Going-to-the-Sun Road, stop by stop.
One road, and two gatekeepers
Fifty miles from Apgar to St Mary over a 6,646-foot pass, and the two things that decide whether you drive it at all: the vehicle reservation and the plough.
βIβve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and donβt have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!β
10 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in orderβEvery stop is a real pin, in order.
Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park
5 of the stops on these 2 days.
Plan and book your 2 days in Going-to-the-Sun Road, one step at a time
How 2 days in Going-to-the-Sun Road split up
Going-to-the-Sun Road runs about 50 miles across Glacier National Park, from Apgar on Lake McDonald over Logan Pass at 6,646 feet and down to St Mary. It is the only road across the park, it is carved into a cliff for much of the middle, and driving it end to end without stopping takes roughly two hours. Nobody drives it without stopping.
Day 1: Apgar, Lake McDonald & the Climb to Logan Pass
5 stops Β· Day one
Day 2: Logan Pass, the East Side & St Mary Lake
5 stops Β· Day two
Apgar, Lake McDonald & the Climb to Logan Pass
Start at Apgar, at the foot of Lake McDonald, and start early. If a vehicle reservation is in force for your dates, entering before the window opens avoids it entirely and, more usefully, gets you a parking space at the top. The Logan Pass lot fills by mid morning in July and August and then stays full until late afternoon.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
Start at ApgarGo early Β· beats the reservation window Β· DriveThe west end of the road, at the foot of Lake McDonald. Entering before the timed-entry window opens means no vehicle reservation and, more usefully, a parking space at the top.
Lake McDonald Lodge10 mi Β· coloured stones Β· ViewpointThe lake with the coloured stones under clear water. The lodge is the halfway marker on the west side and has the last reliable toilets before the climb.
Trail of the Cedars & Avalanche Lake0.9 mi loop Β· or 4.5 mi RT Β· HikeA flat accessible boardwalk through old growth, with the Avalanche Lake trail leaving from it. The lake is 4.5 miles round trip and 730 feet, and it is the best short hike on the west side.
- The Loop and the Weeping Wall
The hairpin, then water on the road Β· ViewpointThe single hairpin that gains the cliff, and above it a rock face that pours straight onto the tarmac in early summer. Close the window.
Logan Pass6,646 ft Β· lot fills by mid morning Β· lodgeThe top of the road and the start of both Hidden Lake Overlook and the Highline Trail. The car park fills by mid morning through July and August and stays full until late afternoon.
Logan Pass, the East Side & St Mary Lake
From the pass, the Hidden Lake Overlook boardwalk is 2.7 miles round trip and climbs gently through the meadows behind the visitor centre to a viewpoint above the lake. It is the highest-value hour on the whole road. The Highline Trail starts from the same car park and runs north along the Garden Wall with a cable-assisted ledge in the first mile; it is a full day rather than a stop, and it is the reason some people come at all.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Hidden Lake Overlook
2.7 mi RT Β· from the pass Β· HikeBoardwalk then trail, up through the meadows behind the visitor centre to a viewpoint above the lake. The highest-value hour on the whole road, and there are usually bears in the meadows.
Jackson Glacier OverlookA named glacier, from the car Β· ViewpointThe one pullout where a named glacier is visible from the road. It is noticeably smaller than the photograph on the interpretive sign, which is the point the sign is making.
- Sunrift Gorge & Sun Point
30-second walk Β· then the lake Β· ViewpointA slot the creek has cut through the rock, thirty seconds from the car, then Sun Point a mile on for the full length of St Mary Lake.
- Wild Goose Island Overlook
The postcard Β· late afternoon Β· ViewpointOne tree-covered island in the middle of St Mary Lake with the peaks stacked behind it. This is the view the road is famous for, and the reason to drive west to east: it lands in afternoon light.
- St Mary
East entrance Β· food and beds Β· lodgeThe east end of the road. Food, fuel and beds, and the jumping-off point for Many Glacier if you are carrying on.
Book the 1 night
Beds near the trailheads are the one thing on this trip that genuinely runs out. Everything else can be decided later.
Tell us your dates and we will do the calling. We check every booking site, put your points and card perks against the cash price, and email you this plan back with the best room we can find for each night. Nothing is charged and you decide at the end.
