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Glacier National Park advance vehicle reservations available Jan. 25

TAYLOR INMAN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 months, 3 weeks AGO
by TAYLOR INMAN
Taylor Inman covers Glacier National Park, health care and local libraries for the Daily Inter Lake, and hosts the News Now podcast. Originally from Kentucky, Taylor started her career at the award-winning public radio newsroom at Murray State University. She worked as a general assignment reporter for WKMS, where her stories aired on National Public Radio, including the show “All Things Considered.” She can be reached at 406-758-4433 or at tinman@dailyinterlake.com. | January 23, 2024 12:00 PM

Advance vehicle reservation tickets for Glacier National Park become available Jan. 25 at 8 a.m. Mountain Time, officials said Tuesday.

Visitors can obtain tickets on recreation.gov through two types of booking windows. A portion of the reservations will be available 120 days in advance on a daily rolling basis beginning Jan. 25. Next-day vehicle reservations will be available on a daily rolling basis at 7 p.m. Mountain Time starting May 23. 

In addition to a reservation, each vehicle entering the park is required to have an entrance pass for any entry point.

Vehicle reservations are required for the west side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road past the reservation checkpoint May 24 through Sept. 8, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. New this year, the filter station will be moved past Apgar to give visitors access to Apgar Village without a vehicle reservation. 

Visitors without reservations will be detoured at the checkpoint and routed back through Apgar Village. The village is expected to experience heavy traffic and parking likely will be in high demand, according to the release. 

Also new in 2024, visitors will be able to access Going-to-the-Sun Road from the east side beyond Rising Sun without a vehicle reservation.

Vehicle reservations are required for the North Fork area May 24 through Sept. 8, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Reservations are needed for Many Glacier starting July 1 through Sept. 8, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Advanced reservations for Many Glacier will be available beginning March 3 at 8 a.m. These will be released on the same advance schedule and next-day schedule on a rolling basis, like the Going-to-the-Sun road tickets. 

In a change from previous years, vehicle reservations tickets are good for one day only. 

Visitors will need to set up an account on recreation.gov or the recreation.gov app to obtain reservations and are encouraged to do so prior to the day reservations open. The cost to book a reservation is a $2 processing fee.

Visitors may also make a reservation through the recreation.gov call center. Calling will not give prospective visitors an advantage in securing a reservation, but provides an alternative for those who lack internet access or are unfamiliar with technology, park officials said. The call center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mountain Time.

The toll free reservation line is 877-444-6777 while the international reservation line is 606-515-6777 and the TDD reservation line is 877-833-6777. The processing fee for reservations made over the phone remains $2. 

Pursuant to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, vehicle reservations are not required for tribal members.   

As in previous years, visitors with lodging, camping, transportation or commercial activity reservations within the specified areas can use proof of their reservation for entry, but only for the portion of the park where it takes place. As an example, a visitor could use a Many Glacier Hotel reservation to enter Many Glacier, but it would not be valid for access to the Going-to-the-Sun road.

Visitors are reminded that the alpine section of the Going-to-the-Sun road will likely remain closed in May and early June. Park officials encouraged visitors to plan their trips outside of peak hours, which are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

As in past years, entry may be temporarily restricted in areas of the park that don’t require reservations, such as Two Medicine, if they become too congested for visitor safety and resource protection, officials said. Visitors with service or commercial reservations in these areas will be permitted entry during temporary restrictions. 

Parking at Logan Pass, Apgar Village and other areas may be congested or temporarily unavailable. Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of free shuttles for hiker access to Logan Pass although waits for shuttles may be long depending on the time and location. 

For updates and additional information, visit the park website at nps.gov/glac.

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