Summer and biking activities open for booking January 15.Get the email when they open

Glacier Hikes & Bikes
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Going-to-the-Sun Road at the Weeping Wall with snow on the peaks above

Glacier National Park Current Conditions

What is open today on Going-to-the-Sun Road, on the trails and at the campgrounds, checked against the park's own pages and dated.

Glacier opens and closes in pieces: the road in sections, the trails by snow and bears, the campgrounds by month. This page keeps the pieces in one place, each line dated, so you can plan a day from Columbia Falls without reading six park pages.

The park's own status map is the final word on the morning you go; it changes with the weather. We read it before every tour and shuttle and update this page when something moves.

Checked October 27, 2026

Going-to-the-Sun Road

Closed for the season to vehicles above Avalanche Creek on the west side and above Jackson Glacier Overlook on the east side, as of October 27, 2026. The lower road from West Glacier to Lake McDonald Lodge is plowed and open all winter, weather permitting, and is the drive our winter tours use.

  • The alpine section usually closes for winter around the third Monday of October, earlier in a storm; the park never sets an opening date, and late June is the earliest it expects.
  • Spring hiker-biker season: once plowing passes Avalanche Creek, the road above the vehicle closure is open to hikers and bikers only, with Monday to Thursday crew closures. Our biking guide has the distances and rules.
  • Summer bike hours in 2026: eastbound bikes were kept off Apgar to Logan Pass from noon to 6 pm, westbound 3 pm to 6 pm, from June 13 through September 28.
  • Vehicles longer than 21 feet or wider than 8 feet are not allowed between Avalanche Creek and Rising Sun.

Trails

The park's trail status page lists closures and bear postings each morning. On October 27, 2026 it showed the Highline Trail closed from Logan Pass to the Grinnell Glacier Overlook junction for snow, and bear postings on the Two Medicine trails toward Oldman Lake and Pitamakan Pass and on the Dry Fork trail.

  • Lower trails melt out in late April and May; trails over the passes and along the Continental Divide are usually snow-free by late July.
  • Ptarmigan Tunnel's doors usually open in mid-July and close by late September; seasonal bridges go in by mid-July and come out by late September.
  • September and October are when bears feed hardest, up to 20 hours a day; carry bear spray on every trail and hike in a group.
  • Guided hikes with us are in the Flathead National Forest next to the park, where the lower trails open first.

Shuttles and Parking

The park's Logan Pass shuttle ran from July 1 to September 7, 2026 with a $1 ticket from Recreation.gov, express from Apgar Visitor Center, Lake McDonald Lodge, St. Mary Visitor Center and Rising Sun, with The Loop as a pickup for Highline hikers. It is finished for the year. There was no park hiker-biker shuttle in 2026.

  • No vehicle reservation was required anywhere in the park in 2026; the park closes a valley temporarily when it fills.
  • Logan Pass parking was limited to three hours in 2026, and the lot fills before sunrise in July and August.
  • Our Many Glacier and Two Medicine shuttles run from Columbia Falls in summer and solve the parking problem; our Going-to-the-Sun Road bike shuttle runs in the spring car-free weeks.

Campgrounds

Apgar Campground converts to primitive status in fall and stays open for winter camping from November 1 to March 31, no reservation needed, no running water. A portion of St. Mary Campground is also open in winter. Bowman Lake and Kintla Lake stay in primitive status until October 31, weather permitting, and the rest are closed for the season.

  • Eight of the park's 13 campgrounds are reservation-only on Recreation.gov from spring to fall; the camping guide has every one with its season and fee.
  • The Flathead National Forest campgrounds on Hungry Horse Reservoir and the North Fork run mid-May to September.

Winter Services

Apgar Visitor Center is open Saturdays and Sundays in winter and its restrooms stay open; St. Mary and Logan Pass visitor centers are closed. There is no lodging or fuel inside the park in winter; Columbia Falls and Hungry Horse have the grocery stores. Ranger-led snowshoe walks ran weekends at 1 pm from January 10 to March 15 in 2026.

  • Our guided snowshoe tour and winter driving tour run November through March and book online.
  • Check the Flathead Avalanche Center before any winter trip off the plowed road.

What Runs Right Now

Good to Know

Is Going-to-the-Sun Road open?
The lower road from West Glacier to Lake McDonald Lodge is open year-round, weather permitting. The alpine section over Logan Pass is closed for the season as of October 27, 2026 and usually reopens to cars in late June or July. The park's status map is the morning-of answer.
When does the car-free biking start?
When the plows pass Avalanche Creek, usually in April or May. The closure point then climbs the mountain week by week until the road opens to cars. Our biking guide explains the season and the rules.
Do I need a reservation to drive into Glacier?
Not in 2026. The park used temporary closures when a valley such as Many Glacier filled instead. Check the park's status page the morning you go.
How do I get texts when something changes?
Text GNPROADS to 333111 for road openings and closures and GNPTRAILS to 333111 for trail closures and postings. Both come from the park.

Plan Around the Conditions

Email Me When the Road Opens

Going-to-the-Sun Road opens to cars once the plows reach Logan Pass, and summer tours, rentals and shuttles open for booking in January. Leave your email and you get one note on each day.

Your Next Ride Starts Here

Pick a date and see everything you can book, or call the shop and talk to someone who rides these roads every week.

Find a DateContact the Shop