Request to bookWhat to pack for Going-to-the-Sun Road
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
On your feet
Because you are sleeping indoors
For the driving days
Specific to Going-to-the-Sun Road
The four things that catch people out
The vehicle reservation
Recent summers have required a timed-entry vehicle reservation to drive the corridor during the day. The rules have changed almost every year, so check the National Park Service page for your summer and set an alarm for the release. Entering before the window opens does not need one.
The road opens when it opens
The alpine section is ploughed a few hundred yards a day and the full road usually opens between late June and mid July. It is announced, not scheduled. Book flexible and check the park status page the week before.
The 21-foot limit is real
Between Avalanche Creek and Rising Sun, nothing over 21 feet long, 8 feet wide with mirrors, or 10 feet tall. Trailers and big campervans have to go round the park on US-2, which is two and a half hours.
Logan Pass parking runs out
The lot at the top fills by mid morning through July and August and stays full until late afternoon. Arrive early, ride the free shuttle, or come back at four.
Going-to-the-Sun Road, answered
Going-to-the-Sun Road itinerary: the questions people ask most.
In recent summers, yes, a timed-entry vehicle reservation has been required to drive the corridor during daytime hours, on top of the park entrance fee. The dates, hours and release schedule have changed nearly every year, so check the National Park Service page for the summer you are going. Entering before the reservation window opens does not require one.
We'll find the cheapest way to do this trip.
Tell us your dates and we price the plan you just built: every booking site, the hotels direct, and your own points and card perks against the cash price. You get it back by email with a link for each night and what it saved you.
- It is free. The hotel pays us, not you. You pay their normal price.
- Nothing is charged and nothing is held. You decide at the end, or you walk away.
- Beds near trailheads are the part that runs out. Everything else can wait.
The figures below are estimates from local nightly rates, so you know the ballpark before you ask. The real number comes back once we have checked what is free.
- 1 night, a campsite near West Glacier
1 Γ $22$22
- 1 night, a room in West Glacier
from $171 a nightfrom $171
Yulia, ExplorOFF founderβ
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5.0 from 20+ guided tripsGoogleAirbnbFrom$1,4702 people, 1 night- Everything in Glamped, plus a local guide
- Airport pickup, every drive, all the gear
- Weather turns, they rewrite the day
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva Β· Co-founder Β· Lead planner and guide
Builds every custom itinerary herself and leads guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests. Based in Seattle.
Booking Going-to-the-Sun Road
Everything below is booked with the operators direct. We earn a commission on some of them, which is what keeps the itineraries free to read.
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What adventurers say about us.
All reviews are from verified guests. β β β β β 5.0 average from 20+ bookings.
"Felt like going out with a really knowledgeable friend who just happens to know everything about the area. No awkward tour-guide energy, just a magnificent day."
"Yulia is an incredible guide. She knew every trail, every viewpoint, and exactly how to pace the day for our group. The photos she took of us were stunning. 100% booking again."
"I was visiting Seattle solo and this was the best decision I made on the trip. Yulia picked me up, had snacks, and took us to a trail I never would have found on my own. Absolute must-do."
"We did this as a couple's trip and it was perfect. Yulia adapted everything to us, our pace, our interests, our photo obsession. The mountain views were unreal."
"Phenomenal experience. Yulia has deep local knowledge and a real passion for the outdoors. She went out of her way to show us the hidden gems tourists never see. Will remember this forever."
"I've done a few guided hikes and this was by far the best. Yulia is warm, funny, and genuinely expert. The trail she chose had the most insane wildflower bloom, we got so lucky."
Fees, reservation windows, shuttle dates and trail closures are planning estimates. Confirm hours, road status and any reservations with the land manager before you go.
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One tap. It goes straight to Yulia and Margarita.
You can't hike it if you can't get the permit.
The best hikes in America run on lotteries that open once a year and sell out in minutes. Every trail runs on its own calendar. Pick the ones you want and we do the watching.
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How it works
- An email the morning each window opens, never the day after.
- A 14-day heads-up so you can line up your group and dates.
- Win odds and a ranked backup plan for every trail you pick.
Didn't win? We keep watching. We check recreation.gov every day for The Enchantments, Half Dome and Angels Landing, and email you the moment a sold-out date frees up. Cancellations are the second chance most people never hear about.
βIβve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and donβt have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!β