Going-to-the-Sun Road Road Trip Guide
Start: West Glacier (west entrance, off US-2). End: St. Mary (east entrance, on US-89). · About 50 miles (80 km) from West Glacier to St. Mary, with roughly 32 miles of alpine road between Lake McDonald Lodge and the Rising Sun area.
Route at a Glance
Distance
About 50 miles (80 km) from West Glacier to St. Mary, with roughly 32 miles of alpine road between Lake McDonald Lodge and the Rising Sun area.
Drive time
Non-stop driving is about 2 hours, but plan a full day (6-8 hours) to allow for stops, the hunt for Logan Pass parking, and frequent slow traffic.
Route
Start: West Glacier (west entrance, off US-2). End: St. Mary (east entrance, on US-89).
Which way to drive
Drive west to east (West Glacier to St. Mary). Eastbound keeps the steepest drop-offs on the passenger side rather than the driver's side along the Garden Wall, and you reach the Lake McDonald valley first, building elevation gradually toward Logan Pass.
About the Going-to-the-Sun Road Drive
Going-to-the-Sun Road is a 50-mile engineering marvel that bisects Glacier National Park in Montana, climbing from the shores of Lake McDonald (3,153 feet) on the west side to Logan Pass (6,646 feet) at the Continental Divide, then descending along St. Mary Lake on the east side. Completed in 1932 after 11 years of construction, the road was carved into near-vertical mountainsides with dynamite and hand tools. The west side passes through old-growth cedar and hemlock forest before reaching The Loop (a sharp switchback at mile 24.5) and the dramatic Garden Wall — a knife-edge ridge where the road is cut into sheer cliffs with waterfalls spilling over the pavement. At Logan Pass, the Hidden Lake Overlook trail (1.5 miles one way) offers views of hanging glaciers. The east side descends through wildflower meadows to the turquoise waters of St. Mary Lake and Wild Goose Island.
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Roamee Pro offers a free GPS audio guide for the Going-to-the-Sun Road drive. Stories play automatically as you reach each stop — Logan Pass (mile 32), The Garden Wall, Wild Goose Island — so you keep your eyes on the road. Works offline.
explore by interest
Major Stops Along the Route
- 1Apgar Village / Lake McDonald foot — First stop inside the west entrance; visitor center, boat launch, and views down the 10-mile length of Lake McDonald, the park's largest lake.
- 2Lake McDonald Lodge — Historic 1913 Swiss-chalet lodge at the lake's north end; last reliable food and lodging before the climb begins. Around mile 10.
- 3The Loop — The single major hairpin switchback on the route; trailhead for the Granite Park Chalet hike and a key vantage on the Garden Wall above.
- 4Bird Woman Falls Overlook — Roadside pullout with a view across the valley to Bird Woman Falls, which drops several hundred feet from a hanging valley.
- 5Logan Pass — Summit at 6,646 feet on the Continental Divide; visitor center, Hidden Lake Trail, and Highline Trail. Parking fills by mid-morning in summer.
- 6Jackson Glacier Overlook — The most accessible spot to see a named glacier from the road; Jackson Glacier is visible to the south.
- 7Sun Point / Rising Sun — East-side stops on St. Mary Lake; Sun Point has a nature trail and Rising Sun has a camp store, restaurant, and boat tours.
Don't-Miss Sights Along Going-to-the-Sun Road
- •Logan Pass (mile 32) — the Continental Divide crossing at 6,646 feet with mountain goats on the slopes and the Highline Trail departing from the parking lot
- •The Garden Wall — a dramatic cliff-hugging stretch of road between The Loop and Logan Pass where waterfalls cascade across the pavement in summer
- •Wild Goose Island — a tiny tree-topped island in St. Mary Lake, visible from a pullout at mile 44.7, one of the most iconic views in the national park system
- •Lake McDonald — a 10-mile-long glacial lake on the west side with colorful argillite pebbles on the shore and historic Lake McDonald Lodge
Best Viewpoints
- •Logan Pass (6,646 ft, Continental Divide)
- •Wild Goose Island Overlook on St. Mary Lake
- •Jackson Glacier Overlook
- •Bird Woman Falls Overlook
- •The Loop switchback
Worthwhile Detours off Going-to-the-Sun Road
- •Avalanche Creek Trail (mile 16.5) — a 2-mile boardwalk trail through old-growth western red cedar forest to Avalanche Lake, a glacier-fed cirque surrounded by waterfalls
- •Sunrift Gorge (mile 41.5) — a narrow chasm carved by Baring Creek with a short walk to a hidden waterfall, often overlooked by drivers focused on the big viewpoints
Fuel, Food & Services
No fuel is available anywhere on Going-to-the-Sun Road itself. Fill up in West Glacier or St. Mary before driving. Food is available at Lake McDonald Lodge; the Logan Pass area is limited (no restaurant, vending only); and Rising Sun has a camp store and restaurant. The longest food/fuel gap is the roughly 32 alpine miles between Lake McDonald Lodge and Rising Sun.
Road Conditions
Narrow two-lane road with low stone guard walls, tight curves, and a long climb to Logan Pass with grades around 6 percent. The Loop is the main hairpin switchback. Vehicle size limit on the alpine section between Avalanche Creek and Sun Point: maximum 21 feet long, 8 feet wide (including mirrors), and 10 feet high. Cell coverage is largely absent across the alpine middle. Timed-entry vehicle reservations are required in peak season, in addition to the park entrance fee.
Best Season to Drive
Mid-July through mid-September, when the full road over Logan Pass is reliably open. The alpine section is closed by snow most of the year and typically does not fully open until late June or early July; it closes again with autumn snow, usually by mid-to-late October. Plowing the upper road each spring takes weeks due to deep drifts like the Big Drift near Logan Pass.
RVs & Trailers
Not suitable for RVs, trailers, or large trucks on the alpine section. Vehicles longer than 21 feet, wider than 8 feet (mirrors included), or taller than 10 feet are prohibited between Avalanche Creek and Sun Point. Larger rigs must use US-2 around the south end of the park (about 56 miles) to travel between West Glacier and St. Mary. A free park shuttle runs the full route in summer for those who cannot drive it.
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