Glacier National Park Updates | June, 2026
Glacier National Park · 2026 Season
Fully open as of June 22. A local's guide to driving the road now, the best places to eat on both sides of the park, and how to stay smart in bear country.
Every spring, one question fills my inbox faster than any other: will the Sun Road be drivable when we get there? For 2026, the answer finally arrived on June 22, when the plows won their annual argument with the Big Drift and the full road opened to vehicles. So this guide has traded its educated guess for the real thing: what the opening means for your visit right now, restaurants worth building a day around, and a clear-eyed word on sharing trails with bears. I photograph couples across this park all summer, and I have watched too many itineraries hang on a single stretch of pavement. Consider this your local briefing.
Three parts, in order: the road, the food, the bears.
No. 01
Going-to-the-Sun Road is open for the 2026 season
The wait ended on June 22. The full 50 miles are open to vehicles, and you can drive Logan Pass from either the West Glacier or St. Mary entrance. For the record, my June 15 guess missed by a week, which against the Big Drift I will call a respectable read. Here is what actually matters now that the gate is up.
The 2026 opening, for the record
Six days later than last year's full opening and eleven past the long-term average. My June 15 call was a week optimistic, which is about par for arguing with the Big Drift.
The Big Drift, a one-mile wall just east of Logan Pass where wind stacks snow up to 80 feet deep, is always the final piece. Even in a dry year it can take weeks to cut through, so plows reaching the pass is a milestone, not a finish line.
Clearing snow is the easy part
Before the gate ever opens, the crews work through a list, and almost all of it happens after the photogenic plowing is done:
What two decades of openings say
Biking the road now
The famous car-free window closed when vehicles returned on June 22, so pencil that ride in for next spring. You can still bike the road all season, with two timing rules through September 27: no riding eastbound from Apgar to Logan Pass between noon and 6 p.m., and no riding westbound from Logan Pass to Apgar between 3 and 6 p.m. Start early. The light is better anyway.
Vehicle reservations are gone parkwide this year, so an entrance pass is all you need at the gate. Since July 1, parking at Logan Pass is capped at three hours and the new ticketed Logan Pass Shuttle is running through September 7, with $1 tickets on recreation.gov released 60 days ahead plus a next-day batch at 7 p.m. If a hike longer than three hours starts at the pass, like the Highline, plan on the shuttle.
The pass is yours whenever you want it this season, no reservation required, and the road usually stays open into mid-October, weather permitting. Whatever your day out there looks like, you are going to come off it hungry. Here is where to go.
No. 02
Where to eat around Glacier
Whether the road cooperates or not, you are going to get hungry, and the eating scene around the park is genuinely good. These are the spots locals send people to, with a quick note on which side of the park each one is on so you can match it to wherever your day actually lands. None of this is sponsored. It is just where I would point a couple after a shoot or a long hike.
Uptown Hearth
Columbia FallsThe best place to turn a slow morning around. Locally roasted coffee, a solid two-egg breakfast, an OG sandwich, and a breakfast burrito to get you moving. Later in the day there are soba and banh mi bowls and an Uptown cheesesteak, plus a grab-and-go cooler for the trail.
Packer's Roost
CoramAn institution with a little color and usually a row of motorcycles out front. A reliable landing spot for hikers coming off a long day and park crews wrapping a backcountry hitch. The beer garden is a surprisingly mellow place to refuel.
Ranger Joe's Pizza
Columbia FallsKeep this one in your back pocket for the day a plan falls apart. Sicilian, Detroit, and New York style pizza, the New York voted best in the state. Shares a spot with Scout and Gather, with mini golf, pickleball, and cornhole.
The Belton Chalet
West GlacierBuilt in 1912, one of the historic Great Northern Railway hotels, and a lovely bridge to the past. Dress up for an anniversary in the grand hall, or roll in straight off the trail for something on the deck in the sun.
Stonefly Lounge
CoramGood local band, the game on, a carefully curated tap list, and the reason people keep coming back: the Stonefly Pie. Savory hand pies baked fresh daily, hearty enough to put you back together after anything in the park.
Eddie's Cafe
Apgar VillageOpen since 1945, and right inside the boundary. Grab a cone and walk the short distance to the foot of Lake McDonald. Standing on that shore looking up the valley is one of those small, perfect park moments. Easy to fold into any west-side day.
Two Sisters Cafe
BabbThe east-side classic. Funky, laid-back, and exactly the soft landing you want a few miles from the trailhead. Plenty of east-side hikers have powered through their last rubbery miles on the promise of this place.
Johnson's Cafe
St. MaryFor the cold, rainy day when the views close in. Johnson's is up the hill in St. Mary with family-style dinners starting in the late afternoon. Simple, warm, and so good you might stand back out in the rain just to justify seconds.
