Glacier National Park Camping | Best Options and How to Get a Site
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- Опубліковано 8 січ 2023
- If you are hoping to camp in Glacier National Park this year, you have come to the right spot!
The campsites in Glacier National Park are so beautiful, but they are extremely competitive. I will talk you through my favorite campgrounds in Glacier National Park, and my best tips for actually getting a campsite in Glacier.
1:31 Lay of the land in Glacier
3:48 Going-to-the-Sun Road Campgrounds
11:41 Other camping options
17:13 Camping regulations
18:17 How to get a campsite in Glacier
24:54 First come first serve camping in Glacier
My goal is to make national park trip planning easy!
⭐️ Ultimate Glacier Trip Planning Guide: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/glacier...
⭐️ 10 Things You Can’t Miss in Glacier: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/10-thin...
⭐️ Safety 101: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/bear-sa...
⭐️ All About Camping in Glacier: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/all-abo...
⭐️ Glacier Lodging Recommendations: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/where-s...
⭐️ Glacier National Park Itinerary: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/glacier...
Connect with Ash at Dirt In My Shoes
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This was extremely helpful. Thank you.
Happy to help!
Good stuff. We were so close when we did our drive to Olympic but didn’t have enough time. Hopefully can soon and run up to Banf.
You'll love it!
We haven’t done camping before but sounds fun and something we have been wanting to do. We love cooking and enjoying good food as part of vacation. Can you please do a video on what all is needed for camping and what things to bring in specially for those who are flying in from other states and then taking a rental car to explore the park.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Thank you vary helpful :)
You're welcome!
Wonderful information! Thank you very much 😊 27:05
You're welcome!
I agree with a lot of your comments...but not all...I spent a decade going to Glacier from 2008-2018, an average of 17 nights a year...with hiking as my primary activity...I found the best mix to be 3 nights on the West side of the Park (the side with the most amenities and lodging options, but not the scenic side or good hiking side of the Park in comparison to the East side)...I generally spent a few nights at Bowman Lake to hike the North Fork area and hitting the amazing goodies in Polebridge...then one night at Apgar...then a few nights at Sperry Chalet (an amazing hike in chalet with great hiking)...then the rest on the East side of the Park, primarily tent camping in Many Glacier (an absolutely amazing campground and location)...this is the best area of the Park for a hiker, hands down, not even close...mountain views, four premier hiking trails, wildlife, campground, lodging, restaurants, camp store, etc...I believe that 80% east side and 20% west side is the best mix for a hiker....Two Medicine is also good for hiking but I find it less desirable than Many Glacier for hiking options and amenities....
So many great options! I've found that most of my audience only spends 3-4 nights at Glacier, so that's why I suggest splitting between east and west, but those outlying areas are fantastic!
Agree 💯 but shhhh . . . . the crowds are smaller and the general pace slower and less hectic. I like it that way.
Tons of great info. Thank you so much for sharing. Being newly retired, I'm looking into a solo truck camper trip cross country to Glacier in mid-May. It's my 1st time visiting the park. I realize only a small part of the park is open, but I like the lower crowds and love hiking/camping in snow and colder weather. Is it still a decent time to go? Especially for a 1st timer?
You'll find a whole post about the best time to visit on dirtinmyshoes.com. That will give you a really good idea of what will be open that time of year!
Hi there! Enjoy your videos, a lot of great information!! Question about the Going to the Sun road and closure. Planning on visiting in early June and anticipate it not being fully open. Do you know at which points do they typically close the road? Curious if there would still be several trails and things to do along the road up to those closure points. Thanks in advance!
Usually Avalanche Creek on the west side and Jackson Glacier on the east. But this year we got tons of snow, so it may not be open that much by early June.
Thank you so much for making this video! My friends and I are going to Glacier this summer, and we're just realizing how competitive getting campsites is going to be! We will be in the park for 10 days, so we're hoping to see as much of the park as possible. We're hoping to stay in Two Medicine, Avalanche, Many Glacier, possibly Fish Creek, and also possibly Bowman Lake. But your comment on first come first served campsites has me stressed! Do you have any recommendations?
Have a backup plan outside of the park! It is SO competitive, but I hope you're able to get what you need!
