Glacier drops Going-to-the-Sun reservation

Glacier National Park has dropped the vehicle reservation requirement that had governed access to parts of the park in recent summers, including the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor, according to National Park Service notices issued this spring. The change applies across the park for 2026, though visitors still need a valid entrance pass to get in. Glacier said on February 18 that it will instead test a reservation-only shuttle system to Logan Pass and impose a three-hour limit on private-vehicle parking there beginning July 1, weather permitting. The park’s standard private-vehicle entrance fee remains $35 for seven days, according to its fees page. ### Does this mean drivers can just enter Going-to-the-Sun Road now? The National Park Service says no vehicle reservations are required anywhere in Glacier National Park in 2026. That includes the Going-to-the-Sun Road route that had been subject to timed-entry style controls in prior peak seasons, according to the park’s vehicle-reservations page updated May 6. (nps.gov) A valid entrance pass is still required. Glacier’s fees page says a private, non-commercial vehicle pays $35 for a seven-day pass during the summer season, while motorcycles pay $30 and visitors entering on foot or bicycle pay $20 per person. ### If reservations are gone, what is replacing them at Logan Pass? Glacier Superintendent Dave Roemer said the park will pilot a ticketed shuttle system to Logan Pass in summer 2026. (nps.gov) The February 18 release said the new setup is intended to improve short visits at Logan Pass and make shuttle operations “more reliably” focused on visitors planning longer alpine hikes and activities. (nps.gov) Beginning July 1, weather permitting, private-vehicle parking at Logan Pass will be limited to three hours. Glacier said overnight parking will not be allowed there except for permitted backcountry users and registered guests of Granite Park Chalet. ### Who still needs a reservation this summer? Shuttle riders do. Glacier said its Going-to-the-Sun Road shuttles to Logan Pass will operate on a reservation-only basis during the summer shuttle season, with tickets issued through Recreation.gov. (nps.gov) The park said a portion of shuttle tickets became available 60 days in advance starting May 2, 2026, at 8 a.m. (nps.gov) Mountain Daylight Time on a rolling basis. The remaining tickets are scheduled for daily release at 7 p.m. MDT beginning June 30 for next-day shuttle trips. Glacier said the only charge for a shuttle ticket is a $1 processing fee, and passengers age 2 and older must have one. ### What about construction in Many Glacier? Glacier’s current construction pages say the 2025 Many Glacier-Swiftcurrent project has been completed and that construction is not anticipated in Many Glacier in 2026. The park says that project increased parking in the Swiftcurrent area to 339 spaces, up by 171 spaces. A separate February 12 construction update said design work is underway on additional proposed utility-system replacement projects in the Many Glacier Hotel developed area, but that work is anticipated to begin in 2027 if approved. (nps.gov) The same update listed active 2026 work in places including Two Medicine and St. Mary. ### Where are the construction disruptions this year instead? (nps.gov) Glacier said on February 12 that Two Medicine Road and the water distribution system are under continued work in 2026. The park said the Two Medicine campground will be closed this year, and closures in the developed area are planned outside concession operating dates of May 29 through September 7. (nps.gov) St. Mary is also scheduled for utility replacement work starting in spring 2026. Glacier said partial closures in the St. Mary Campground are anticipated from fall 2026 through spring 2027, while the St. Mary Visitor Center will keep its normal seasonal schedule. ### What should visitors check before they go? April 17 guidance from Glacier told visitors to use the park’s 2026 Logan Pass access page for current operating details and to use Recreation.gov for shuttle reservations. (nps.gov) The park also said Logan Pass parking limits are scheduled to begin July 1, weather permitting, and that details can change with conditions. The National Park Service lists Glacier’s entrance pass at $35 per private vehicle for seven days, and the next key visitor milestone is the daily next-day shuttle ticket release that begins June 30 at 7 p.m. MDT on Recreation.gov. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2)