Glacier National Park Shuttle Tickets – Everything To Know About The Logan Pass Shuttle In 2026

Glacier National Park is one of the most challenging parks to plan a trip to. Each year, they shake up their reservation processes slightly.

It can be difficult to know if you need a reservation for Glacier, as well as when and how to get them.

Beginning in 2026, many visitors will need a Glacier National Park shuttle ticket in order to visit Logan Pass along Going To The Sun Road.

Not sure if you need a shuttle ticket? If you plan to hike any of the trails around Logan Pass, or if you’ll be arriving to the park after 8 AM you’ll likely need to use the shuttle.

In This Guide:

  • Are Going To The Sun Road reservations required in 2026?
  • Who should use the Logan Pass ticket-only shuttle
  • How to get Glacier shuttle tickets
  • Tips to boost your chances of securing Glacier National Park shuttle tickets

Glacier National Park Overview

‍✈️ How To Get There: Fly into Glacier Park (30 min), Missoula (2.5 hr), or Bozeman (5.5 hr)
⛰️ Glacier Must-See: Going-To-The-Sun Road, Avalanche Lake, & Highline Trail
💵 Entrance Fee: $35 or free with an America The Beautiful Pass
🛌 Where To Stay: Lake McDonald Lodge (West side) or Many Glacier Hotel (East side)

TIP: I recommend booking your rental car with Discover Cars. As one of the largest rental car companies, they negotiate the best rates to save you money. They also let you cancel for free up to 48 hours before your pickup, so you can grab a good rate now without stressing if your plans change.

Do You Need Going To The Sun Road Reservations In 2026?

In recent years, a timed-entry reservation was required for all vehicles accessing Going To The Sun Road in Glacier National Park.

However, in 2026 the park has retired GTSR timed-entry reservations. Instead, they are being replaced with two new policies:

  • Parking at Logan Pass is now restricted to a maximum of 3 hours
  • The free shuttle is now ticket-only

Technically, you do not need a reservation in order to drive Going To The Sun Road or visit Logan Pass.

But, if you plan to spend more than 3 hours at Logan Pass your only option will be to arrive via the Glacier National Park shuttle.

If you’re not sure how much time you’ll need at Logan Pass, consider these popular things to do and how long it’ll take to complete them.

Things To Do At Logan Pass In Glacier National Park

See The Visitors Center – located adjacent to the parking area, this is a quick stop and usually takes less than 30 minutes.

Hike to Hidden Lake Overlook – a 2.7 mile out-and-back trail to an overlook of the lake, plan for 1 – 1.5 hours.

Hike to Hidden Lake – continue past the overlook and down to the lake shore, in total the full trail is 5.2 miles out-and-back and takes 3 – 3.5 hours.

Person standing on a rocky overlook in Glacier National Park with a lake and forested valley below and a sharp mountain peak rising in the background under cloudy skies. This viewpoint showcases a popular scenic stop accessible when using glacier national park shuttle tickets to reach high elevation areas.

Hike Highline Trail – one of the best hikes in Glacier National Park, an iconic 7.6 mile one-way trail connecting Logan Pass and The Loop with panoramic views, generally takes 4 hours to hike in one direction.

Narrow hiking trail along a steep mountainside in Glacier National Park overlooking a wide valley with a winding river and sunlit peaks in the distance. This scenic viewpoint on Highline trail highlights the rugged terrain visitors can access after using glacier national park shuttle tickets to reach trailheads.

I also highly recommend booking a shuttle ticket if you cannot arrive at Logan Pass before 8 AM.

Parking at Logan Pass is tough. Many people circle the lot for hours waiting for a spot to open up.

Arriving before 8 AM will typically allow you to claim a spot, but if that’s not possible the shuttle will save you a ton of time and frustration.

Crowded parking area in Glacier National Park with rows of cars and visitors walking near Logan Pass, surrounded by rugged mountains with patches of snow under a blue sky. This scene highlights heavy traffic and limited parking, emphasizing why glacier national park shuttle tickets are useful for avoiding congestion.

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How To Get A Glacier National Park Shuttle Ticket For 2026

In 2026, Glacier National Park shuttle tickets will be released in two booking windows:

  • Rolling 60 days in advance (beginning on May 2 at 8 AM MDT)
  • Day-before (beginning on June 30 at 7 PM MDT)

All Glacier shuttle tickets must be purchased through the recreation.gov website. There are no tickets available for purchase in the park.

NOTE: Glacier National Park shuttle tickets do not replace park entrance fees. You will need both. Entrance fees are $35/vehicle for 7-days, or free with an America The Beautiful annual pass.

How Does The New Glacier National Park Shuttle Ticket System To Logan Pass Work?

Unlike previous years, the Glacier National Park shuttle will operate as an express shuttle only.

This means it will not make stops along Going To The Sun Road and will only bring you from your pick-up location to Logan Pass or The Loop.

Logan Pass shuttle services operate July 1 – September 7, 2026
A $1 non-refundable processing fee applies to all ticket purchases.
Tickets are non-transferrable and cannot be resold.

Glacier Shuttle Pick-Up & Drop-Off Locations

Scenic map of Glacier National Park showing shuttle routes around Logan Pass with stops at Apgar Visitor Center, Lake McDonald Lodge, The Loop, Rising Sun Picnic Area and St Mary Visitor Center. Legend highlights west side and east side shuttle routes boarding locations and trail connections to help plan glacier national park shuttle tickets and transportation routes.

Before booking your Glacier National Park shuttle ticket, you’ll need to determine your pick-up location.

On the West side of the park, your options are Apgar Visitor Center or Lake McDonald Lodge. Travel time to Logan Pass is approximately 1.5 hours.