Love your materials, purchased Zion, Yellowstone, and Bryce which made our big trip last summer so much better. Question: planning first visit in our 26 foot classC RV. Coming from east, you said we’d b too long to drive past the sketchy part of the road. Does it make sense to stay in east campground as base and use our towed car to get around to popular spots or are the distances just too great. Hate to drive the giant circle around.
You won't be able to drive your class C over the Going-to-the-Sun Road, so your only options would be to drive your vehicle or take the free park shuttle. You'll have to drive your class c on Highway 2 if you want to get from one side of Glacier to the other :)
Great tips for our camping trip next year. Do you know if we will still have to get seperate park entry passes? I know they say the process may change for 2024 but what do you recommend in terms of getting passes and then the camping reservations. Thanks for the tips
If you're camping in the park, you shouldn't need to get entrance reservations for that area. But based on last year, you'll still need to get reservations for the areas you are not camping in. For example, if you're camping at Apgar, you won't need the Going-to-the-Sun reservation, but you will still need one for Many Glacier, Two Medicine, and North Fork. It's confusing....I have a whole video talking through the Glacier reservations for 2023 that I would watch to prepare for next year :)
I love your videos, they are super helpful! We are a family from Spain visiting Glacier in August 2024 and following your advice. I wanted to secure a spot in a campground outside the park for a 24-feet RV. Which campground do you recommend on the West side that has low cancellation fees if I ever get a site inside the park? (fingers crossed!)
We've stayed in a few...the KOA is probably my favorite.
Thanks for the great info Ash. The thought of staying at Many Glacier is appealing. I was wondering how long of a drive that would be from Many Glacier to Logan Pass? The Highline trail is a definite must for me and had planned on staying at St. Mary, but Many Glacier sounds like a nicer campground.
I'd plan on about 1-1.5 hours each way, depending on the time of day :)
Agree that 60-90 minutes one way from Logan Pass to Many Glacier...St. Mary's is an ok campground, the majority of sites have no trees....Many Glacier is the best campground in the Park (with a camp store, showers, and restaurants right there)
We just completed an amazing trip though Yellowstone and Grand Teton. We are traveling from Ohio, but we’re able to take 4-5 weeks in a small (18 ft) tear drop camper. We are looking at Glacier for 2024. How many days would you recommend? We did 5 in Yellowstone and 6 in Grand Teton and thought we got feeling for it. We are avid day hikers. We did 64 miles of trails on this trip (including Badlands too). I’m almost thinking 9 days? Sorry to ask, but just watched your video and you said we could ask! We enjoy your videos often!
I like to give Glacier a similar amount of time as Yellowstone, a little more if you plan on doing some longer hikes!
Your videos are awesome and super helpful. I have a question if you happen to know the answer - - if I reserve a site starting on a Thursday but don’t end up arriving until Friday, is there any chance I lose my reservation, or any sort of penalty? Just trying to think ahead
Yes, they will likely give your site away (depending on how late you are for your reservation). I would definitely book it for the exact dates to keep that from happening. You can go into your reservation and modify the dates if your plans change.
Looking to do Glacier next year and your video was AMAZING with the info I was looking for. Was already considering splitting it into East and West and you confirmed it. I do have one question about St Mary, do you have any idea why it (at least this year) closes so soon? They say 11 Aug is the last day? I see several outside sources on the West, KOA being a very popular one, what do you recommend for outside sources for both East and West? Also concerned about having to reserve a pass for the Sun road....how does one plan that? Should I just get one every day that I'm there. I would hate to reserve one for only a few days and perhaps have bad weather and be stuck in camp only to find nice weather but now I have no pass for the road. Sad how crazy things have become just to visit a park.
Thanks again for an excellent video!
For the St. Mary Campground, it looks like they are planning on switching it to first-come, first-served after Aug. 11th. I heard that they are doing some construction there, which is probably why they are switching to FCFS because they don't yet know what the construction schedule will look like and they don't want to have to cancel people's reservations during that timeframe. So you might be able to camp there, but I wouldn't count on it.
We really like the West Glacier KOA. I don't like the St. Mary KOA as much, but it works in a pinch. We haven't camped anywhere else on the east side because we always stay in the St. Mary Campground.
For the vehicle reservations, you'll want to watch my video about that...it's a complicated process, but I'll walk you through it!
