Visiting Glacier National Park in 2025
Glacier National Park is a top pick for many outdoor enthusiasts, as the natural beauty is second-to-none. And with popularity comes congestion and vacation planning issues. To help alleviate some of the crowding, the National Parks Service has instituted an entrance reservation requirement (https://emerginghorizons.com/national-park-entrance-reservations-required-in-2024/) for Glacier National Park in 2025. It’s a bit different than in previous years; and with construction going on in certain areas of the park, advance planning is even more essential than ever. That said, if you don’t happen snag a Glacier Park entrance reservation, there are still a few ways you can enjoy the park this summer.
The Lay of The Land
Vehicle entrance reservations are required for visitors that travel past the Apgar checkpoint (just east of the Apgar Campground) from June 13, 2025 to September 28, 2025. These reservations are required in addition to any national park pass, and must be purchased in advance at www.recreation.gov. Vehicle entrance reservations are also required at the North Fork Entrance.
The vehicle entrance reservations sell out quickly, usually on the first day. That said, there is a second chance purchase window, as some additional reservations are released at 7 PM, the day prior to the visit.
It should also be noted that the road past Many Glacier Hotel, at the T-intersection will be closed for construction between July 1, 2025 and September 21, 2025. Parking at the Many Glacier Hotel will be limited to guests, those with boat tour reservations and wilderness permits. For wheelchair-users and slow walkers, it’s best just to skip this area during construction. The boat tours are not wheelchair-accessible and with construction going on, it’s unclear what — if any — accessible trails will be open from Many Glacier Lodge. It’s a beautiful area of the park, but construction delays will be the norm, so it’s just best to enjoy other areas of the park in 2025.
Timing is Everything!
If you haven’t been able to score an entrance reservation, you might think about adjusting your timing a bit. The reservations are only required between 7 AM and 3 PM, so if you go outside those hours you won’t need one. I highly suggest getting an early start and going before 7 AM, as there’s less traffic and congestion, and it’s nice to be able to relax in Mother Nature without throngs of people. Take along a picnic breakfast and enjoy the early morning hours in the park.
Lodging & Tour Reservations
If you have lodging reservations, you won’t need a vehicle reservation to enter Glacier National Park. That said, these sell out well in advance — as much as a year — so if you don’t have them by now, chances are there are none available. You could still check the concessionaire website, but don’t expect much.
Also a word of warning, always use the official concessionaire website for Glacier National Park. The accommodations are out there on many consolidator websites, and when you deal with a third party you may not get exactly what you need. This is especially true when you are booking a wheelchair-accessible room. Always deal directly. The park lodging concessionaires are listed below.
Xanterra
www.glaciernationalparklodges.com
Village Inn at Apgar
Lake McDonald Lodge
Rising Sun Motor Inn
Many Glacier Hotel
Swiftcurrent Motor Inn
Pursuit
Apgar Village Lodge
Motel Lake McDonald
Additionally, you don’t need a vehicle entrance reservation if you book a boat tour. The Lake McDonald Boat tour is the best choice for wheelchair-users and slow walkers; however they may not be able to accommodate power wheelchairs and scooters. Contact Glacier Boat Company (www.glacierparkboats.com) if you have any questions, or to make reservations. Again, deal directly to avoid any confusion.
And for a very cool experience, sign up for one the wheelchair-accessible Red Bus Tours (https://emerginghorizons.com/wheelchair-accessible-glacier-national-park-without-a-car/. No entrance pass is required for that either.
Go West
Although vehicle entrance reservations are required on the west side of the park this year, there are no such requirements for the east side. So just pay your park entrance fee at the St. Mary Entrance Station, and you’re good to go. No entrance fee required.
From there, you can explore the whole length of Going to the Sun Road, stop for a picnic lunch and hike a few short trails. And don’t forget to stop up on top at Logan Pass. You can go down the west side of Going to the Sun Road, but be careful not to go past the Apgar checkpoint, because if you do you will need an entrance reservation to get back into the park, even though you just traversed Going to the Sun Road. Direction is everything as far as vehicle entrance reservation are concerned. There are none required when you are going from east to west, but you definitely need one when going west to east.
But what if you’re staying near the park on the west side, and you just can’t change your reservations? Then take Highway 2 west to Two Medicine. This scenic two-hour drive skirts the park and there are lot of interesting spots to stop along the way. Spend some time in Two Medicine or continue north to St. Mary and head west on Going to the Sun Road. Get an early start if you plan to do this route, as the entire length of Going to the Sun road takes a little over two hours to traverse, and that’s without the stops.
Take the Shuttle
Last but not least, one of the easiest ways to explore Glacier National Park without a vehicle entrance reservation is to hop on the free park shuttle (https://emerginghorizons.com/ride-the-free-glacier-national-park-shuttle/) at Apgar Visitor Center or St. Mary Visitor Center. Both of these shuttle stops are outside the 2025 vehicle entrance reservation checkpoints. No reservations are necessary and the shuttle buses have good wheelchair access. So hop on a shuttle, dodge the vehicle entrance reservations requirement and explore Glacier National Park.