THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS VIDEO! - I've already booked our reservations at Many Glacier, and thought I didn't need a separate vehicle pass. However we are planning to enter from the West entrance, so it turns out I will need a vehicle pass for that one day. Thanks to your video, I've now got my calendar marked to book the pass when that date opens up. :)
Once again, Ash, you absolutely crushed it. You're a total rock star! It's honestly mind boggling that we once again have an even more confusing situation than the year before. Mid/late-Sept it is. Best time to go anyway ;) 🤷♂
@@AceGoodheart After Labor Day weekend, crowds dwindle down little by little by little continually. There will still be peeps out and about but nothing like summer. As far as what's open, I really have no idea. How that affects you really depends on your plans... where you'll be staying and playing (west side vs east side are very different in pretty much every way). I suspect at that time you'll still have plenty of options. Come Spring when the park releases all their info for that year, I would get on their website and give it a thorough look over. Then come back to DIRT IN MY SHOES and ask any questions you have. Weather in GNP is unpredictable all year long really. You can be cooking on a hike in the heat one minute, then get refreshingly drenched by a thunderstorm that just rolled in, then nice and sunny again 20-minutes later (bring layers). I much prefer mid/late Sept because there's FAR less people, it's easer and quicker to get around, the weather's generally very comfortable, the animals are still out (if not more), and most places are still open. One note: If you're staying on the east side (my preference for sure) you may need to plan a bit more, as there's just less over there to access in general. If you're going for the first time, the west side will probably be a lot "easier" with West Glacier right outside the gate for more options. Hope that helps, have fun!!!
My husband and I went last year in late September. We entered on the east side at St Marys. The gift shops were open and the views and hikes were breathtaking. Logan's Pass visitor center was closed which seemed early to me. We did NOT have to get a reservation at this time. The West side was much more crowded when we got there and most parking lots were filled, the east side was quiet and much less crowded.
While the terminology “extra reservation” may be confusing to some, it is exactly the best way to depict it, and how both the NP website and Ash describe it. Despite the comment below, you DO need more than a NP pass or to pay the entrance fee during certain times, so just listen to and understand Ash’s video so you won’t miss out on the most beautiful national park in the USA!!
What a comprehensive and awesome video this was. I think we are probably going to visit in mid-September this year, and I realize that we won't need any reservations beyond Sept 8. After this video finishes, I am going to look at the links to your Glacier Itinerary. Have you ever worked at, or visited, Kenai Fjords?
Great video!! You answered everything I needed to know for my June 1-14 roadtrip in the campervan. I like how authentic you are...have you done any videos on Banff, jasper or the other NP in that area?
Thanks! We recorded a podcast episode about road tripping the Canadian Parks (episode 25 of Exploring the National Parks here on the YT channel), and I do have a couple of articles on my website: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/10-things-cant-miss-first-visit-banff/ and www.dirtinmyshoes.com/10-things-cant-miss-first-visit-jasper/
I think that the NPS has developed a system to keep people from visiting GNP. One could very easily drive very long distances to visit this wonderland and find the gate closed to them - too much risk and hassle to contemplate a visit to GNP now. Thank God that I accomplished extensive visits and hikes over a decade ago (300 miles of trails covered by multiple day hikes in most parts of the park).
I’m used to this living inColorado and people bitch about this but it works. Rocky Mountain National park does this entering the park during 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. Also if you want to go to Bear lake. (Amazing lakes and hikes) You need a separate reservation. Rec.gov the night before is a pain and stressful but it keeps crowds down.
Ash - You are SO INCREDIBLY HELPFUL as we plan our Natl Park trips !!! I recently purchased your Glacier NP itinerary (and sent you a Q on the Comment form which you quicky and graciously answered... Thank You!). I just read something on Reddit about the MANY GLACIER Campground is expected to be closed in 2024 to re-do water/plumbing services. I've been watching and they ARE taking reservations so far. Any chance you've heard anything about this? I had high hopes to camp there since we will have 10+ days to spend in Glacier in mid-September 2024.
