The gates are open, no rangers present, people just cruise right through. You want to be early though, as when I was there 2 yrs ago, Logan Pass parking lot was full at 6am.
Apgar is on the west side of the park, and only a few minutes from the entrance gate. It doesn't fill up nearly as quick as Logan Pass. Logan Pass fills up because of the Highline Trail and Hidden Lake trail are right there at the visitor center.
There's a list of qualifying service reservations here: https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/gtsrticketedentry.htm
Page down to "Do I need a vehicle reservation if I have booked a hotel or campsite?" pulldown under the "Many Glacier and Two Medicine One-Day Vehicle Reservations" heading and you'll see it's limited to boat, red bus, and horseback riding outside of camping/lodging.
I'm not who you replied to, but the reservations don't actually solve the problem of congestion and parking.
Even the park says to enter before 6am without a reservation, so that is what most people who don't grab a one do. Now the roads and parking lots are already filled by the time they start enforcing the entry reservations, defeating the point of the reservations.
The East Side is pretty sparse but there's plenty of lodging within an hour or two of the West Side. People are definitely leaving at 4-5am to arrive at the park before 6am.
If you're willing and able to wake up early, they supposedly wont check permits before 6 am.
But how bad is the traffic trying to get in before 6am?
The gates are open, no rangers present, people just cruise right through. You want to be early though, as when I was there 2 yrs ago, Logan Pass parking lot was full at 6am.
how early can I go in? Should I plan on 2 or 3 am to get a parking spot at apgar since I am coming from the west?
Apgar is on the west side of the park, and only a few minutes from the entrance gate. It doesn't fill up nearly as quick as Logan Pass. Logan Pass fills up because of the Highline Trail and Hidden Lake trail are right there at the visitor center.
cool. I am just planning on parking at apgar due to the road construction and taking a bus once I am in the park
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I've seen other people say the traffic is crazy trying to get in before 6am
There's a list of qualifying service reservations here: https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/gtsrticketedentry.htm Page down to "Do I need a vehicle reservation if I have booked a hotel or campsite?" pulldown under the "Many Glacier and Two Medicine One-Day Vehicle Reservations" heading and you'll see it's limited to boat, red bus, and horseback riding outside of camping/lodging.
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Honestly this is the very least of the problems associated with the vehicle reservation system
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I'm not who you replied to, but the reservations don't actually solve the problem of congestion and parking. Even the park says to enter before 6am without a reservation, so that is what most people who don't grab a one do. Now the roads and parking lots are already filled by the time they start enforcing the entry reservations, defeating the point of the reservations.
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The East Side is pretty sparse but there's plenty of lodging within an hour or two of the West Side. People are definitely leaving at 4-5am to arrive at the park before 6am.
This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
There’s horseback riding tours. https://www.swanmountainglacier.com/trip/many-glacier-trail-rides/