Glacier National Park Ends Vehicle Reservations in 2026, Focuses on Logan Pass Traffic Management

Glacier National Park will discontinue its vehicle reservation system across most areas starting in 2026, a significant adjustment announced by the National Park Service. This decision aims to broaden public access via main entry points, including Going-to-the-Sun Road, North Fork, Two Medicine, and Many Glacier. The move returns the park to an access model without advance vehicle reservations, a change welcomed by some local business leaders for providing greater consistency in visitor management strategies.

However, access management will be substantially tightened along the park's most congested corridor, Logan Pass. Effective July 1, 2026, private vehicle parking at Logan Pass will be capped at a maximum of three hours, a measure intended to increase parking turnover and allow more visitors to experience the area for shorter durations. Park officials note that this three-hour limit is sufficient for activities such as hiking to the Hidden Lake Overlook, visiting the Logan Pass Visitor Center, or attending an interpretive program.

For visitors planning extended excursions, such as long-distance hikes on the Highline Trail, the park will pilot a new fee-based shuttle system. This shuttle service will transport visitors to Logan Pass from both the east and west sides of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, featuring an early morning express route specifically for hikers. Shuttle tickets will cost $1 per person and will be available via Recreation.gov, with an initial booking window opening 60 days in advance on May 2, 2026, and remaining tickets released the evening before entry starting June 30.

Park officials indicated that the previous reservation system inadvertently encouraged visitor entry before sunrise, leading to visibility hazards due to higher wildlife activity. Superintendent Dave Roemer stated that the new measures reflect ongoing learning and public engagement to refine park transportation and access for better public service and resource protection. Areas like Many Glacier, Two Medicine, and North Fork will not require vehicle reservations, though they may implement temporary closures to incoming traffic if capacity is reached.

The decision to end vehicle reservations at Glacier, alongside similar adjustments at parks such as Arches and Yosemite, has elicited varied responses. While local business representatives favor the consistency, advocacy groups like the National Parks Conservation Association have voiced serious concerns regarding the park's capacity to manage peak-day traffic increases without a structured reservation system. The changes represent an evolution in balancing visitor access with operational needs, emphasizing real-time traffic management and improved shuttle reliability for longer recreational pursuits.

Snow removal operations on the Going-to-the-Sun Road typically commence in April, with Logan Pass generally opening between mid-June and early July, contingent upon remaining snow conditions.