I haven't heard anything for sure, but my guess would be that if they do that, it will happen during the fall (mid-September to the end of October). If they are taking reservations, then they are planning on the campground being open during those dates...they wouldn't be taking reservations if they plan on closing it down during those dates. So when it switches to FCFS, that's the most likely time for them to close it down -- sorry!
Ash: Love your videos! Very helpful as we are planning another "epic" camping trip this June. Wanted your opinion on something: Just tried two mornings in a row to secure a vehicle pass for Glacier "Going-to-the-Sun Road via the West Entrance 1-Day Vehicle Reservation". Got on the laptop at exactly 10:00am EST and kept hitting the "refresh" every few seconds... kept getting the same message back about "Too many people are requesting this tour at this time, please try again"... watched the available number of reservations dwindle about 50 each time, yet never had any success. Reminds me of the several times trying to get concert tickets from sites like Livenation. Starting to wonder if we have a "bot" type thing going on here? Just wondering what you and others are experiencing? Anyway, keep doing your very great videos!!
That's so frustrating...I'm sorry! They have said that they have things in place to keep bots from getting those reservations. But unfortunately, what you are experiencing is pretty common :(
Thank you so much for the info Me and my fam went last year late may early June going to the sun was closed to vehicles and only open the bikes which was even more amazing We are going around the same dates this year and hoping to be able to bike the going to the sun How do you know when they will be open to vehicles this year?
If you enter the GTTS road from the east and go all the way to the west entrance and turn around to go back to the east entrance, do you need a pass to go back?
The checkpoint on the west side is just north of Apgar, so you won't want to drive beyond that, otherwise they won't let you back through on the west side to get back to the east side.
your video really helpful, we are planing go glacier park from Aug. 2-5, stay at St. Mary camping site. August 4 is free Entrance Days in the National Parks, do I still need buy car reservation for this day to enter Many Glacier?
Yes, you'll still need to make the reservation on fee-free days! You just won't have to pay your entrance fee when you go through the entrance station.
We are hoping to go to Glacier National Park on the last week of May. I have watched a couple of videos and I'm still but confused about road closures. If going to the sunroad won't be completely cleared yet, is it ever partially opened for cars or it will stay completely closed from the entrance?
Good evening Ash. New follower. We are planning our trip to Grand Teton the week of June 10th this year. Is there anything special we need to know? I plan on purchasing your Grand Teton 1, 2 & 3 day planning itinerary.
Hi there! Your Grand Teton Itinerary comes with weekly updates, so I'll keep you informed about what's going on in the park from there. But as of right now, no extra entrance reservations are needed!
We used Ashley's itinerary for our trip in September 2023 - about 2 weeks after Labor Day. Although we went a couple weeks after Labor Day, some of the popular locations were still busy with either standing in line or circling parking to find a parking spot. Mornings were cold, afternoons probably got a bit too warm but it all worked out for a great trip. But just be prepared for crowds even if you don't expect them. Starting out early in the morning helped a lot. Some trails had hundreds of people, while others - where we hiked 4 or so miles, didn't see another living sole. Ashely's guide helps a lot with understanding what time to leave and to arrive at locations to beat the crowds as best possible. For us though, the boat crossing for Jenny's Lake didn't start till noon after Labor Day. So, we did the secret hike first. We arrived at the boat landing at Jenny's Lake well prior to noon and they were already running shuttles. Asked why they were already running, and the response was, if we didn't start a couple hours ago, we wouldn't be able to get everyone across before we closed. BTW - if you are a Veteran / Military, etc., they don't charge you the crossing which I think is $20 per person. Enjoy your trip. It's an awesome experience. The points of view were awesome. The dining experience was great. Have fun and enjoy.
@@GaryBlouin wow, talk about a reply! Thank you so much for the info! I figured there’s no one else that would know the parks better than Ashley! I will order it today! Thanks again for all the information!
@@DirtInMyShoes good morning. Thank you for the reply! Seeing how the itineraries are updated weekly, would you recommend me waiting until a couple of weeks prior to our trip?
