Going-to-the-Sun Road In Glacier National Park Will Require A Ticket In 2022
Anyone planning on driving the legendary Going-to-the-Sun Road next year should bear in mind that once again, a ticket will be required, while visiting the Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. This is the second year that Glacier will require ticketed entry, in an effort to manage traffic on the historic and scenically stunning route.
About Going-to-the-Sun Road
Going-to-the-Sun Road is an engineering marvel, built between 1921 and 1932, and winding for 50 miles through the center of Glacier National Park. It’s easy to see why it got its name, as when the road climbs to Logan’s Pass, at 6,646 ft, you will like you are “going to the sun” indeed. The road then heads back downhill, while offering breathtaking vistas, along with views of wildlife, including mountain goats and bighorn sheep along the way and occasionally, you can even spot a grizzly bear.
The entire Going-to-the-Sun Road runs from West to East Glacier and takes around two hours to drive. However, the chance to do this is limited, as snow covers the road in winter and crews have to spend several weeks plowing the road and repairing any damage. While there is no set date for the reopening, it is normally open from late June until the third week of October.
The need to cut back on visitors
As with many US National Parks, Glacier National Park has recently seen a spike in visitation. For instance, this year, the park reported its second-highest number of visitors in the road’s history. Last year, the ticketing system was put into place for Going-to-the-Sun Road and the park has deemed the ticketing program a success. It reportedly helped to control traffic congestion on the popular road. The ticketing system also helped rangers to avoid fully shutting access to the park at least 35 times during the latest season.
Glacier has not yet announced the exact date when tickets will be available, but rangers currently offer March as a target date. Meanwhile, tickets are only required during the period from May 27 through September 11, 2022.
How can you get a ticket?
For now, you can open an account at Recreation.gov to get ready for the reopening day and tickets will be available on that website at a cost of $2 per reservation. Once the road is reopened, you just need to log in and reserve the ticket and pay the $2 reservation fee.
Once the day comes, you will need to show the ticket, along with your photo ID. On top of this, you will also need to pay $35 for a seven-day park entry fee, or provide your America is Beautiful Annual Pass (which costs $80). The latter option is ideal if you are planning to head to multiple parks as it will save you money on entrance fees.
Which entrances need a ticket for Going-to-the-Sun Road?
St. Mary Entrance, the West Entrance and the new Camas Entrance all require a ticket to enter and the ticket is good for three days. On top of this, in 2022, you will also require a ticket at the Polebridge Ranger Station to visit the North Fork area of the park.
Meanwhile, if you have camping, lodging, or commercial activity reservations in Glacier National Park, you won’t need a ticket and will be able to show our reservation instead to enter the park.
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Photos credit: Glacier National Park Instagram