How to Get to Glacier National Park: Airports, Driving, Amtrak & Shuttle

The closest airport by far, about 25 miles and about 30 minutes from the West Entrance — but July 2026 has limited weekday operations due to runway work.

• Daily non-stop flights from Seattle (SEA), Salt Lake City (SLC), Denver (DEN), Las Vegas (LAS), and seasonal service from other hubs.
• Budget, Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, National desks in terminal; off-site agencies like Dollar and Whitefish Car Rentals pick up at Whitefish Amtrak station.
• July 2026 runway rehabilitation: main runway closed Monday 6 pm – Friday 10 am each week — about 60% of flights still operate Friday–Monday.
• Book rental cars in advance for July–August — Flathead Valley inventory sells out fast.

Year-round service, more flight options than FCA, and no July construction — worth the extra drive for July travelers or budget-conscious planners.

• Year-round service from American, Delta, Alaska, United, Frontier, and Allegiant — no July closures.
• Rental cars and shuttles available at terminal; drive north on US-93 to Flathead Valley, then east on US-2 to West Glacier.
• Drive route through Flathead Valley offers scenic river and mountain views — plan about 2.5 hours with normal traffic.
• MSO fares often undercut FCA significantly; compare on same dates to see your savings.

The gateway to Many Glacier, Two Medicine, and the quieter east side — closer to Browning and the Canadian border, often cheaper than FCA.

• Year-round Delta and United service connecting through Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, and Denver.
• US-89 north from Great Falls through Choteau and Browning leads straight to St. Mary and Many Glacier.
• Shorter drives to Many Glacier (about 3 hours 5 minutes) and Two Medicine (about 2 hours 40 minutes) compared to west-side entry.
• East side offers dramatically fewer crowds than Going-to-the-Sun Road and west-side lodging clusters.

One of the most scenic train routes in the U.S., running Chicago–Seattle/Portland with direct stops at West Glacier, East Glacier Park, and Whitefish — ideal if you want to skip car rentals entirely.

• Westbound: departs Chicago, arrives West Glacier; eastbound: departs Seattle/Portland, arrives West Glacier.
• East Glacier Park station: direct access to Two Medicine and south park entrance.
• Whitefish station (about 27 miles west): larger town with more lodging, restaurants, car rentals, and amenities — good base if you want to rest before entering the park.
• Sleeper cars sell out months in advance for summer travel — book early for July–August. Coach seats and lower-cost options available.
• West Glacier station is about 1 mile from the entrance gate — walk straight in or use shuttle services.

The most flexible option for controlling your timeline, gear, and regional exploration — paved approach roads open year-round, though Going-to-the-Sun Road closes mid-October through late June.

• West approach: US-2 East from Kalispell (~33 mi, ~35 min), Missoula (~138 mi, ~2 hr 30 min), Seattle (~551 mi, ~8 hr 50 min), or I-90 East from Spokane (~273 mi, ~4 hr 30 min).
• East approach: US-89 North from Great Falls (157 mi to St. Mary, ~2 hr 40 min) passes through Choteau and Browning — direct route to Many Glacier and Two Medicine.
• Canadian approach: AB-2 South then US-89 South from Calgary (~180 mi, ~3 hr 15 min) for St. Mary entrance; international crossing times can be unpredictable July–August.
• Rental cars available at all three airports (Budget, Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, National have terminal desks) — book ahead for July–August.

2026 introduced a ticketed express shuttle to Logan Pass with timed 3-hour vehicle parking limits, July 1–September 7.

• Free Going-to-the-Sun Road shuttle: replaced in 2026 by the ticketed Logan Pass express shuttle.
• New 2026 Logan Pass express shuttle: ticketed advance service (Recreation.gov, $1 processing fee) to guarantee early access without drive time. Tickets released 60 days in advance starting May 2, 2026; remaining tickets released 7 pm MDT for next-day access starting June 30.
• Logan Pass vehicle parking: limited to 3 hours from July 1 through Labor Day 2026 — enough for Hidden Lake hike (~1.3 mi one way to the overlook), visitor center, or ranger program. Arrive before 8 am.
• Historic Red Bus Tours: open-top vintage vehicles run Going-to-the-Sun Road late spring through fall (book early at glaciernationalparklodges.com).

All visitors need a valid entrance pass; standard 7-day vehicle pass is $35, motorcycles $30, pedestrians/Amtrak arrivals $20 — or consider the $80 America the Beautiful pass if visiting multiple parks.

• Private vehicle 7-day pass ($35) covers all passengers in one vehicle.
• Motorcycle pass ($30) covers rider and passenger.
• Per-person pedestrian/cyclist pass ($20) — Amtrak arrivals walking into the park pay per person.
• Glacier Annual Pass — year-round, one vehicle, Glacier only.
• America the Beautiful Pass ($80) — covers all federal lands and sites for 1 year.
• No timed-entry vehicle reservations required in 2026 — just show up and pay at the entrance station.
• Non-U.S. residents age 16+ must pay an additional $100 nonresident fee unless entering with an annual or America the Beautiful pass.