@@Wanderlustertoo One tip - I don't think it was an issue with Grand Teton, but I'll mention it anyway. If you are using your phone for Google Maps (or the Apple equivalent), download the maps / area to your phone before you go. Download a big area. We ended up in a remote location and I couldn't get Google Maps / Android Auto to start because it couldn't get a cell signal. I was lucky since the car had a built-in navigation system. Once I got back to Wi-Fi, I downloaded the maps and didn't have an issue going forward. It was just something I forgot to do with this trip.
The Going-to-the-Sun might not be fully open in June, so it's hard to know what your options will be. But I'd probably head into Many Glacier if you want amazing lower-elevation views!
If I am stay at Rising Sun and arrive after 3 PM, will I be allowed in? And if I am, do I have access to the Going to the sun Road for the rest of the trip as long as I don’t leave the Apgar Checkpoint?
I have a national park pass and reservations to tent camp at Avalanche creek for 3 days. Do I need anything additional and can I enter going to the sun on my first day of camping before my campsite opens up at 1pm?? I'd like to access from the west side around 10am and tour the area before heading to my campsite. We also have camping reserved in Many Glacier for 2 days right after Avalanche creek. I want to be able to access that area before my campsite opens up at 1 pm. After glacier we are headed back to Yellowstone for 4 nights. Glacier is a cluster.
Can I rent an e-bike in Saint Mary and then use it to go to the Many Glacier Hotel? I'd like to park it there if possible and then hike to the Grinnell Glacier.
The road to Many Glacier is pretty rough...not sure I'd really want to be on an eBike on that route. But I guess it's possible if you can find a rental!
Very unhappy to see the reservation system reduced to one day. We are planning a trip from the east coast and are meeting a large group of people. We have intentions of visiting for multiple days. This is going to be stressful having everyone in our group buy the same dates and over several days to cover our trip. Due to the distance we are traveling having a one day only pass could be disastrous if we encounter travel delays which cause everyone to arrive later than expected. Ugh.
I know, I think that's the worst change that they've made to their system. I really wish they would have kept it as a 3-day reservation. I hope you're able to get what you need!
We are all driving across country. It’s a car rally and people are coming from Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana, Jersey, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Virginia etc. They should have kept the option for a three day for those persons who are staying longer.
I HATE the terminology “extra reservation”. That implies you need some mysterious initial reservation to get into the park which you do not need. All you need is the National Parks pass or to pay the entrance fee. That is not a reservation, that’s a fee. You simply need one reservation to use GTTS road or get into Many Glacier. This dumb phrasing is what is confusing people. It took me a week and a dozen conversations with people to clarify it.
I understand that, but most people are already making initial lodging reservations to stay in or near the park. So when we just refer to it as a reservation, they often get confused and don't realize that they need something else to actually sightsee in the park -- they think that we are referring to their lodging reservations.
I live in Colorado. I’m used to these stupid reservation especially in Rocky Mountain national park. You can use your pass to get into the park or pay the fee. There are lots of places you can go. Bear lake is the most popular place with the popular hikes and lakes. The only way in is to have a “Reservation” from Rec.gov. There is a gate and guard and timed entries of two hours.
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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS VIDEO! - I've already booked our reservations at Many Glacier, and thought I didn't need a separate vehicle pass. However we are planning to enter from the West entrance, so it turns out I will need a vehicle pass for that one day. Thanks to your video, I've now got my calendar marked to book the pass when that date opens up. :)
I'm so glad! And I'm so glad you caught that and will be able to get what you need....many people don't realize that they need one!
Once again, Ash, you absolutely crushed it. You're a total rock star!
It's honestly mind boggling that we once again have an even more confusing situation than the year before.
Mid/late-Sept it is. Best time to go anyway ;) 🤷♂
Thanks so much! I know, some of the changes they made this year are so confusing...I wish they would stop making it more complicated haha.
Thanks Ash for all the info. I’m wondering if you know anything about the gate opening on going to the sun road?
I'm going mid-September next year. What can I expect as far as how crowded it will be, will everything be open, and what can I expect weather wise?
