Montana Scene Drives: Glacier’s Going-to-the-Sun Road
Going-to-the-Sun Road is one of Glacier National Parks best drives
One of the most famous sites you’ll see while visiting Glacier National Park on your Montana vacation is Going-to-the-Sun Road. It takes you through the heart of this amazing park, with West Glacier at one end, St. Mary at the other, and Logan Pass in the middle.
Logan Pass is one of the best scenic drives in Montana.
Along the way, you’ll see some of Glacier National Park’s most distinct peaks, such as haystack, Mt.
Gould, Bear Hat Mountain, and Mt. Cannon. You’ll see deep valley’s, fields of the white, bell-shaped wildflower known as bear grass among bright red Indian Paintbrushes and magenta fire weed.
You’ll skirt long drops into deep canyons (don’t worry, the guard rails are often brick walls) you’ll see waterfalls that sometimes pour right over the road, and pass through amazing rock-hewn tunnels.
You’re almost assured to see mountain goats and sheep, and have a good chance of seeing bears. This is truly one of the top to-do’s on a Montana vacation, and a great way to get in a variety of hikes, snap some great photos, and have some fun.
The U.S. government completed Going-to-the-Sun Road in 1932. The road is 52 miles long, and crosses the Continental Divide at 6,646-foot-high Logan Pass. It passes by large glacial lakes and ancient cedar forests, and passes through windswept alpine tundra at Logan Pass.
There are scenic viewpoints and pullouts all along the road, so take it easy and stop for long views and get some great photos. The road spectacular coming from either St. Mary or West Glacier, and you may even want to cross it both ways, as the views are very different from one side to the other.
Things to know
Vehicles traveling Going-to-the-Sun Road must be 21 feet or shorter and 8 feet or thinner, and under about 10 feet to fit through the tunnels. The weather here can change quickly, so you’ll want to be prepared, make sure your vehicle is in good condition, and check with park rangers on the weather. You may also want to consider a guided tour of the road to get the most out of the experience.
Related posts:
- Montana Scenic Drives: Beartooth Highway
- Hiking Glacier National Park in the Montana Rockies
- Glacier National Park
- Get back to nature in Glacier National Park
- Montana Best of Hikes: Glacier National Park Many Glacier
