Here’s How to Use Glacier Park Shuttles This Year

Visitors driving through Glacier National Park will no longer need reservations in 2026. But anyone using the newly-reorganized shuttle service will need to do some planning ahead.

As we reported earlier, Glacier will be scrapping the vehicle reservation system, implementing a 3-hour parking limit at Logan Pass. Park officials are hoping the expanded shuttle service will help to accommodate hikers and others wanting more extended access to the park's high country.

The new express service will go directly to Logan Pass, and won't stop at Avalanche or board additional passengers up the mountain. Shuttle tickets will be available first-come, first-served, in advance, with the first booking window opening 60-days in advance of May 2nd on a rolling basis. The remaining tickets will be released at 7 pm for next-day entry, starting June 30th.

      There's a $1 processing fee through Recreation.gov.

All passengers 2 and older will need a ticket, and since cell service is sketchy in the park, visitors will be validated at boarding and may be asked to show photo ID.

Shuttles will run from both west and east up to Logan Pass, departing from Apgar and Lake McDonald Lodge, stopping at the Loop in the afternoon, but not at Avalanche or Trail of the Cedars.

      East side shuttles will leave from St. Mary Visitor Center and Rising Sun, and riders will be able to transfer to the west side at the pass.

READ MORE: Glacier Shifts to Parking Limits for 2026

More Montana Headlines

Big storm rolling in

It's beginning to look like Montanans will have to cope with some fairly robust storm systems the next 48-hours or so, with National Weather Service forecasters warning of periods of brief, heavy snowfall in the west, and some very strong winds in the east.

The NWS office in Missoula issued a special weather statement this morning saying conditions are "deteriorating quickly", with possible snow squalls west of the Divide, leading to "life-threatening" travel conditions, especially over the passes. Forecasters say those squalls could lead to periods of brief, heavy snow where conditions could be clear, and then quickly see up to an inch of snow in half an hour, with gusty winds and roads that could flash freeze, or be covered in snow in a matter of minutes.

The Great Falls weather office says most of the snow will be confined to the mountains, but wind gusts are expected to top 80 miles per hour along the Northern Front, up to 50 miles per hour for the HiLine to Helena, and 60-to-65 miles per hour around Livingston and Big Timber, with the strongest winds hitting on Thursday.

Avalanche danger is very high

Rapidly changing temperatures, high winds, and varied snow conditions are creating some dangerous avalanche conditions in parts of the state this week, with the report of a snowmobiler who was caught in a slide and killed in Southwest Montana.

Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center are reporting the fatality happened in the remote Centennial Mountains in Beaverhead County Sunda,y north of the Keg Springs trailhead on the Island Park side of the range.

The victim was with a party of four when he was buried in the slide. Two others may have also been caught, but managed to get out with no injuries.

The Gallatin forecasters say there are dangerous conditions around Island Park and West Yellowstone, advising people to stay off slopes steeper than 30-degrees, including flatter terrain below steep slopes. The avalanche danger is considerable south of Bozeman near Big Sky, and also around Cooke City, but low in the Bridger Range.

Meanwhile, in Northwest Montana, the Flathead Avalanche Center reports "very dangerous avalanche conditions" in the Whitefish Range, the Flathead Range, Glacier National Park, and the Swan Range, anywhere above 5000 feet, with "considerable" risk below those elevations.

      And the West Central Montana Avalanche Center is also reporting numerous avalanches, as well as cracking and collapsing snow throughout the Bitterroot Range.

Storm prep advised

Northwestern Energy is warning customers to check their storm preparedness beforehand, reminding people to stay indoors if possible and report outages. Additionally, the utility advises residents to make sure devices like phones and other essential electronics are fully charged, to stock up on water, food, and other supplies, and check emergency kits… which is especially a good reminder if traveling.

      Northwestern has crews staffed up and ready to respond to repair any outages and storm damage.