Glacier National Park Tips and Tricks: 18 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting
I’ve visited Glacier National Park almost every year of my life because it’s my home National Park. It’s an INCREDIBLE park to visit, but there are some things to know before visiting Glacier. If you know these Glacier National Park tips before you go, you’ll have the best trip ever in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
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What to Know Before Visiting Glacier National Park
Some of the things you need to know before visiting Glacier National Park are obvious like don’t feed the wildlife, leave no trace, be respectful of the landscape, etc. I don’t cover those in depth here because it’s something you should know before visiting any National Park! Glacier is one of the most incredible places on Earth – please treat it with respect!
1. You MUST Carry Bear Spray
Glacier National Park is definitely grizzly country so it is essential to carry bear spray on your hikes. If you are only spending one day in Glacier National Park, you can choose to rent bear spray at Glacier Outfitters instead of spending $50 on something you are (hopefully) not going to use.
Weigh the cost of buying your own versus renting if you are staying longer since the cost of the rental is usually on a daily basis.
AND make sure you know how to use the bear spray before you go on the trails. If you are renting, they do have education available in video form that you will watch before renting. Otherwise you can enjoy this 2 minute YouTube video that teaches you how!
2. Reserve Your Accommodations Far in Advance
Because Glacier is one of the most popular National Parks in the USA, you will need to book your accommodations pretty far in advance if you want to stay close to the park for a somewhat affordable price.
If you are planning to camp inside the park, you will need to book really far in advance. Campsites open up 6 months before the travel dates on Recreation.gov and usually fill up. There are a select amount of campsites that open up 4 days before the travel dates if you are more of a last minute traveler! You can also hope for last minute cancellations but I wouldn’t recommend doing this if you can avoid it.
3. The Park is Really Big
Glacier National Park is over 1 million acres! If you only have 2-3 days on your trip, don’t expect to see the whole park. Because it’s such a big and popular park, it does require a bit of advanced planning so you can have a fun and stress free vacation!
It takes a while to get from West Glacier to East Glacier (about 2-3 hours) so you will need to keep the travel time in mind as you plan your travel around the park. Additionally, not all entrances connect, so plan ahead on your route and keep the drive time in mind. Check out the National Park map so you can map out your trip ahead of time.
4. Going to the Sun Road Opening Time
Going to the Sun Road is one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the whole world and you don’t want to miss it if you visit Glacier. But one thing that people miss when visiting Glacier National Park is that the road is closed to cars until it is completely plowed.
The date changes year to year but it’s often late June or early July. Here are some historical opening dates for the road in past years. I would recommend scheduling your trip for mid July to September if you can so you can experience the magic of Going to the Sun Road.
If you do happen to visit before the road opens to cars, you can still enjoy the park by riding bikes up Going to the Sun Road.
5. You Have to Get Up Early
If there is one Glacier National Park tip you need to make your trip more enjoyable, it’s getting started early. If you are visiting in peak season, especially July and August, you will NEED to start your day early if you plan to do the popular activities. Some of the popular trailheads (looking at you Avalanche Lake and Trail of the Cedars!) will fill up very early in the morning. Alternatively, you can take the shuttle – more on that below.
The wildlife is easier to spot in the mornings and you won’t have to deal with crowds, so even if you aren’t visiting the most popular places in the park, you will still have a better experience if you get started early.
6. Where You Stay Matters
As I said before, Glacier National Park is a big park! So if you are planning to stay outside of the park, pay attention to the drive times to the locations you are visiting. I would not recommend staying as far away as Kalispell, Montana (the biggest city near Glacier) unless you are just visiting for the day. You can definitely still have a good vacation this way, but it does add extra driving time.
And you may want to consider splitting your accommodations between the East side and the West side of the park because it’s a fairly long drive.
7. Glacier National Park East vs. West
Glacier National Park is generally divided into the East side of the park (Many Glacier, Two Medicine, St. Mary) and the West side of the park (Apgar, West Glacier, Lake McDonald). The two sides do connect via Going to the Sun Road or you can exit the park to drive around the outside.
Both sides are absolutely stunning. If your trip is long enough, you will regret it if you don’t spend time on both sides of the park!
Things to do in Glacier National Park West:
- Huckleberry ice cream in Apgar
- Visit the Lake McDonald Lodge
- Boat Ride on Lake McDonald
- Our full list of things to do in West Glacier with kids!
Things to do in Glacier National Park East With Kids:
- Enjoy coffee on the deck of the Many Glacier Hotel – plus more things to do in Many Glacier!
