described by a 9 year old, it is a 10 star, it has a weeping wall, snow, fog, cold, hot, sunny....just about everything. Spectacular views, would love to come back on a day with better visibility. read more

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Easily the most spectacular drive in the United States!! Going-to-the-Sun Road takes you directly across Glacier National Park, over the Continental Divide and through some of the most majestic scenery the US has to offer! Be prepared with your camera to take stunning images of glaciers, mountains, valleys, lakes of unbelievable colors, and, if you are lucky, dozens of animals! Going-to-the-Sun Road is a 53 mile drive and will take you at least two (2) hours to drive (plus stops). The road is two lanes, with twists and turns throughout. There are times when you will look out the passenger side window and realize you are on the edge of a cliff. We were fortunate enough to drive this road twice in the same week. Our trip had us arrive at the Kalispell airport (western side of the park/road). We planned to spend a few days in St. Marys (located at the end of Going to the Sun Road on the eastern most side of the park), and then return towards Kalispell to spend a few days at a dude ranch in Whitefish. The drive was GORGEOUS! We stopped so many times to take "just one more" picture of one thing or another. What fascinated me was when I tried to take images of the road we just traveled, only to find it had disappeared! Turns out, the GTTS Road is a mastery in design- designed to be barely visible in the landscape, thereby creating a minimal impact on the park. I couldn't believe they planned for an "invisible" road in 1933 (when the road was built!). Reminded me of the scene in Indiana Jones Last Crusade where they have to take a "leap of faith" onto a perfectly blended stone bridge. Time after time I tried to take a picture of the road, but it was so well hidden!!! (Interesting side note: Going to the Sun Road was also undergoing repairs at the time- but you would never know it! No orange cones or construction crews visible here!! Nothing! Not a trace of anything! ) Every twist and turn on the road revealed a new stunning valley, landscape, mountain, glacier, forest and more. The most stunning portions of the drive take you past Lake McDonald (western most side of the road and park), Bird Woman Falls, Weeping Wall, Logan Pass, Jackson Glacier and St. Mary Lake. Bird Woman Falls is a distant waterfall visible from the GTTS Road, fed from a glacier yet visible miles out in the midst of a mountain. Despite the distance, you can clearly see the water rushing and falling. I can only imagine its force and beauty up close! You will drive directly adjacent to the Weeping Wall- an area with a natural waterfall emerges out of the rock and falls directly in the path of the Going to the Sun Road. I couldn't help leaning out of the car to catch the water with my hand. Other cars were so much more adventurous- with people fully sitting on their window to get wet in the glacier water! You can't miss Logan Pass! It is one of the few areas that is clearly marked by a sign that is as "touristy" as it gets. Logan Pass is located at the Continental Divide. There is a Visitor Center open during portions of the year- and just to the left is a favorite spot of mountain goats! We spotted a dozen just hanging around and enjoying the "view" of all the tourists. YES! You can see a glacier from the comfort of your car!! Jackson Glacier is clearly visible from the Going to the Sun Drive as you approach the eastern side of the park. But act quickly! Sadly, the glacier is quickly "retreating" (glacier speak for disappearing). One of the signs said the glacier was @2000 acres when first discovered in the 1800s, but was now only @200 acres. So sad. St. Mary Lake is located at the eastern most end of the Going to the Sun Road and of Glacier Park itself. This lake is STUNNING! I definitely recommend taking the cruise and hike tour surrounding this lake. The scenery, history and available views are visually amazing and will remain with you well after you leave. I recommend this drive to everyone I encounter! The park is stunning, the road and the views are AMAZING! I don't know why this park isn't more famous!! It should be-- right up there with Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon!! If you don't want to drive yourself, there are dozens of tour buses and shuttles that will take you through-- for a very reasonable price. Some hotels even offer a free shuttle!! Plan for it!! Definitely go!! read more

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This was a really beautiful drive along this road. We didn't make it for a sunset but it was still an amazing drive along this road. We did the whole thing! This is a must do road!! We started really early for hiking, so by the time we were done, we wanted to head back and eat. Next time I'd like to start later and get to see a sunset from up there. Crowded at time, but that's expected. Wasn't too bad overall. read more

Mind Blowing! Despite the constant construction and the occasional traffic jams at turnouts and vistas this is truly an awesome drive. Even after just traveling through stunning Banff and Jasper in Canada this drive rates up there with them in terms of world class scenery. August 2014 read more

