Going-to-the-Sun Road

Going-to-the-Sun Road is the only road across Glacier National Park, about 50 miles from US-2 at West Glacier to US-89 at St. Mary. From the west it follows the south shore of Lake McDonald and the valley of McDonald Creek, then climbs the Garden Wall to cross the Continental Divide at Logan Pass, 6,646 feet, before dropping past Saint Mary Lake on the east side. Driven without stops it takes about two hours; with the overlooks and short walks it fills a day.

Construction began in 1921 and finished in 1932, and the road was dedicated on July 15, 1933. It was one of the first National Park Service projects designed for the motorist, and the upper section follows landscape architect Thomas Vint's route along the Garden Wall, which cut down the number of switchbacks and kept the road low on the mountainside. It is a National Historic Landmark and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Highlights from west to east include Lake McDonald, the Trail of the Cedars at Avalanche Creek, the hairpin known as the Loop, the Weeping Wall, Logan Pass, Jackson Glacier Overlook and the Wild Goose Island turnout on Saint Mary Lake. The red 1930s touring buses, the "Jammers", still run guided trips in summer.

The alpine section is one of the hardest roads in North America to clear: up to 80 feet of snow can lie at Logan Pass, and crews plow for about ten weeks each spring. In 2026 the road opened fully on June 22. There were no vehicle reservations this year, but Logan Pass parking was limited to three hours from July 1 to September 7, with a ticketed shuttle to the pass over the same dates. A storm closed the alpine section from Avalanche to Jackson Glacier Overlook on the evening of October 9; the road normally closes beyond the lower sections on the third Monday of October, which in 2026 is October 19. Through the winter only the stretch from West Glacier to Lake McDonald Lodge is plowed.

Size rules matter here. Vehicles or combinations longer than 21 feet, including bumpers, or wider than 8 feet, including mirrors, may not drive between Avalanche Creek and Rising Sun, and anything over 10 feet tall can have trouble under the rock overhangs west of Logan Pass. Speed limits drop to 25 mph in the alpine section.

Practical tip: start early or late in the day, when traffic is lighter and parking at the pullouts is easier to find, and check the road status line or the park's website the same morning; sections can close at short notice for rockfall, snow or wind.