Glacier National Park eliminates ticketed-entry system

Glacier National Park announced Wednesday that it is ending its ticketed-entry system, which has dictated summer access to some of the park’s most popular areas for the past five years. Instead, it will introduce new parking limits at Logan Pass and a reservation system for shuttle buses along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. 

Late last year, Superintendent Dave Roemer said the park was likely to discontinue the ticketed-entry system for the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road, which has long been one of Glacier’s most congested areas. However, since then, National Park Service officials have remained silent about their exact plans, saying they were still assessing options. In previous years, Glacier typically announced its plans for the following year in November or December.

In a press release Wednesday, Roemer said he hoped the new system would enable more people to visit Logan Pass, the Continental Divide and the summit of the Sun Road by implementing a three-hour parking limit there. Park officials stated that this would give visitors enough time to see the Visitor’s Center, participate in an interpretive program, or even take the short hike to the Hidden Lake Overlook. 

Those planning longer hikes from Logan Pass, such as the iconic Highline Trail to the Granite Park Chalet, would need to use one of the express shuttles from either the east or west side of the park. 

“With the new trial measures, we aim to improve the public’s ability to visit Logan Pass for short durations and allow the shuttle system to perform more reliably for a more specific purpose,” Roemer said in the release. “This initiative reflects our continued learning and listening as we refine park transportation and access to better serve the public and safeguard the integrity of the park’s resources.”

Parking limits at Logan Pass were expected to begin on July 1, typically around the time the entire Going-to-the-Sun Road opens. Meanwhile, the new express shuttle system will provide direct service from the Apgar Visitor Center and Lake McDonald Lodge on the west side to Logan Pass. Unlike previous years, it will not stop at the Avalanche Lake or Trail of the Cedars trailheads. The shuttle will make afternoon stops at the Loop, a popular endpoint for hikers from Logan Pass. On the east side, the shuttles will depart from the St. Mary Visitor Center and Rising Sun. 

Shuttle reservations will cost $1 per person and are required for anyone 2 years and older. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis through Recreation.gov or via phone at 877-444-6777. A portion of tickets will be made available 60 days in advance, beginning at 8 a.m. on May 2. The remaining tickets will be released at 7 p.m. for next-day entry starting June 30. 

Glacier Park first instituted a ticketed-entry system on the Going-to-the-Sun Road in 2021, as concerns about skyrocketing visitation and construction projects inside and outside the park came to a head. Since then, the Park Service has fine-tuned the system, and last year it was in place only on the west side of the Sun Road during certain hours in the summer.