A First-Timer’s Guide to Glacier National Park

The first time I visited Montana’s Glacier National Park, I cried. Overwhelmed and humbled by the sheer size and beauty of the jagged peaks and deep valleys surrounding me, I burst into tears and vowed to return. As the day continued, Glacier unspooled with surprise after surprise, including moose grazing in a swamp, hand-feeding a chipmunk and watching mountain goats balance atop slivers of stone. It took me two more visits to finally see a grizzly bear, but when I did, the mother and cub ambling along the side of an empty roadway were worth the wait. That same year, it snowed in July.

I hadn’t realized how lucky I was. Not only was I in Montana with locals who had grown up with Glacier as their backyard, but in 1985, Glacier National Park still felt undiscovered. We often hiked for hours without passing another soul, ate lunch alone on a giant boulder overlooking the unearthly blue water of St. Mary Lake and rarely ran into traffic jams.

Today, it’s impossible to see Glacier National Park the way I did, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go. Over the years, I’ve been back several times, and I always leave fulfilled and awed. Here’s how to make the most of your adventure.

Note changes from previous years

The good news: Visitors to Glacier National Park no longer need to make a reservation for their vehicle. The challenging news: The park has instituted a timed-ticket shuttle system and a three-hour parking limit at Logan Pass, the midpoint on Going-to-the-Sun Road and the starting point for many popular trails. There are bathrooms here, too. Visit nps.gov/glac for full information and links to purchase shuttle tickets.

Carry lots of food and water

Once inside Glacier National Park, there is nowhere to purchase food, drinks or other necessities. If you plan to hike, bring food, twice the water you think you’ll need and a sealable trash bag. Take all trash with you, including organic waste such as apple cores and banana peels.

And other essentials

Hiking in Glacier is hiking in the wilderness. Be prepared with bandages, alcohol wipes, a light raincoat, a hat, sunscreen, a flashlight, a water-purification system such as a LifeStraw and heavy-duty bear spray with a range of at least 30 feet. Be sure to hang it on the outside of your pack.

Binoculars are a good use of space as well. You never know when you might want a closer look at an animal grazing across a lake or valley. Throw in a pair of water shoes, too, so you can make your way across rocky beaches for a dip in one of Glacier’s lakes.

Arrive early

There’s no way to adequately describe the scenery along Glacier’s iconic, 50-mile-long Going-to-the-Sun Road. Just do it. Avoid traffic jams at popular viewpoints and sharp turns — driving is challenging on the twisty roadway — by arriving at sunrise, which, during summer in Montana, occurs around 5:45 a.m.

Surprisingly, Glacier is open 24 hours a day, making it easy to cruise through the gates before traffic backs up. You’ll also want to arrive early if you’ve booked a tour inside the park, since parking lots fill quickly.

Respect wildlife

Charging bears aren’t the only wildlife danger in Glacier. Moose and mountain lions can also be aggressive. If you run into an animal, make noise and back away slowly.

Stay on the trail, too. Shortcuts crush plants and ruin trail infrastructure, which can cause trails to deteriorate.

Take fabulous photos

Mountain goats and other wildlife are often far from where you’re standing. To improve your photos, consider adding a zoom lens to your phone.

Download your maps ahead of time

Glacier’s internet access is spotty at best. To be sure you can get where you’re going, download hiking and driving maps to your phone. Then check them, with your phone on airplane mode, to make sure you can access them when you’re out of range.

Check out the sky

Glacier National Park is a certified International Dark Sky Park, meaning that after the sun sets, chances are good that you’ll spot the northern lights, the Milky Way and other celestial sights. It’s easy to do it yourself, but you can also participate in ranger-led programs listed on the park’s website.

Don’t miss the east side of the park

There’s plenty of Glacier National Park to explore beyond St. Mary Lake, the east-side terminus of Going-to-the-Sun Road. Consider driving north out of the park and re-entering at the Many Glacier entrance, which will take you to the historic Many Glacier Hotel, as well as trailheads for Red Rock Falls, an easy hike, and Grinnell Glacier, a very strenuous one.

Explore the history of the land

Owned and operated by a member of the Blackfeet Tribal Community, Sun Tours offers daily interpretive Indigenous tours of the park.