Glacier National Park: Need to Know
Glacier 101
Entrances: 7 (listed in order of popularity)
West Glacier Entrance, the most popular entrance. Leads to Lake McDonald and the beginning of the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
St Mary Entrance, the main entrance for the east side, this will lead you to the Going-to-the-Sun Road and Saint Mary Lake.
Many Glacier Entrance, leads to Many Glacier Hotel and Lake Shelbourne.
Polebridge Entrance, stop in at the tiny community of Polebridge before traveling down a washboard gravel road. This entrance is mainly used by locals and backpackers. Visit Kintla and Bowman lake via this entrance.
Camas Creek Entrance, located on the west side of Glacier this road turns to gravel and eventually leads to the Lake McDonald area via a longer route than the West Entrance.
Two Medicine Entrance, leads to Two Medicine Lake and Upper Two Medicine Lake.
Cut Bank Entrance, travel down a 5 mile dirt road to primitive camping, day hikes and backcountry access.
Many trailheads leading into Glacier are located along Hwy 2 to the south of the park that do not require entrance fees or reservations.
Reservations
Reservations are required for certain entrances from 6 am to 3 pm, May through Sept and should be made online 6 months in advance.
How long:
Minimum of 2 or 3 days. This might also depend on what kind of vehicle you have and how far you are willing to drive. Many of Glacier’s less popular areas are not paved and could be a few hours drive away from one of the main entrances.
When to visit:
The Going-to the-Sun road is open June to Oct depending on snow. Early season it can be accessed by bike only.
Where to Camp:
Forest Service Campgrounds: Located in the park, reservations for these are very quick to go. The campgrounds are typically not going to allow larger vehicles and will have no hookups and strict rules on generator use (if they're allowed at all). Make sure to check out the rules and regulations to make sure your RV is going to be appropriate for your campsite.
Private Campground: West Glacier or East Glacier. In East Glacier things tend to be a bit more spread out and more mom and pop kind of vibe. West Glacier is a little busier. So think more access to restaurants, more RV Parks and recreational activities.
