Mountain Driving
Glacier National Park sits in northwest Montana, bordered on the north by Canadian Waterton Lakes National Park, on the south east by Flathead Valley, and on the west by the Continental Divide. When traveling to Glacier Park you can arrive by car, plane, or train.
You can enter Glacier National Park from all directions. If you are driving south from Canada over the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, the most direct road is Chief Mountain International Highway. It is, however, closed in the winter. US 2 runs east-west through the park. US 89 travels north to south but enters Glacier Park in the northeast. You can also enter the park via US 93 from the south. Going to the Sun Road traverses 50 miles across the scenic and high alpine Glacier Park from West Glacier to St. Mary. It is closed in the winter and sections slowly open up throughout the spring. Check road conditions and status if you are driving to the park in the winter months as there are high mountain passes within the park.
If you arrive to Glacier National Park via plane you can chose to fly directly into Glacier Park International Airport, 25 miles west of West Glacier, or Great Falls airport, 197 miles east of West Glacier. Big Sky Airlines, Horizon Airlines, Delta Airlines, and Northwest Airlines service Glacier Park International Airport. Car rentals, shuttles, and taxis can be reserved at both airports.
Take the most scenic route to Glacier Park and Flathead Valley in northern Montana and arrive by train. Amtrak runs directly through West Glacier, East Glacier, and Whitefish on its way to either Portland or Chicago.
Back in the day travel around the park was easy. The National Park Service ordered a fleet of open-aired red buses for a number of different national parks in the 1930's. These "Red Jammers" were the perfect ride through the park, especially on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Unfortunately these shuttles got a little creaky so they removed them from the park. There are still a few shuttle services for hire within and around the park. Main transportation through the park is by private vehicle, whether by car, motorcycle, bike, or foot.
West Glacier, MT Weather
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