Great video - thank you. Do most camp sites allow two vehicles?
A lot of them do, but not all. You'll need to check each site individually, and it should tell you how many vehicles they allow!
Thank you for this information. This is going to be my first time at Glacier. I am tent camping for 5 nights. I booked a site in St. Mary at the KOA for a tent site from 7/11/25-7/16/25 season. Thanks again from a retired veteran. What can I expect weather to be like around those dates? Thanks!
I have a couple of articles on dirtinmyshoes.com that cover weather, closures, hours, and best time to visit (what it's like each month) that should answer all of your questions!
@@DirtInMyShoes thanks for your reply.
Great information! Thank you for putting this together. Looking to do our first trip to Glacier in August. We have a 20-foot trailer and a 20-foot truck pulling it. Do I need to find a campsite with a 40 foot vehicle length or will a campsite with a 20-foot vehicle length site work and I can park next to the trailer?
For this park, you'll need to look at both the driveway length and the allowable RV length...they should have both listed. You'll want the driveway length to be around 40 feet, but sometimes the driveway is long but not very good for a trailer because of trees/rocks in the way or tight turns!
@@DirtInMyShoes thank you so much for the reply. I have one more question for you. I’m looking at a campsite in many glacier that is 70 feet long with a maximum of 30 foot trailer/rc. My question is how strict are they on the vehicle count? This site says Max one vehicle. I have a truck and a trailer 40 feet total of for my family but my in-laws want to join me in a small 20 foot camper van. Will the camp host/ ranger I have an issue with two vehicles and a trailer?
@@derekterry4157 yes, they will have an issue with that extra vehicle. But if you can park your truck somewhere else and just have the van and the trailer in your site, that would probably work.
Hi, great video and helpful for a first-timer. I've always heard that you cannot exceed 21' total length for a vehicle on GTS road, but it sounds like you're saying that if we came in the west entrance that there would be no restriction to at least Avalanche Creek campground where there is a turnaround. (@6:24 in the video). Is this correct ? Thanks in advance.
Correct, the length restrictions start after Avalanche on the west side. The turnaround there can be a little tight, though, depending on the size of your vehicle and if people are actually parking where they are supposed to :)
I live 3 hours away from Glacier and thinking about planning a trip before the crowds arrive. I'm entering the park from the West. Are there any spots outside of the park to camp close to the West entrance? Or should I just pay the $65 for 2 night camping in Apgar? And what are your favorite trails? Thanks for sharing your knowledge about the Parks!
I use Campendium.com to find campsites outside of the parks. You'll find tons of info for planning your trip to Glacier at dirtinmyshoes.com
Can you give me any more information on tips or tricks on booking the first come first serve sights? I’m in a camper van, so super flexible, and easy to get somewhere early in the morning. Any information is appreciated
Honestly, you've just got to get there early enough! The Glacier site has a list of campgrounds and what time they are filling, so I would follow that for a few weeks before your trip to get a feel for the times those are filling. Good luck!
I’m looking to head down at the end of August from Canada. Bit of a spontaneous thing. We just small tent camp. Is there many first come first serve spots? Not really any reservations available this late.
There are only a few first-come, first-served options in the park now. You will want a back up plan outside of the park :)
Hi Ashley, which campground (s) is best for accessing the famous "Highline" trail?
Avalanche or Rising Sun are closest to Logan Pass.
We have 2 weeks at Apgar book starting June 6th in our 27' Airstream. We knew going into it that the Sun Road would likely be closed, but we wanted to avoid the crowds. Trying to get an idea of what will be accessible at the time. Where can i go to find out what trails will be open?
It's not the best system for seeing what's open and what's not, but this is what they have: www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/directions.htm You'll want to check what roads are open to determine what activities you'll be able to get to. Usually if the road is open and you can get there, it's open. But some trails do stay closed longer due to snow or wildlife, and you'll find that info in the current conditions!
Hi Ash - thank you for the helpful tips! Can you clarify what "no generator loop" means in the campsites? It says tent only, but we have a campervan that does not have a generator and is ~19ft. Would it be allowed in the "no generator loop"?