- Take a boat ride on St. Mary Lake
- Red Rock Falls
8. What to Know About the Shuttle System
The shuttle system is a great way to be able to hop on and off and not have to stress about parking. Trust me, I’ve experienced the parking stress before and it does put a damper on your Glacier vacation. NOTE: in 2026 they may only be doing the Logan Pass shuttle and not multiple stops.
I love using the shuttle especially for hikes that start and end in two different places (also may not be available in 2026)! It’s also awesome for hikes that leave from the Logan Pass Visitor Center since that is another very crowded area.
In 2026, there is a shuttle reservation system that is new so expect some kinks! You can find more information and how to purchase shuttle reservations on the National Park site.
9. The Reservation System
In 2026, Glacier National Park abandoned the vehicle reservation system that they had been piloting for the previous several years. So now you do not need a vehicle reservation ticket for entering the park, but you do still need a National Park pass.
The main change this year is the shuttle reservation system (see above) and the parking limit of 3 hours at Logan Pass. If you are planning a long hike, you will want to use the shuttle instead of parking all day at the top.
10. Going to the Sun Road is Narrow
If you’re the type of person who can’t keep your eyes on the road while you’re driving through a beautiful area you might want to consider taking the shuttle or booking a red bus tour.
The road is narrow and winding and incredibly scenic! Some of the areas also don’t have a guardrail so you really have to keep your eyes on the road!
11. Logan Pass Parking
Logan Pass is one of the busiest spots in Glacier National Park, so it’s no secret that the parking lot can be pretty packed during peak season.
In 2026, the park has instituted a 3 hour limit on parking at Logan Pass, which I think is a great idea. So if you’re just visiting to check out the view and maybe do a short little hike it won’t affect you.
If you’re planning a longer day hike, you will need to plan for the new parking restriction.
Also, if the parking lot is full, be patient and do a couple laps and you can usually find a spot pretty quickly!
12. Hiking Trail of the Cedars/Avalanche Lake
Probably the most popular trail in the park is the Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake (they share the same trailhead).
The parking lot for this hike is a bit of a nightmare if you don’t get there early and you may end up driving around for a while waiting for a spot. If you can’t find a spot, I’m here to tell you that UNPOPULAR OPINION, these aren’t even the best hikes in the park!
While I do love both of these hikes, don’t fret if you can’t find a spot. Some other good hikes in the area you could do instead are:
- John’s Lake Loop
- Hidden Lake Overlook
- Rocky Point
13. The Park is Seasonal
One bummer about Glacier is a pretty seasonal park! While you can visit in the winter, you won’t have access to a large portion of the park. The best months to visit Glacier are July, August, and September.
If you visit in June and October, you will still have a great time, but it’s likely you won’t have access to Going to the Sun Road.
14. You Likely Won’t Have Cell Service
There are certain parts of Glacier where you will have service (Apgar) but most of the park you won’t have cell service. This is a good thing, embrace it and enjoy the time away from your phone!!
15. Hard Sided Camping on the East Side
If you’re planning to camp when you visit Glacier, you need to know that certain campgrounds allow hard sided only camping depending on the grizzly activity in the area.
The camping restriction isn’t super predictable, but keep that in mind if you are tent camping your plans could get derailed. I haven’t seen this happen on the west side of the park, only the east side (Many Glacier, Two Medicine, St. Mary).
If you’re renting an RV or have your own travel trailer you shouldn’t have to worry about this.
16. Get Gas Outside of the Park
There are no gas stations inside of Glacier National Park so make sure to fill up before you go into the park!
This is pretty standard for National Parks, but always a good reminder – we’ve nearly gotten in some sticky situations with gas!
17. Glacier Can Be a Dangerous Place
Like a lot of National Parks, there are some serious hazards that you should be aware of when visiting Glacier. Drowning is the leading cause of death in Glacier, so be very aware near bodies of water, and never go off the trail near waterfalls. Other hazards are bears (which we discussed above!), cliffs, and getting lost on the trail. If you are interested, there is a great book called “Death in Glacier” that is a collection of cautionary tales to read before visiting the park. We also have a fun list of other Glacier National Park books.
18. Combining Your Trip With Yellowstone National Park
I have a whole post that I dedicated to answering the question – should I visit Glacier and Yellowstone in the same trip? It’s a bit of a nuanced answer, but I’ll give you all the pros and cons of doing them together. (and our Full Guide to Yellowstone for first timers!)
Just know, it’s about 6-7 hours driving (one way) between the two parks, so my short answer is to NOT combine them. But there are a few scenarios where it might make sense.
I truly hope you enjoy your trip to my favorite National Park – Glacier! This park is truly amazing, but can be dangerous and crowded at times. If you follow these Glacier National Park tips, you should have a super fun and safe trip. For more trip planning resources, check out our complete guide to Glacier National Park with kids.