@@AceGoodheart After Labor Day weekend, crowds dwindle down little by little by little continually. There will still be peeps out and about but nothing like summer. As far as what's open, I really have no idea. How that affects you really depends on your plans... where you'll be staying and playing (west side vs east side are very different in pretty much every way). I suspect at that time you'll still have plenty of options. Come Spring when the park releases all their info for that year, I would get on their website and give it a thorough look over. Then come back to DIRT IN MY SHOES and ask any questions you have. Weather in GNP is unpredictable all year long really. You can be cooking on a hike in the heat one minute, then get refreshingly drenched by a thunderstorm that just rolled in, then nice and sunny again 20-minutes later (bring layers).
I much prefer mid/late Sept because there's FAR less people, it's easer and quicker to get around, the weather's generally very comfortable, the animals are still out (if not more), and most places are still open. One note: If you're staying on the east side (my preference for sure) you may need to plan a bit more, as there's just less over there to access in general. If you're going for the first time, the west side will probably be a lot "easier" with West Glacier right outside the gate for more options.
Hope that helps, have fun!!!
Thanks for the info, I always find it so frustrating going to Glacier these days.
Happy to help!
My husband and I went last year in late September. We entered on the east side at St Marys. The gift shops were open and the views and hikes were breathtaking. Logan's Pass visitor center was closed which seemed early to me. We did NOT have to get a reservation at this time. The West side was much more crowded when we got there and most parking lots were filled, the east side was quiet and much less crowded.
Yes, I love the East Side!
While the terminology “extra reservation” may be confusing to some, it is exactly the best way to depict it, and how both the NP website and Ash describe it. Despite the comment below, you DO need more than a NP pass or to pay the entrance fee during certain times, so just listen to and understand Ash’s video so you won’t miss out on the most beautiful national park in the USA!!
The whole process is just confusing for pretty much everybody LOL. I wish everything was more clear, especially from the NPS!
What a comprehensive and awesome video this was. I think we are probably going to visit in mid-September this year, and I realize that we won't need any reservations beyond Sept 8. After this video finishes, I am going to look at the links to your Glacier Itinerary. Have you ever worked at, or visited, Kenai Fjords?
I haven't. I worked at Glacier Bay and Denali though!
Great video!! You answered everything I needed to know for my June 1-14 roadtrip in the campervan. I like how authentic you are...have you done any videos on Banff, jasper or the other NP in that area?
Thanks! We recorded a podcast episode about road tripping the Canadian Parks (episode 25 of Exploring the National Parks here on the YT channel), and I do have a couple of articles on my website: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/10-things-cant-miss-first-visit-banff/ and www.dirtinmyshoes.com/10-things-cant-miss-first-visit-jasper/
I think that the NPS has developed a system to keep people from visiting GNP. One could very easily drive very long distances to visit this wonderland and find the gate closed to them - too much risk and hassle to contemplate a visit to GNP now. Thank God that I accomplished extensive visits and hikes over a decade ago (300 miles of trails covered by multiple day hikes in most parts of the park).
It's definitely gotten more complicated! But we visit Glacier almost every year, and it's still possible to have an incredible experience!
I’m used to this living inColorado and people bitch about this but it works. Rocky Mountain National park does this entering the park during 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. Also if you want to go to Bear lake. (Amazing lakes and hikes) You need a separate reservation. Rec.gov the night before is a pain and stressful but it keeps crowds down.
Ash - You are SO INCREDIBLY HELPFUL as we plan our Natl Park trips !!! I recently purchased your Glacier NP itinerary (and sent you a Q on the Comment form which you quicky and graciously answered... Thank You!). I just read something on Reddit about the MANY GLACIER Campground is expected to be closed in 2024 to re-do water/plumbing services. I've been watching and they ARE taking reservations so far. Any chance you've heard anything about this? I had high hopes to camp there since we will have 10+ days to spend in Glacier in mid-September 2024.
I haven't heard anything for sure, but my guess would be that if they do that, it will happen during the fall (mid-September to the end of October). If they are taking reservations, then they are planning on the campground being open during those dates...they wouldn't be taking reservations if they plan on closing it down during those dates. So when it switches to FCFS, that's the most likely time for them to close it down -- sorry!
Ash: Love your videos! Very helpful as we are planning another "epic" camping trip this June.