Yes, as long as it's not a tent-only site. We often book no-generator sites for our travel trailer because it runs on solar :)
@@DirtInMyShoes Thank you! The sites just say "tent" or "no generator" so I assume that's fine and "tent only" would be more specific. We've been trying to get reservations for days now with no luck. We've made outside reservations just in case, but now wonder about the vehicle passes. It sounds like the park doesn't have a "closing" time and we could go in before 6 am (or after 3pm) if needed. The question is, once we're in the park before dawn, could we get forced out once 6am hits? Do your itineraries explain this a little better? Thank you for your time!
@@RebeccaShircliff my itinerary will walk you through all that, and I'm also releasing a full video on the Glacier reservations next week. Camping reservations are so tricky in that park -- it took me 5 days to finally snag one last year. Good luck!
Hi there, my friends and I are looking to go to in July, do we need to book a reservation for each day or can it be just a one time thing?? We are also still all 17 until a couple months after we wanna book so how does that work??
You can reserve multiple nights as long as you are there and ready when the first night opens up -- it's a one-time thing.
As for the age, if it lets you make a recreation.gov account and doesn't say anything about your age, then go for it, especially if you will be 18 by the time you go. Or you can have a parent do it and then put your name as the alternate so that you can still check in under your name. Not all parks let you put an alternate person on the reservation though, but Glacier should :)
Sill question from a first-timer - if we are camping in the park with a small RV as our only vehicle (little Winnebago, for example), which we would use to get around, is it possible we would lose our campsite when we leave each day? Since we would basically be leaving it empty? I k ow there are reservations but just feels weird to leave it empty.
It shouldn't get taken, but I totally understand the feeling! Many people leave camp chairs set up in the site when they're gone. I've also seen people go as far as having a little cone with a sign that says "taken" that they leave in the driveway :)
I have a 23 ft travel trailer. If I can't get into the park what about National Forest Dorris Creek or Lost Johnny campgrounds on Hungry Horse Reservoir. Are these difficult to get into and are they to far from the main attractions in the Park?
The locations are fine for those ones, but I would click over to Campendium.com to get more detailed info about what type of equipment you can have in there and other people's experience!
I noticed that St. Mary Campground is first come first serve now. Do you have any idea on after labor day what time you'd need to be there to get a campsite?
I'd be there as early as you can, but probably no later than 8 or 9 a.m.
Thanks!@@DirtInMyShoes
Hey Ash, I've been watching your videos and they have been so helpful! I am planning on going to the park this next coming week. May 7th I was thinking for like 2 or 3 nights. I have a very open schedule and flexible time. I know I wont be able to drive GTTS road so I am planning on tent camping on the West Side of the Park. I have a kayak and want to get on some of the lakes. Suggestions for kayaking and camping? Do I even need to reserve this early in the season? Also was there a video on getting my kayak inspected? Not sure where to do that. Thanks for any info. I know you must be busy and have probably answered these questions before so if you just suggest videos too that would also be just fine and much appreciated! Thanks dear! Alexandrea
You can find the inspection info here: www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/ais.htm It's not updated yet for 2023, but it will give you an idea of the process. I don't even know if the lakes are thawed yet though...they might still be really icy.
You'll be limited by what's even open at this time of year: www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/directions.htm
I wanted to motorcycle camp from Tennessee up into Glacier and enjoy the mountains the last two weeks of August, but the more I research, the more it seems like a trip to a crowded Super Walmart. I'm a little discouraged. Should I just re-route? Can you give me new hope? :-)
Glacier is definitely super busy, but avoiding the crowds is my specialty! That's why I wrote this Glacier Itinerary: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/glacier-itinerary/
@@DirtInMyShoes Thanks so much. I'll check that out. And thanks for the reply.
I am wanting to take my family with two grandchildren , (ages 10 and 11) last week in may . We are wanting to camp three days . I don’t see reservations are open yet? Any advise on locations?
Most campgrounds in the park don't open until later....mid-June or so. You'll want to watch the Glacier website to see when they will be opening their campgrounds!
I'm having trouble getting a firm answer regarding trailer length for making reservations. When a site says 30 feet for example, does that include the tow vehicle? From what I've seen online. there doesn't seem to be much additional parking on the site if your trailer takes up most of the pad. Luckily my trailer is only 20 feet and my TV is 18 feet, so it seems like I can fit both, one in front of the other, in most spots. I just don't want to find myself in a situation where I don't if only a smaller site is available. Can you confirm if the length posted is all you get for both the trailer and the TV? Thanks!
