Glacier National Park has announced that it will continue its vehicle reservation system into 2025 with some modifications aimed at managing visitor access more effectively.
For the 2025 season, visitors will need to reserve a specific time block to enter the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road and the North Fork area. Reservations will be mandatory from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, from June 13 to September 28, 2025. Once inside, visitors can stay as long as they wish for that day.
Exemptions:
Visitors can enter without a reservation before 7 a.m. or after 3 p.m.
Those with reservations for lodging, camping, transportation, or commercial activities within the park can use their confirmation for entry, provided their reservation originates beyond the Apgar checkpoint for Going-to-the-Sun Road.
No Reservation Required Areas:
Vehicle reservations at Glacier National Park will not be required for Two Medicine Valley or the St. Mary entrance to Going-to-the-Sun Road in 2025. However, entry might be temporarily restricted during peak congestion times.
Many Glacier Valley:
There will be no reservations required for Many Glacier Valley in 2025, but due to ongoing construction, the Swiftcurrent area will be closed, significantly reducing parking availability.
Reservation System:
Reservations for 2025 will start being available from February 12, 2025, through Recreation.gov. A small processing fee will apply, but the reservation itself remains free.
These changes are part of an ongoing effort to manage visitor flow, reduce congestion, and enhance the visitor experience at the park.
The park continues to adapt its strategies based on feedback from visitors, local communities, and stakeholders to balance access with conservation needs.
Note:
Glacier National Park is dominated by mountains which were carved into their present shapes by the huge glaciers of the last ice age.
These glaciers have largely disappeared over the last 12,000 years. Evidence of widespread glacial action is found throughout the park in the form of U-shaped valleys, cirques, arêtes, and large outflow lakes radiating like fingers from the base of the highest peaks.
Since the end of the ice ages, various warming and cooling trends have occurred. The last recent cooling trend was during the Little Ice Age, which took place approximately between 1550 and 1850.
During the Little Ice Age, the glaciers in the park expanded and advanced, although to nowhere near as great an extent as they had during the Ice Age.
