Montana is built for driving. Kalispell to Bozeman, the usual Glacier-to-Yellowstone transfer, is about 313 miles, and Yellowstone's own website says "a vehicle is generally required to visit the park." Public transport still covers more than most visitors expect: intercity buses run on I-90, I-15 and US-93, the Empire Builder stops at both Glacier entrances on the south and east sides, and Missoula and Bozeman run free city buses.
This guide covers the main driving distances, which bus companies run where in 2026, how to use the train within Montana, the free town buses, ride-hailing and getting from the airports. Routes and schedules change often, so check each operator's site before you travel. Road distances are router estimates.
Driving: the distances that shape a trip
| Route | About | Main road |
|---|---|---|
| Kalispell to West Glacier | 32 mi, 45 min | US-2 |
| Missoula to Kalispell | 124 mi, 2.5 h | US-93 |
| Missoula to Bozeman | 204 mi, 3.5 h | I-90 |
| Kalispell to Bozeman | 313 mi, 5.5 h | US-93, I-90 |
| Bozeman to Gardiner | 74 mi, 1.5 h | US-89 |
| Bozeman to West Yellowstone | 90 mi, 2 h | US-191 |
| Bozeman to Billings | 143 mi, 2.5 h | I-90 |
| Great Falls to St. Mary | 157 mi, 3 h | I-15, US-89 |
Inside the parks, the times are much longer than the distances suggest. Rental tips, speed limits and fuel planning are in our driving and car rental guide, and winter road rules are in our winter driving guide.
Intercity buses
Jefferson Lines is the main intercity carrier. Since July 2025 it has run a direct route between Whitefish and Billings four days a week, stopping at Missoula, Butte, Bozeman, Livingston and Big Timber. It took over the Missoula–Whitefish corridor when a local operator stopped running it in mid-2025. Its 2026 list of Montana stops also includes US-93 towns between Missoula and Kalispell: Evaro, Arlee, Ravalli, St. Ignatius, Ronan, Polson and Lakeside. It also lists Miles City and Glendive on I-94. Tickets are sold at the Billings, Butte, Missoula and Glendive stations or online. Many stops are at fuel stations with no staff.
Salt Lake Express runs north-south from Idaho and Utah. Its Montana stops are on the I-15 corridor: Dillon, Butte, Helena, Great Falls and small stops such as Lima, Melrose, Boulder and Wolf Creek. It also serves West Yellowstone from Idaho Falls: in October 2026 it ran one departure a day, taking 2 hours 35 minutes, with fares from $52 one way.
The NPS also says a bus runs between Bozeman and West Yellowstone all year. Neither company stops at Gardiner, West Glacier or St. Mary.
The Empire Builder inside Montana
Amtrak's Empire Builder runs once a day each way along the Hi-Line, roughly following US-2. It stops at Libby, Whitefish, West Glacier, Essex, East Glacier Park (summer only), Browning (winter only), Cut Bank, Shelby, Havre, Malta, Glasgow and Wolf Point.
For travel within Montana, it is most useful between Whitefish, West Glacier and East Glacier Park. In the August–September 2026 timetable, the westbound train reached West Glacier at 9:27 p.m. and Whitefish at 10:06 p.m., and the eastbound train left Whitefish at 7:26 a.m. It does not go near Missoula, Bozeman, Billings or Yellowstone. Our airports and Amtrak guide has the full Montana timetable.
Free and cheap town buses
- Mountain Line, Missoula: fare-free since 2015, with 12 routes and a mostly electric fleet. Route 11 runs hourly between downtown and the airport; check mountainline.com for which days it runs.
- Streamline, Bozeman: zero-fare. Four Bozeman routes and a Belgrade route run on weekdays from about 6:45 a.m. to 10 p.m., with shorter weekend service on the Bozeman routes. A weekday commuter run to Livingston operates from October to April. Streamline has run occasional special airport trips but no regular airport route.
- Skyline, Big Sky: local routes in Big Sky are free all year. The Bozeman–Big Sky Link costs $5 cash one way (exact change) or $40 for a 10-ride punch pass. Its 2026/27 winter schedule starts after the fall shoulder schedule ends on November 22.
- Helena and Billings: Capital Transit in Helena and MET Transit in Billings charge fares; check current prices on the city sites.
Ride-hailing, taxis and airport transfers
The ground-transport pages at Bozeman (BZN), Glacier Park International (FCA) and Missoula (MSO) all list Uber and Lyft, plus local taxis and shuttle companies. BZN lists shuttle operators to Big Sky and to Yellowstone. FCA lists taxis, shuttles and a limousine service but no public bus, and it advises travellers to arrange transport before they land. Missoula is the only one of the three with a regular free city bus to the terminal.
Outside the bigger towns, don't plan around ride-hailing. We could not confirm regular drivers in park gateways such as West Glacier, St. Mary or Gardiner, and phone coverage there is patchy.
Getting around inside the parks
Glacier had no vehicle reservations in 2026. From July 1 to September 7, a ticketed express shuttle ran to Logan Pass from Apgar and Lake McDonald Lodge on the west side and from St. Mary and Rising Sun on the east. Tickets cost a $1 fee on Recreation.gov. It did not stop at Avalanche Lake or the Trail of the Cedars. The lodge operator ran a first-come Many Glacier hiker shuttle to St. Mary from July 1 to September 21, 2026, for $18 adults and $9 children each way. The red "Jammer" buses run guided tours on Going-to-the-Sun Road. Arrangements for 2027 had not been announced in October 2026.
Yellowstone has no public transport inside the park. Tour companies run trips from the gateway towns, and in winter the interior roads are open only to guided snowmobiles and snowcoaches.
Before you go
- Rent a car unless your plan fits the bus, train and shuttle routes above.
- Check Jefferson Lines and Salt Lake Express schedules for your travel day; some routes don't run every day.
- Book Logan Pass shuttle seats if Glacier repeats the system in 2027.
- Download offline maps; mobile coverage is weak in both parks.
- Arrange airport transfers before you land at FCA or BZN in peak season.
Details checked October 2026.