For the summer of 2026, Glacier National Park plans to suspend its vehicle reservation system for the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing visitors to enter without pre-booking, though they’ll still need a park pass. Instead of timed entry, the park will manage crowds with temporary closures to incoming vehicles if areas get too full, focusing on handling congestion as it happens and avoiding the pre-dawn traffic surges that endangered wildlife under the old system.
Key Changes for 2026
- No More Timed Entry: You won’t need to book a specific time slot to drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
- Park Pass Still Required: You still need to pay the standard park entrance fee or have a valid pass (like America the Beautiful) to enter.
- New Congestion Management: Expect rangers to temporarily close sections of the road when parking lots (like at Logan Pass) fill up, rather than through reservations.
- Focus on Safety: The change aims to reduce dangerous early morning traffic and improve wildlife safety.
What to Do
- Check the official NPS website for Glacier National Park in early 2026 for final confirmation and updates on any potential changes, as this decision was recently announced.
