![]() ![]() The national park service hired a shuttle service to operate as part of a plan to reduce vehicle congestion beginning in 2007. For the past five years, the road opened on June 23, June 23, June 28, June 17 and June 19. The latest opening since the inauguration of the road was July 13, 2011. As a result of the project, the park service has announced that the road will not open before Jin order to complete part of the project, if necessary. In 2019, the park service authorized a pavement preservation project for Sun Road. However, the opening for 2020 may be delayed at least a few days beyond what is necessary to remove the snow. Plowing usually begins in April, and the park service posts updates on its website informing guests and vacation planners of their progress. However, it is dependent on road and snow conditions. The road usually opens at Logan Pass between mid-June and mid-July. When Logan Pass is closed and GTSR is closed, visitors can travel around the closed road via a two hour detour on US-89 and US-2. On the east side, it begins at Highway 89 near St. ![]() The west side of the road starts at US Highway 2 in West Glacier near the Middle Fork of Flathead River. Where does Going to the Sun Road start and end? Wild Goose Island here is one of the most photographed locations along the road. This is the second largest lake in Glacier National Park, located on the east side of the park and paralleled by Going-to-the-Sun Road. Two of the popular trails in the area are the Hidden Lake trail and the Highline trail. The area is popular with visitors and the park service advises that the parking lot is generally full between 8:30 am and 4 PM. This is the highest elevation accessible by car in Glacier. It sits between Mount Oberlin and Mout Cannon. This approximately 500 foot waterfall is located just west of the continental divide along Going-to-the-Sun Road. The Lewis Range is a 160 mile segment of the northern Rockies which was formed by the Lewis Overthrust, a geological thrust fault. This 8184 foot mountain is located in the Lewis Range just northwest of Logan Pass. The loop trail also provides visitors a view of Avalanche Gorge (also pictured above), which funnels Avalanche Creek through the tropical area. The old growth forest features tall red cedar and black cottonwood trees along the path. 8 mile wheelchair accessible loop trail with its trailhead on Going-to-the-Sun Road, six miles east of Lake McDonald Lodge. The overlook and lake are reached by the Hidden Lake Nature Trail, with the trailhead beginning on the back side of the Logan Pass Visitor Center. The lake sits at an elevation of 6,375 feet and the view of the lake features Reynolds Mountain and Bearhat Mountain. Hidden Lake is a popular day hike destination in the Logan Pass area, with hikers choosing between turning back at either the Hidden Lake Overlook or adding on a trip to the lake shore itself. The Loop provided an alternative to a series of 15 switchbacks that otherwise would have been required to cross the Continental Divide. This is a large switchback in Going-to-the-Sun Road following McDonald Creek and the Garden Wall. The foot of the lake is approximately 2.3 miles (one way) from Going-to-the-Sun Road. This lake is reached by a two mile hike from the trailhead on the Trail of the Cedars. The area contains the Apgar Visitor Center and four campgrounds. It is more than 10 miles long and over a mile wide filling a valley formed by glacial carving. The largest lake in Glacier National Park is located on the west side of the park. Vehicles over 10 feet are not recommended when driving west between Logan Pass and the Loop due to rock overhangs. ![]() There are vehicle restrictions from Avalanche Creek to Rising Sun, with vehicle lengths of no more than 21 feet and no wider than 8 feet allowed. Portions of the road remain open all year to provide access to park locations. If you are headed to the area in June, be sure to check whether the road is open since the latest open ever recorded was in mid-July. It takes months to plow the road in the spring. The road is generally open its entire length from June to mid-October, although it is weather dependent. Construction of the road decreased the amount of time to travel through the park from several days to several hours. It took more than 10 years to complete the road and its formal dedication occurred in July 1933. It is often considered one of America’s Best Scenic Drives. It is the only road that crosses the park, reaching its highest point at Logan Pass with an elevation of 6,646 feet as it crosses the Continental Divide. Going to the Sun Road is a 50 mile long scenic mountain road in Glacier National Park. ![]()
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