Glacier National Park - Going-to-the-Sun Road
One of USA's Best Scenic Drives
Glacier National Park Headquarters
64 Grinnell Drive
West Glacier, MT 59936
Visitor Information: (406) 888-7800
Website
Glacier National Park is a treasure of pristine forests, alpine meadows, rugged mountains, and spectacular lakes.
The Glacier National Park - Going To The Sun Road - is a world class scenic drive over a spectacular 50 mile road with dramatic switchbacks and hairpin turns along the Continental Divide that provide an opportunity to view alpine glaciers and wildlife.
There are over 700 miles of trails for adventurous visitors seeking wilderness and solitude. Go back in time with their old through historic chalets, lodges, transportation, and stories of Native Americans.
The Going To The Sun Road is open from early June until mid-October, depending on snow conditions.
This scenic drive is not a drive for the faint of heart. To get the most out of this drive, take the Old Time Red Tour bus. Not only will it settle your fears, the tour guide provides excellent information about the area.
The road is considered an engineering masterpiece and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997.
Along this route you are apt to see wildlife and luckily some black bears, mountain goats, harlequin ducks, pine martens, raptors, and if you are real lucky, a grizzly bear.
But the real joy is the dramatic mountain glaciers that due to global warming, are receding and expected to disappear in 40 years. The drive is a heart stopper as it takes you on a road with precipitous, narrow, and winding switchbacks across the Continental Divide.
Starting from west to east, the drive will climbs to the Garden Wall as it crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass at 2,026 meters (6,646 feet), then descends to St. Mary Lake.
Bus Tours - The Best way to Travel the Going-to-the-Sun Road
Red Bus Tours
The famous Red Buses serve as an ideal way to see and learn more about Glacier National Park. In fact, the vintage 1930s buses are part of the human history and heritage of the park.
Sun Tours
Their guides are life-time residents of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and possess extensive knowledge in many facets of Tribal History, culture, and lifestyle. They provide an all-encompassing history and experience surrounding the landscape of Glacier National Park's inhabited areas:
Places To Stay
Many Glacier Hotel Glacier National Park, MT
This historic 214 room Swiss-style lodge, built in 1914, is situated on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake and rests at the base of Mt. Grinnell inside Glacier National Park. The hotel offers a fine dining restaurant, lounge, après fondue, gift shop, and snack shop.
Moss Mountain Inn
Glacier National Park, MT
This 4 room organic, eco-bed and breakfast is a wilderness inn on the western border of the park near the North Fork of the National Wild and Scenic Flathead River. The three-story cedar inn sits high on six forest/meadow acres with mountain views.