Northern Lights Saloon
PolebridgeOnce you have braved the washboard road up to Polebridge, you will want out of the vehicle, and this has been the place to recover for years. A nice range on the menu, from a bison burger to a gyro to a hearty rainbow quinoa bowl for the veggie-minded. Add a draught beer or a cocktail, then either push on or stay for live music on the Northern Lights Stage. While you are up there, the Polebridge Mercantile next door is worth a stop for a famous huckleberry bear claw.
Hours and seasons shift fast around the park, especially in shoulder season. A quick call ahead saves a hungry detour, and a few of these get a line on summer evenings.
No. 03
Staying safe in bear country
I want to keep this honest and brief, because it matters and because fear-mongering helps no one. There have been a couple of bear encounters in the park recently, and trails do get closed when that happens. These are rare events in a place where millions of people hike safely every year, but they are a good reminder that this is wild country and we are guests in it. A little preparation goes a long way.
Before you head out, check the park's current trail closures, since they open and close trails as conditions change. The National Park Service conditions page is the place to look, and rangers at the entrance and visitor centers can tell you what is open the day you arrive.
The basics, every time
- Carry bear spray, and know how to use it before you need it.
- Make noise near streams, dense brush, and blind corners. Rushing water hides you.
- Hike in a group when you can. More people, more noise, fewer surprises.
- Skip the headphones on the trail. Stay alert to what is around you.
- Never approach a bear, and never run from one.
- If you meet a bear, stay calm, speak in a steady voice, and back away slowly.
- Store food, trash, and anything scented properly.
- Report any bear encounter to park staff as soon as it is safe.
If I had to underline one thing on that list, it is this: make noise, especially near streams. Most bad encounters are surprises, and rushing water can hide the sound of you coming. Talk, clap, call out at blind corners. Let the wildlife know you are there, and you remove most of the risk.
Chase the pass, hold your plans loosely, and let the wildlife hear you coming.
Frequently asked questions
The full length of Going-to-the-Sun Road opened to vehicles on June 22, 2026, six days later than last year's full opening and eleven days past the long-term average of June 11. The road typically stays open into mid-October, weather permitting, so the whole summer window is ahead of you.
No. For 2026 the park eliminated vehicle reservations everywhere, including the Sun Road, Many Glacier, Two Medicine, and the North Fork. You still need an entrance pass to enter the park. Since July 1, parking at Logan Pass has been capped at three hours and the new ticketed Logan Pass Shuttle runs through September 7, with tickets on recreation.gov.
Yes, though the famous car-free window ended when the road opened to vehicles on June 22. For the rest of the season, through September 27, bikes are prohibited eastbound from Apgar to Logan Pass between noon and 6 p.m. and westbound from Logan Pass to Apgar between 3 and 6 p.m. Ride early in the morning for the quietest road, and mark late spring on next year's calendar for the traffic-free version.
Yes. Vehicles and vehicle combinations longer than 21 feet including bumpers, or wider than 8 feet including mirrors, are prohibited between Avalanche Creek and Rising Sun. Vehicles over 10 feet tall can also have trouble with rock overhangs driving west from Logan Pass toward The Loop. If you are in an RV or towing, park low and drive the pass in something smaller, or book the Logan Pass Shuttle.
Millions of people hike Glacier safely every year, and serious bear incidents are rare. Like any wild place, it asks for a little care. Check current trail closures before you go, carry bear spray and know how to use it, make noise near water and blind corners, hike in a group when you can, and never approach or run from a bear. Most encounters are surprises, so making noise is the single most effective thing you can do.
On the west side, Uptown Hearth in Columbia Falls for breakfast and grab-and-go, Packer's Roost and Stonefly Lounge in Coram, Ranger Joe's Pizza near Columbia Falls, the historic Belton Chalet in West Glacier, and Eddie's Cafe in Apgar Village. On the east side, Two Sisters Cafe near Babb and Johnson's Cafe in the St. Mary area. Up the North Fork, the Northern Lights Saloon in Polebridge. Hours shift seasonally, so call ahead.
Planning a Glacier Elopement or Wedding?
Let's tell the story of your day in this park.
I photograph elopements and weddings all over Glacier and the Flathead Valley, for every kind of couple. If you are dreaming up a day here, I would love to hear about it.
Get in touchPlanning a Glacier National Park trip in 2026? This local guide covers the Going-to-the-Sun Road 2026 opening date (the full road opened June 22, 2026), the 2026 changes to Glacier National Park vehicle reservations, the three-hour Logan Pass parking limit and the new ticketed Logan Pass Shuttle, the best restaurants and places to eat near Glacier National Park on both the west side (Columbia Falls, Coram, West Glacier, Apgar Village) and the east side (Babb, St. Mary) plus Polebridge in the North Fork, and practical bear safety and bear spray tips for hiking in Glacier National Park, Montana. Stan Todorov is a Glacier National Park elopement and wedding photographer based in Kalispell, Montana, serving the Flathead Valley.