Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park

Driving

by Plot Along: Rockies

The signature 50-mile road across Glacier National Park, between West Glacier and St. Mary. Built between 1921 and 1932 by the National Park Service and Bureau of Public Roads, designated a National Historic Landmark and an All-American Road. Crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass, 6,646 feet.

The road climbs the Garden Wall on the west side past Heaven's Peak and the Weeping Wall, then descends the east side along St. Mary Lake. Vehicle-length restrictions apply on the alpine sections (no vehicles over 21 feet between Avalanche Creek and Sun Point).

The road is open seasonally. Typical season is late June through mid-October, depending on snowpack and plowing schedule. A timed-entry reservation is required during peak summer.

Learn more: nps.gov

1
Rocky Point
The drive's start at the Apgar village parking on the southwest shore of Lake McDonald, near the visitor center and camp store. Rocky Point, the first big lake view, is a short way up the road.
2
Heavens Peak Lookout
1945 fire lookout on the summit of Heavens Peak (8,987 ft), visible from the road's west side as a tiny silhouette on the skyline. Hike-in only, included here as a landmark to spot, not a stop.
3
McDonald Creek Overlook
View of McDonald Creek as it tumbles down from Logan Pass toward Lake McDonald. The creek follows the road for most of the west-side climb.
4
Weeping Wall
Section of cliff face along the road that streams snowmelt directly onto passing cars in early summer. Heaviest in June, dries up by August.
5
Bird Woman Falls Overlook
Roadside overlook across the valley at Bird Woman Falls, a 500-ft hanging-valley waterfall named for a Salish woman from a local origin story.
6
Big Bend
Sharp curve on the Garden Wall where the road switches back along the cliff. Popular pullout with views of Heavens Peak and the Livingston Range.
7
Oberlin Bend
Curve just below Logan Pass, named for Mount Oberlin directly overhead, with views back down the west valley and up to the Garden Wall.
8
Logan Pass / Hidden Lake Overlook
The highest point on Going-to-the-Sun at 6,646 ft, on the Continental Divide. Visitor center with restrooms; the boardwalk trailhead for Hidden Lake Overlook (2.7 mi RT) starts behind the building and is the park's most-walked alpine trail.
9
Jackson Glacier Overlook
East-side overlook of Jackson Glacier, one of the few glaciers visible from the road and one of the larger remaining ones in the park (it's lost over a third of its mass since the 1960s).
10
St. Mary 1913 Ranger Station
One of the oldest surviving ranger stations in the National Park system, a small log cabin from 1913 with a tiny museum on early park rangers.
11
Sunset Viewpoint
East-side pullout above St. Mary Lake where the angle catches the sunset light on the peaks. Near the famous Wild Goose Island view.

Rocky Point

Heavens Peak Lookout

McDonald Creek Overlook

Weeping Wall

Bird Woman Falls Overlook

Big Bend

Oberlin Bend

Logan Pass / Hidden Lake Overlook

Jackson Glacier Overlook

St. Mary 1913 Ranger Station

Sunset Viewpoint