Wanted your opinion on something: Just tried two mornings in a row to secure a vehicle pass for Glacier "Going-to-the-Sun Road via the West Entrance 1-Day Vehicle Reservation". Got on the laptop at exactly 10:00am EST and kept hitting the "refresh" every few seconds... kept getting the same message back about "Too many people are requesting this tour at this time, please try again"... watched the available number of reservations dwindle about 50 each time, yet never had any success. Reminds me of the several times trying to get concert tickets from sites like Livenation. Starting to wonder if we have a "bot" type thing going on here?
Just wondering what you and others are experiencing?
Anyway, keep doing your very great videos!!
That's so frustrating...I'm sorry! They have said that they have things in place to keep bots from getting those reservations. But unfortunately, what you are experiencing is pretty common :(
Thank you so much for the info
Me and my fam went last year late may early June going to the sun was closed to vehicles and only open the bikes which was even more amazing
We are going around the same dates this year and hoping to be able to bike the going to the sun
How do you know when they will be open to vehicles this year?
Very cool! And no, the dates change year by year depending on the snow levels and the plows. I hope you're able to bike the road again!
If you enter the GTTS road from the east and go all the way to the west entrance and turn around to go back to the east entrance, do you need a pass to go back?
The checkpoint on the west side is just north of Apgar, so you won't want to drive beyond that, otherwise they won't let you back through on the west side to get back to the east side.
your video really helpful, we are planing go glacier park from Aug. 2-5, stay at St. Mary camping site. August 4 is free Entrance Days in the National Parks, do I still need buy car reservation for this day to enter Many Glacier?
Yes, you'll still need to make the reservation on fee-free days! You just won't have to pay your entrance fee when you go through the entrance station.
Polebridge itself, the Mercantile, is outside the park, correct?
Correct! The ranger station where they check for reservations is after you get to Polebridge.
We are hoping to go to Glacier National Park on the last week of May. I have watched a couple of videos and I'm still but confused about road closures. If going to the sunroad won't be completely cleared yet, is it ever partially opened for cars or it will stay completely closed from the entrance?
It's partially open. You can see what's open here: www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/directions.htm
Good evening Ash. New follower. We are planning our trip to Grand Teton the week of June 10th this year. Is there anything special we need to know? I plan on purchasing your Grand Teton 1, 2 & 3 day planning itinerary.
Hi there! Your Grand Teton Itinerary comes with weekly updates, so I'll keep you informed about what's going on in the park from there. But as of right now, no extra entrance reservations are needed!
We used Ashley's itinerary for our trip in September 2023 - about 2 weeks after Labor Day. Although we went a couple weeks after Labor Day, some of the popular locations were still busy with either standing in line or circling parking to find a parking spot. Mornings were cold, afternoons probably got a bit too warm but it all worked out for a great trip. But just be prepared for crowds even if you don't expect them. Starting out early in the morning helped a lot. Some trails had hundreds of people, while others - where we hiked 4 or so miles, didn't see another living sole.
Ashely's guide helps a lot with understanding what time to leave and to arrive at locations to beat the crowds as best possible. For us though, the boat crossing for Jenny's Lake didn't start till noon after Labor Day. So, we did the secret hike first. We arrived at the boat landing at Jenny's Lake well prior to noon and they were already running shuttles. Asked why they were already running, and the response was, if we didn't start a couple hours ago, we wouldn't be able to get everyone across before we closed. BTW - if you are a Veteran / Military, etc., they don't charge you the crossing which I think is $20 per person.
Enjoy your trip. It's an awesome experience. The points of view were awesome. The dining experience was great. Have fun and enjoy.
@@GaryBlouin wow, talk about a reply! Thank you so much for the info! I figured there’s no one else that would know the parks better than Ashley! I will order it today! Thanks again for all the information!
@@DirtInMyShoes good morning. Thank you for the reply! Seeing how the itineraries are updated weekly, would you recommend me waiting until a couple of weeks prior to our trip?