So, when you're looking at a site, it will typically have two numbers. The first will say how long your trailer/RV can be -- you'll find that under the Allowable Equipment section. Then if you scroll down further to the Allowable Vehicle/Driveway Details section, you'll see the actual driveway length. In most cases, these numbers will be different, and the driveway length will be longer to show how much additional room you'll have for a tow vehicle. You'll want to pay closer attention to the Allowable Equipment number, though, because that length takes into account any tight curves/rocks/etc. that might limit your maneuverability. Hope that helps!
@@DirtInMyShoes Thank you! I did catch your Yellowstone Campsite video that went over what you just explained. I’ve got it now!
We see road to the sun has a vehicle max 21ft. Is that correct? Our Travato van is 21ft however with that bike carrier it's 23.5. does that rule is out?
Yes, that's correct. You need to be within the size regulations to safely drive that road.
What are your recommendations for campgrounds outside the park
I use Campendium.com to find camping outside of the park.
When you say first come first serve is early, how early are we talking? Like 6am or a little later like 11a etc? We are hoping to get in at St Mary’s in August and it’s FF only then.
11 a.m. will be too late. The FCFS sites usually get taken sometime between 6-8 a.m.
We showed up at 4am and there were 2 people ahead of us at Yellowstone Cayon Campground. We did get a campsite at Madison, with a river right next to the camp. It was awesome.
I kept forgetting those Chrome tabs weren't actually on my computer 😅
Haha!
Half of these campsites say they are closed for the rest of the season? Nothing for June so I guess I give up trying to see Glacier
The sites have already been released and snatched up....campsite reservations are extremely competitive. Keep checking back though. Cancellations do happen as it gets closer to summer!
@@DirtInMyShoes Thanks for the encouragement. Probably going to skip Glacier
I don’t know why people say it’s so hard to get campsites? I’ve always gotten them first try, and I’m even able to find some cancellations to book further out
You must be very lucky....most people have to try over multiple days to get something -- or just don't get anything at all!
@@DirtInMyShoes hmm, that makes me wonder if it has a lot to do with internet connection. Most of the time I just search for cancellations which I guess is luck, but the other times I just click “book” right as the click hits 10am and I get it each time. But I have very good internet. Who knows.
You must have the best internet in the country haha
@@connormoriarty3410
Are there any cabin rentals recommended?
You'll find some cabin rentals in West Glacier, but I don't have any specific recommendations.
Is early Sep less competitive to get a spot?
It used to be, but not so much anymore. It's still pretty hard to get a spot in September!
Can i use a chain saw to cut dead standing trees or do i need a permit ?
No, you can't cut down trees in the national parks, even if they are dead. And in Glacier, there are only certain areas where you are permitted to collect downed wood. You can usually get a permit for cutting trees or gathering wood in the national forests, but those are different areas than national parks like Glacier!
@@DirtInMyShoes thank you
How do you book your campsite if the rest of the dates aren't available. I am planning on camping at the end of july early august and nothing is available yet and worried I won't get the campsite we need
You book your campsite when the first date of your trip becomes available. It will let you select the rest of your dates at that point!
Thanks for this answer. I had the same question!
Ash, can you tell me if St Mary campground is ALL first come first serve? And what time would you recommend getting to the park gate to increase chances of getting a FF?
@@tracygarstka7137 it's all reservable now for the summer months. You'll need to make a reservation to stay there!
Good question. I was wondering that too.
Good luck using the recreation app for 2024. Sites seem to be released completely random. Select a date to see when it will be released and it says check back a year ago. They couldn’t make a more useless system if they tried.
Yeah, the app hasn't been as reliable for me, so now I always make sure I'm on my laptop when I'm trying to get reservations. But it seems like there is usually some type of glitch/confusion...you never know what's going to happen!
What's the best national park
That's like choosing a favorite child! My favorite is Grand Teton though :)
@@DirtInMyShoes haha I'll have to check it out thanks
My only real concern is how to deal with wildlife and not get attacked by a bear or mountain lion.
Read through this article about bear safety: www.dirtinmyshoes.com/bear-safety-101-preventing-an-encounter/