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Sun Road reservations open March 2

by CHRIS PETERSON
Hungry Horse News | February 7, 2022 3:30 PM

Reservations to drive Going-to-the-Sun Road and to enter Glacier National Park at Polebridge this summer will be available beginning at 8 a.m. Mountain Standard Time on March 2.

Reservations are required from May 27 to Sept, 11 with some caveats. Vehicles do not need a reservation before 6 a.m. and after 4 p.m. each day for the Sun Road or before 6 a.m. and after 6 p.m. at Polebridge.

Also, a reservation will not be needed at the St. Mary Entrance, but will be required beyond Rising Sun once the road is cleared of snow and Logan Pass is accessible.

Reservations are good for three days for the Sun Road and one day for Polebridge.

The Going-to-the-Sun Road and North Fork vehicle reservations function as two separate reservation systems. Vehicle reservations for both areas will be available 120 days in advance on a rolling window. Starting May 26, additional vehicle reservations will also be made available the day before the effective date. People can walk into the Park or ride a bicycle into the Park without a reservation.

Other entrances to the Park will not require reservations, though they often fill up by 10 a.m. in the summer months, so arriving early is a good idea.

Even without a reservation, people are still required to pay an entrance fee or have an annual pass.

The reservation system will require visitors to set up an account on recreation.gov and obtain a vehicle reservation ($2 nonrefundable fee). Visitors may also make a reservation through the recreation.gov call center.

Contacting the call center does not provide an advantage toward securing a reservation but provides an alternative for those who don’t have access to the internet or are not as familiar with technology. Call centers are open every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mountain Standard Time and the reservation fee remains $2. The following lines are available for callers: Reservation line 877-444-6777; Reservation line International 606-515-6777;
 Reservation line TDD 877-833-6777.

Other details include:

• Visitors with lodging, camping, transportation, or commercial activity reservations within the GTSR corridor can use their service reservation receipt for entry in lieu of the $2 vehicle reservation from Recreation.gov. This included reservation only applies to the date of your service reservation.

• The fare-free park shuttle will operate in the park this year on Sun Road from Apgar Visitor Center to St. Mary Visitor Center. Unlike 2021, the shuttle system will not require a separate reservation and will operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

• In addition to Fish Creek and St. Mary campgrounds, Apgar and Sprague Creek campgrounds will require advance reservations. Reservations are available on Recreation.gov on a 6-month rolling basis. At this time, reservable campsites for Apgar and Sprague Creek campgrounds have not been released on Recreation.gov. The park anticipates releasing these sites in late March/early April. Rising Sun and Avalanche campgrounds will remain first-come, first-served. The park anticipates all campgrounds to operate in 2022.

• The park is currently working on details for a utility project this summer that may require the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road to be closed at night, except for emergency vehicles. More details on this project will be forthcoming, but visitors should anticipate nightly closures from Apgar to Lake McDonald Lodge from June to September.