@@Wanderlustertoo One tip - I don't think it was an issue with Grand Teton, but I'll mention it anyway. If you are using your phone for Google Maps (or the Apple equivalent), download the maps / area to your phone before you go. Download a big area. We ended up in a remote location and I couldn't get Google Maps / Android Auto to start because it couldn't get a cell signal. I was lucky since the car had a built-in navigation system. Once I got back to Wi-Fi, I downloaded the maps and didn't have an issue going forward. It was just something I forgot to do with this trip.
Oh gosh I’m still so confused. I have a reservation for going the sun road but not a vehicle reservation. Did I do this wrong? I’m in the park Aug 3-7
The Going-to-the-Sun reservation is a vehicle reservation!
First time visiting in June and hoping to propose there, are there any easy/mild short hikes with good views that you recommend?
The Going-to-the-Sun might not be fully open in June, so it's hard to know what your options will be. But I'd probably head into Many Glacier if you want amazing lower-elevation views!
If I am stay at Rising Sun and arrive after 3 PM, will I be allowed in? And if I am, do I have access to the Going to the sun Road for the rest of the trip as long as I don’t leave the Apgar Checkpoint?
Yes, and yes!
I have a national park pass and reservations to tent camp at Avalanche creek for 3 days. Do I need anything additional and can I enter going to the sun on my first day of camping before my campsite opens up at 1pm?? I'd like to access from the west side around 10am and tour the area before heading to my campsite. We also have camping reserved in Many Glacier for 2 days right after Avalanche creek. I want to be able to access that area before my campsite opens up at 1 pm. After glacier we are headed back to Yellowstone for 4 nights. Glacier is a cluster.
You can get in the day of with your reservations. Have fun!
I've been trying forever to get going to the sun reservations, they have never been available
It's very competitive :(
Can I rent an e-bike in Saint Mary and then use it to go to the Many Glacier Hotel? I'd like to park it there if possible and then hike to the Grinnell Glacier.
The road to Many Glacier is pretty rough...not sure I'd really want to be on an eBike on that route. But I guess it's possible if you can find a rental!
@@DirtInMyShoes No fat tire e-bikes for rent around there?! A person could make a killing renting these. Think of the possibilities!
So you don’t need a pass through the East side at all?
If you enter via the St. Mary Entrance, correct, you don't need an entrance reservation.
Do we need the entrance reservation if we have a campsite reserved inside the park?
It totally depends on where you're camping...the video walks you through all of that :)
Soooo, if I get to the park and enter before 6am, I do t need a reservation?
Correct!
@@DirtInMyShoes thank you!
Careful taking your chances with this, though...I saw many other vloggers saying cars were lined up at 4:30 am!!
Very unhappy to see the reservation system reduced to one day. We are planning a trip from the east coast and are meeting a large group of people. We have intentions of visiting for multiple days. This is going to be stressful having everyone in our group buy the same dates and over several days to cover our trip. Due to the distance we are traveling having a one day only pass could be disastrous if we encounter travel delays which cause everyone to arrive later than expected. Ugh.
I know, I think that's the worst change that they've made to their system. I really wish they would have kept it as a 3-day reservation. I hope you're able to get what you need!
We are all driving across country. It’s a car rally and people are coming from Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana, Jersey, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Virginia etc. They should have kept the option for a three day for those persons who are staying longer.
I HATE the terminology “extra reservation”. That implies you need some mysterious initial reservation to get into the park which you do not need. All you need is the National Parks pass or to pay the entrance fee. That is not a reservation, that’s a fee. You simply need one reservation to use GTTS road or get into Many Glacier. This dumb phrasing is what is confusing people. It took me a week and a dozen conversations with people to clarify it.
I understand that, but most people are already making initial lodging reservations to stay in or near the park. So when we just refer to it as a reservation, they often get confused and don't realize that they need something else to actually sightsee in the park -- they think that we are referring to their lodging reservations.
I live in Colorado. I’m used to these stupid reservation especially in Rocky Mountain national park. You can use your pass to get into the park or pay the fee. There are lots of places you can go. Bear lake is the most popular place with the popular hikes and lakes. The only way in is to have a “Reservation” from Rec.gov. There is a gate and guard and timed entries of two hours.
Don't be so rude, she literally explains it at 6:59 . You are the one who doesn't understand the change so listen and learn.