Hikers planning to venture into the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park next summer will be required to take a shuttle into the valley with ongoing construction expected to limit public parking.

The shuttle requirement will be in place during the park's busiest months from July 1 to Sept. 21. During that timeframe, a gate will restrict overnight access and parking in the valley will be limited to visitors with a hotel or commercial service reservation. 

Hiking trails in the area offer access to some of the most scenic vistas in the park, including Iceberg Lake, Grinnell Glacier and Ptarmigan Tunnel. 

Glacier officials said the restriction is necessary with infrastructure work affecting at least half of the parking spaces in the valley. 

“We chose to keep Many Glacier open during construction, with mitigations, after taking public comment on this project in July 2023,” said Glacier National Park Superintendent Dave Roemer in a press release. “There was a lot of support for keeping the valley open and available for hiking, despite the limited parking capacity." 

The hiker shuttle service will be available to around 120 groups per day, Roemer said, and only available to reserve on short notice, either one week before or the night before at 7 p.m. 

Prior to July 1 and after Sept. 21, entrance to Many Glacier is accessible without a shuttle ticket. However, because parking is limited to the Many Glacier Hotel parking lot, capacity will be reached quickly, the park warned, and daily access restrictions are expected.

The shuttle requirement comes as the park implements a timed vehicle entry system for other areas, including the west entrance of Going-to-the-Sun Road and at Polebridge. Visitors will enter the park according to the time block they have reserved and can remain in the park for as long as they like on the day of their reservation.  

The reservation program is intended to help manage crowds, with more than 3 million visitors descending on Glacier each year.

Construction in Many Glacier is anticipated to continue through May 2026. The project will replace the water system at the Swiftcurrent developed area. The project will also rehabilitate the road between the Many Glacier Hotel intersection and the Swiftcurrent developed area, and address parking and pedestrian safety.  

“2025 will not be an ideal year to plan a visit to the Many Glacier Valley, but we will have those projects complete, with new formalized parking, in 2026,” Roemer added  

Tickets for the hiker shuttle service will be accessed through Recreation.gov. Hikers with a ticket will park at one of several designated pull-outs, transformed into temporary parking lots, along the Many Glacier Road and will board the shuttle from their parking location for a 15–30-minute ride to Many Glacier Hotel. 

Shuttles will stop near the Many Glacier Entrance station where park entry passes will be validated. 

The park will use a timed reservation system to avoid hikers waiting for the shuttle on the dustiest part of the road.  

The Many Glacier Hotel, Swan Mountain Outfitters and Glacier Park Boat Company will operate as usual. Visitors with a lodging reservation will be provided access details with their lodging reservation confirmation. Visitors with horseback and boating reservations can drive into the valley by showing their reservation confirmation at the park entrance during hours when the entrance is staffed. 

Swiftcurrent Motor Inn and Many Glacier Campground will be closed through mid-May 2026. All waters in the Many Glacier Valley will be closed to private personal watercraft the entire season, as well.