The route
This is a suggested first route over Going-to-the-Sun Road, built from the places already in the Old Route Retro atlas. The road crosses Glacier National Park for roughly fifty miles, from the lakes of the west side up over Logan Pass and down toward the park's east side — and it opens only in summer, when the snow is cleared from the pass. Every stop below links to its own place page, where the postcards filed for that location are gathered together.
The Montana route shows the whole state, and holds every design currently filed under it.
The western gateway
The approach to the road runs through the country west of the park. Whitefish is the town that anchors that side, with Flathead Lake spread out to the south — a good place to gather a night before the drive.
Along Lake McDonald
Inside the park, the road begins along the shore of Lake McDonald, the long lake at the west entrance of Glacier National Park. From here the road turns toward the mountains.
Over Logan Pass
The heart of the drive is the crossing itself: the Going-to-the-Sun Road climbs to Logan Pass, the high point of the route, where the timberline falls away and the peaks open out on both sides. On the far side, the road descends toward the park's east side; the atlas's Montana pages keep to the west, the pass, and the north.
North to the Waterton country
North of the main road, the atlas's Glacier country continues into Waterton-glacier Peace Park, the international park that joins Montana with Canada — a quieter counterpart to the crowded summer road.
Planning the route
This is a suggested route from the Old Route Retro atlas, not an official itinerary. Going-to-the-Sun Road is a summer road — it opens when the snow clears from the pass — and the park has managed summer entry with vehicle reservations in recent years, so check the National Park Service's current requirements before travelling. The drive itself fits naturally in a day, with the lakes at one end and the pass in the middle.
The atlas's other great Montana drive is the Beartooth Highway — two roads, two passes, one state. Every stop in this guide is a real page: open the Montana route to browse every design currently filed under it.
When is Going-to-the-Sun Road open?
Going-to-the-Sun Road is a summer road: it is closed in winter and opens when the snow is cleared from Logan Pass, usually in early summer. Dates change from year to year, so check the National Park Service's current road status before travelling.
How long does the drive take?
As a route in the atlas it has no fixed length. The road itself crosses the park in roughly fifty miles and fits naturally in a day, with stops at the lake and the pass. Each place page stands alone, so you can follow any single stop on its own.
Do I need a reservation to drive the road?
Glacier National Park has managed summer entry with vehicle reservations in recent years, including along the road's corridor in peak season. Requirements change from year to year, so the National Park Service's current page is the reliable source.