On the East side of the park, your options are St Mary Visitor Center or Rising Sun Picnic Area. Travel time to Logan Pass is approximately 1 hour.

All shuttles will drop you off at Logan Pass. West side shuttles, departing from Apgar Visitor Center and Lake McDonald Lodge will also stop at The Loop.

Depart To Logan Pass From:

Departure Times

Apgar Visitor Center

6:00, 7:00, 9:00, 10:00 AM

Lake McDonald Lodge

7:00, 9:00 AM

St Mary Visitor Center

6:00, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 AM

Rising Sun Picnic Area

6:00, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 AM

For return trips, the Glacier shuttle will depart Logan Pass every 30 to 90 minutes. However, there are no return shuttles between noon and 3 PM for Eastbound shuttles to St Mary Visitor Center or Rising Sun Picnic Area.

Return From Logan Pass To:

Return Times

Apgar Visitor Center

AM: 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:30
PM: 12:30, 1:30, 3:00, 3:30, 4:30, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00

Lake McDonald Lodge

AM: 8:00, 10:00
PM: 12:30, 1:30, 3:00, 3:30, 4:30, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00

St Mary Visitor Center

AM: 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00
PM: 12:00, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, 8:00

Rising Sun Picnic Area

AM: 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00
PM: 12:00, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, 8:00

The Loop Shuttle Stop

The Loop is located on the West side of Going To The Sun Road, and is the termination for a one-way hike on Highline Trail from Logan Pass.

Only West side shuttles stop at The Loop.

If your origination is on the East side (St Mary Visitor Center or Rising Sun Picnic Area), you can take the morning shuttle to Logan Pass, hike to The Loop, and then catch a West side shuttle to Logan Pass and transfer to your return Westbound shuttle.

Travel time between The Loop and Logan Pass is approximately 30 minutes.

Pick-Up From The Loop To:

Return Times

Apgar Visitor Center

AM: 10:30, 11:00
PM: 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:30, 4:00, 5:00, 5:30, 6:30, 8:00

Logan Pass

PM: 12:00, 1:00, 2:30, 3:00, 4:00, 5:30 7:00

Tips For Getting A Glacier National Park Shuttle Ticket

  • Create a recreation.gov account and have a list of preferred shuttle times in advance
  • Use a desktop device to book, with a second person on a mobile device for backup
  • Be online and logged in as soon as tickets are released. They will sell out in minutes.

The best way to get Glacier National Park shuttle tickets is with the 60-day advanced release. If you are unsuccessful with the advanced release, then the day-before release is a good backup option.

Keep in mind, cell reception and internet speeds inside Glacier National Park are extremely limited. Relying on a mobile connection for day-before tickets can be a gamble.

All Glacier shuttle tickets are available through the recreation.gov website only. You cannot purchase shuttle tickets in the park.

You must have an account to complete your purchase. Make sure you create your account ahead of the shuttle release. I also recommend clicking around the website so you’re familiar with the layout in advance.

With a very limited number of Glacier shuttle tickets available, expect these to sell out within minutes.

Have a list of preferred locations and times ready in advance. I also recommend having 2-3 backup options.

Be online and logged in before the release time (8 AM MDT for advanced shuttle tickets, 7 PM MDT for day-before.)

I highly recommend using a desktop computer to reserve your Glacier National Park shuttle tickets.

Desktop computers have a more stable internet connection and load more reliably. This is crucial for high-stakes ticket bookings, like Glacier reservations, when seconds can be the difference between getting tickets or missing out.

Having a second person who can try and secure tickets on a mobile device is a strong backup plan.

Webpages built to load on mobile devices are often lighter and may load faster. However, you still want to be on a wifi connection and not relying on an unreliable cellular connection.

The tradeoff with using a mobile device is that it’s often harder to quickly navigate through the booking process, which can cost you precious seconds.

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Other Things To Know About Glacier National Park Shuttle Tickets

Shuttle bus driving along a winding mountain road in Glacier National Park with pink wildflowers in the foreground and evergreen covered slopes in the background. This scene shows transportation along Going to the Sun Road, relevant for glacier national park shuttle tickets and getting around the park.
Glacier National Park Shuttle | Credit: NPS

Tickets are booked for a specific date, time and location. They are good for one-day only.

Arrive at least 30 minutes before your departure time. You’ll need time to find parking and to check-in to receive your wristband before you can queue.

Specific seats are not assigned. Shuttle boarding is first-come, first-serve.

Every rider must have a ticket. The only exception to this is lap-riders under the age of 2.

Glacier National Park shuttles are small (usually <10 riders). Vehicles on Going To The Sun Road cannot exceed 21 feet, so expect limited seating and cargo space for backpacks.


TIP: Download this self-guided driving tour before your trip! It’s just like having a tour guide to point out landmarks, interesting history, settlers stories, geological explanations, etc — except for a fraction of the cost (less than $20), on your own schedule and without any crowds.

Once you download it to your phone, the guide uses your GPS signal to automatically play whenever you’re near a landmark, so it still works even without cell service. You can listen from your own vehicle or while riding the shuttle.


More Glacier National Park Planning Guides

Keep planning your trip to Glacier National Park with these additional resources:

Travel Planning Resources

These are the resources I use and recommend for planning your next trip:

Accommodations: Expedia (hotels), VRBO (vacation rentals)
Flights: Skyscanner
Rental Cars: DiscoverCars and Outdoorsy
Tours & Excursions: Viator and GetYourGuide
Travel Insurance: SafetyWing
Credit Card With Travel Points: Chase Sapphire Preferred

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