When planning and researching your trip to Glacier, you will see and hear various terms used to talk about entry requirements. The following terms all mean the same thing:
Entry Reservation Ticket / Ticketed Entry / Entry Ticket / Vehicle Reservation. For simplicity purposes, we will use the term Vehicle Reservation.

In 2025, Vehicle Reservations will be needed for West Glacier Going-to-the-Sun Road access, Polebridge access and most likely Many Glacier Access. You will not need a vehicle reservation to enter through the St Mary (East side) of Going-to-the-Sun Road in 2025. Continue reading for info regarding the dates and times that reservations are required from these entrances.

From June 13th to September 28th, 2025: All vehicles trying to drive GTTSR from the West entrance, will be required to have a Vehicle Reservation. The checkpoint will be located at the South end of Lake McDonald, just past Apgar Village and the Apgar Visitor Center. Reservations will be required from 7:00am to 3:00pm daily.

From June 13th to September 28th, 2025: All vehicles entering through the North Fork entrance (Polebridge) will be required to have a Vehicle Reservation between the hours of 7:00am and 3:00pm

Detail for Many Glacier's vehicle reservations has not yet been released.

Vehicle Reservation will not be required to enter through St Mary, Two Medicine or Cut Bank

Vehicle Reservations can be purchased on www.recreation.gov 120 days before a given date. The first date (June 13th) will become available on February 12th at 8am MST. A portion of tickets will also be available the night before a given date, at 7pm MST. For example, a portion of tickets for July 15th, would be available to purchase online at 7pm MST on July 14th.

Don’t Stress too much, you can go to the Saint Mary Entrance, visit after 3pm or before 7am or adventure in other areas of the park, like Cut Bank or Two Medicine.

All Vehicle Reservations are sold in 1-day increments. But in 2025 you will have a specific time frame in which you must enter the park, if you miss entering at your designated time slot you will have to wait until 3pm to enter that day.

Before arriving at Glacier, download, print or screenshot your Vehicle Reservation or your lodging confirmation.

In addition to a vehicle reservation, each vehicle entering the park is required to have an entrance pass for any entry point into the park. These passes could include any one of the following: a $35 vehicle pass, good for seven days; a valid Interagency Annual/Lifetime Pass; or a Glacier National Park Annual Pass. At the entry gate you will need to show your entrance pass and Photo I.D, in order to enter Glacier National Park.

Park Passes can be purchased HERE

Booking gear through Glacier Outfitters will not serve as your Vehicle Reservation for Going-to-the-Sun Road. You will need to have that vehicle reservation in order to drive from our shop in Apgar Village, past the checkpoint at the South End of Lake McDonald (which is about half a mile from our shop). Alternatively, you could drive GTTSR before 7am or after 3pm, or drive around the park to the St Mary entrance and enter without a Vehicle Reservation on that side, anytime of day.