I'm not much of a "Wow! Beautiful Scenery" type of person, but we drove the Going-To-The-Sun road last weekend on a motorbike, and well...WOW! Beautiful Scenery! It was awesome. Tons of places to pull over and take photos/check out the view. There's a bit of construction going on right at the start, so it's kind of slow moving, but once you get through that 20 minutes or so it's great! I will definitely do this again and again! read more

Going-to-the-Sun Road - Going-To-The-Sun Road! - Parks Near Me - West Glacier, Montana

Some parts of this road are closed at the moment but it's very pretty and has a lot of places to pull off on the side of the road to take photos. read more

Besides construction stalling us an additional 20 minutes, and the West side (which was 2.5 hours closer) we still made the haul up there and paid our entry to go on this road and boy was it worth it! read more

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My family and I had a trip planned to do this tour but unfortunately due to the weather we had to cancel. We are from Texas and are not accustomed to driving in mountains during a rain storm. I called about 20 times and left a voicemail for someone to return my call and they never reached out. I also emailed them and still didn't receive no response. Finally I was able to speak with someone and informed of the situation and he stated he didn't think we could get a refund or even credit but he would speak with his supervisor and get back to me. The tour was for this morning 6/9 and I still haven't heard back. There policy states they will refund you if you inform them 7 days in advance but when I checked the weather it was clear until 3 days before. I don't recommend this tour due to the poor customer device and lack of communication. read more

Hello I am confident that you will be able to like this road. We went during summer and the huge scene made me enjoy my stay at glacier more. You should be here right now read more

Breathtaking drive, we went on a beautiful cloudless day and we saw lots of goats and deer. Word of warning: My wife Morag took our beagle for a walk on a trail and the park rangers almost threw her in jail. Make sure you obey the signs. read more

Going-to-the-Sun Road - Morag, dog and deer - Parks Near Me - West Glacier, Montana

I can't decide which is more spectacular: the view of steep mountains and glaciers above, the engineering marvel that is this road, or the steep and deep valleys immediately off the side of the road!!! Take a tour or shuttle so you can enjoy the views, and lessen the traffic on this busy road. The shuttles run all day though Labor Day and you can jump on/off at the various stops. I have done both, and recommend the historic Red Bus Tour to Many Glacier at least once. If you are crazy enough to drive going east-to-west has 10 miles less white-knuckle driving! read more

Ticket system is terrible. I tried starting as soon as the tickets were available, only to watch as the number of tickets available twindled within 3 minutes as I repeatedly got the message "Too many people are requesting tickets right now. Refresh your screen and try again." If the system can't handle the traffic to let people actually get tickets when they try, then something is very wrong. read more

With the new ticketed reservation system, it is impossible to get tickets. They go for sale at 8am mountain time. 5 days in a row, I try the literal second the clock hits 8, and they are sold out. Might be a nice road, but with the new ticketed entry, we will never get to know! read more

Driving the entire route of the Road to the Sun is a once in a lifetime experience that exceeds all you can imagine going to a national park would be like and more. Every vista point is spectacular and the trip from start to end is simply amazing - here are more images and highlights from a tour I did of this journey http://travelphotodiscovery.com/a-visit-to-glacier-national-park-in-montana/ read more

Going to the Sun Road is the one of the ultimate white knuckle rides (tho it has rivals with Angel's Landing in Zion National Park&Elephant Hill in Canyonlands along with the drive to Fort Ross) It takes one up through the steep climbs of the Continental Divide, and come close to bighorn sheep and glaciers at Logan Pass. It's been used for iconic scenes in "The Shining" and "Blade Runner." Going to the Sun Road has the sense of a mystical journey. The views are amazing. The vistas are worth the challenge. read more

This is the most beautiful scenic drive I have been through, it's downright jaw dropping amazing. The park has a free shuttle along this road. You can see the major highlights from this one road without leaving your car, lakes, waterfalls, Jackson glacier, the Continental Divide, mountains, valleys, and if you're lucky, animals. Most of the pull outs are on the south side of the road. read more

Breathtaking views the whole drive along this road through Glacier park. Luckily we were there on a day where the road wasn't too crowded! The mountains, glaciers, and valleys were amazing! read more

Easily the most beautiful drive I have been on. Epic beauty in every direction. Take the time to park and get off the road. As beautiful as the view through your windshield is, a few minutes down any of the amazing trails will take your breath away. read more

Windy but very scenic road with great views and opportunities to view wildlife. We saw a grizzly and a black bear on the side of the road along with some moose and deer. I strongly recommend it! read more