East Tunnel
408 feet through Piegan Mountain, dug entirely by hand and finished in 1932 — five feet a day. The east side's gateway to the pass.
Open to everything · Saved in this browser
A FEW CHOICES. A TRIP THAT FEELS LIKE YOU.
What could your Glacier trip look like?
Choose what excites you. We’ll use it to filter your Glacier ideas—not rewrite the guide you came to read.
What draws you here?
Choose as many as you like—or leave it open to see everything.
When might you go—and for how long?
We’ll point you to the matching trip length. Season choices add access reminders; they do not confirm anything is open.
Have you chosen a side to stay on?
We’ll flag ideas that need a transfer from your chosen side. This is a preference, not a hotel booking.
Choices save automatically in this browser only. No account. Your answers are not sent to our servers.
Ideas for your Glacier trip
Showing all Glacier experiences. Your saved places and essential access information are never filtered.
An idea to explore—not a must-do.
The full road crossing depends on seasonal access—even in summer.
An idea to explore—not a must-do.
An idea to explore—not a must-do.
Pullouts sit on the downhill (east) side — stop there and look back for the tunnel-mouth photo with Reynolds and Clements behind it.
Natural Attraction
The East Tunnel is 408 feet of mountain that men removed by hand. Bored through Piegan Mountain just east of Logan Pass and completed in 1932, it was dug without power tools — crews drilled, blasted with black powder, and carried the broken rock out by hand, gaining about five feet a day, supplied by a 3.5-mile trail from above. Driving east, you plunge into the dark seconds after leaving the pass; driving west, the tunnel mouth frames your arrival into the high country, with Going-to-the-Sun Mountain, Mount Reynolds, and Clements Mountain stacked around the exit.
MAKE ROOM FOR A MEMORABLE STOP
Is this stop worth your time?
Why go
- What Youll See
- Ten seconds of hand-carved dark, then the reveal: westbound drivers exit into the full high country with Reynolds and Clements ahead; eastbound drivers get the long St. Mary valley opening below. From the east pullouts, the tunnel mouth sits in the cliff like a keyhole into the pass.
- Unique Characteristics
- Dug entirely without power tools - drilled by hand, shot with black powder, mucked out by men and mules at five feet a day. The harder, longer sibling of the West Tunnel below The Loop.
When to go
- Best Visit Times
- Any open day; westbound direction for the high-country reveal.
- Seasonal Access
- Open only while the alpine section of Going-to-the-Sun Road is open - typically late June through mid-October.
Getting there and doing it
- How To Get There
- About mile 33 on Going-to-the-Sun Road, a mile east of Logan Pass, boring through Piegan Mountain. Pullouts sit on the downhill (east) side. Open only while the alpine section is open, typically late June through mid-October.
- Parking Availability
- Pullouts on the east (downhill) side of the tunnel - small but usually available. No stopping inside.
Getting there & parking
- Road Type
- Paved Going-to-the-Sun Road passing through 408 feet of hand-excavated rock.
When to go
- Best Time To Visit
- Any open day — it's a tunnel. Westbound (uphill) drivers get the better reveal: the high country arrives framed in the exit arch.
- Road Opening Dates
- Alpine section typically opens late June (June 22 in 2026) and closes in mid-October, varying with snowpack.
What you will experience
- Attraction Type
- Hand-dug 408-ft tunnel
- Main Features
- 408-ft bore through Piegan Mountain completed 1932, hand excavation at five feet per day, 3.5-mile supply trail, east-portal peak views of Going-to-the-Sun Mountain, Mount Reynolds, and Clements Mountain
- Photo Opportunities
- Tunnel mouth from the east pullouts with peaks stacked behind; headlights emerging from the bore; late light on the portal masonry.
- Geological Formation Type
- Hand-bored tunnel through Piegan Mountain's Belt-rock shoulder, completed 1932
Facilities, fees & access
- Entry Fees
- $35 per private vehicle (7-day summer pass) for park entrance. No additional fee.
- Permits Required
- No
- Restrooms Available
- No
- Picnic Areas
- No
- Accessibility
- A from-the-vehicle experience; the east-side pullouts offer level standing views of the tunnel mouth.
- Nearby Services
- Logan Pass Visitor Center a mile west; Rising Sun services eleven miles east.
- Nearby Facilities
- None at the tunnel. Full services at Logan Pass Visitor Center, about a mile west. Lunch Creek pullout just up the road.
- Family Friendly Notes
- A drive-through thrill with a story kids remember — dug by hand, five feet a day. Stop only at the marked pullouts.
Safety
Nearby
- Nearby Attractions
- Lunch Creek pullout just west. Logan Pass a mile up. Siyeh Bend two miles east. Big Drift snow zone immediately west of the tunnel in early season.
Planning advice
- Insider Tips
- Pullouts sit on the downhill (east) side — stop there and look back for the tunnel-mouth photo with Reynolds and Clements behind it.
- Five feet a day: think about that number as you drive its 408 feet in ten seconds.
- Pair it with Lunch Creek, a half-mile toward the pass — one stop covers both.
Continue the drive
Location
Photos
Frequently asked questions
Was the East Tunnel really dug by hand?
Yes — completed in 1932 with hand drilling and black powder, the broken rock carried out manually. Crews advanced about five feet per day, supplied by a 3.5-mile pack trail from above.
How long is the East Tunnel?
408 feet through Piegan Mountain — the longer of the road's two tunnels (the West Tunnel, below The Loop, runs 192 feet).
Can I stop at the tunnel?
Not inside — use the pullouts on the downhill side just east of it, then look back for the classic tunnel-mouth view.
What peaks are visible here?
Going-to-the-Sun Mountain, Mount Reynolds, and Clements Mountain surround the tunnel's east approach — the pullouts frame all three.
More at Glacier National Park
Pyramid Peak
Granite peak sharpened by glacial ice; scrambling to Pyramid Peak from Pyramid Pass.
Grace Lake
Grace Lake: glacial cirque lake at 3,966 ft, reached via the Logging Lake Trail.
Rising Sun Picnic Area
A practical east-side pause where Glacier’s mountains meet the prairies.
Two Medicine Picnic Area
Two Medicine’s lake and peaks reward a future picnic; road access is closed as of September 9, 2026.
Monument Falls
215 ft waterfall fed by glacial meltwater; view from Avalanche Lake shore.
Lake McDonald
A west-side lakeshore pause: choose Apgar or Lake McDonald Lodge, then leave room for a separate walk or boat outing.
Sources
- National Park Service
- YourNPGuide Editorial
Editorial review: YourNPGuide Editorial Team. Information is compiled from official sources, verified traveler reviews, and editorial research; no firsthand visit is implied unless explicitly documented. Learn how YourNPGuide works.
Last updated July 2026. Report an issue.