Glacier National Park Going-to-the-Sun Road Self-Guided Tour

The gateway town just outside of the west Going to the Sun entrance. If you need to pick up anything, like coffee, gas, or bear spray, West Glacier is the last full-service town you'll see until the end of your 2 hour Going to the Sun drive.

At the Apgar Visitor Center, you can browse exhibits, do some trip planning, stop by the restroom, and refill your water bottle. It’s also where you can board the Going to the Sun Shuttle. Apgar village has a cafe, gift shop, supply store, and more.

This is where you'll take in your first views of Lake McDonald, the largest lake in Glacier National Park.

This quick stop lets visitors walk along the pebbly shores of McDonald Lake, admiring its famous rainbow rocks.

This shady, lakeside campground has many picnic tables for your enjoyment.

Originally called the Lewis Glacier Hotel, it was built in 1914 by prospector John Lewis. This fine example of parkitecture, is made of local stone and cedar.

McDonald Falls is one of two short, but beautiful rushing waterfalls located along the McDonald Creek Trail. The blue-green water and white foam is especially stunning on clear, sunny days.

The second of the two cascading McDonald Creek falls. Visitors can either stop at each roadside pullover, or just take the McDonald's Creek Trail to visit both. If you turn around at McDonald's fall, the total time is only one hour, and about a mile long.

The Trail of the Cedars is renowned for its Western Red Cedar and Hemlock rainforest. The Ttrail is an easy, flat, half-mile loop, although many hikers will choose to continue on to Avalanche Lake.

To reach the famous lake, hikers will start at the Trail of the Cedars Trailhead. At four-and-a-half miles, or just over seven kilometers, the Avalanche Lake Trail passes through more rainforest, multiple waterfalls, and up to a crystal clear glacial lake, reflecting Avalanche Peak.

These rocks are made of compacted clay and oxidized iron, giving them their rusty red color. This roadside stop features the clear-blue waters of McDonald Creek, cascading over the red Grinnell rocks.

This is the overlook for the snow-dusted Mount Cannon. This triple-peaked mountain was formerly known as Mount Goat until 1901, when two daring newlyweds became the first people to summit it.

This overlook allows you to get a first view of the Mc Donald Valley before heading up to the higher altitiudes of the Garden Wall.

The Loop is the steepest hairpin turn on the entire road, and a major highlight for hikers. It’s the trailhead for some of the park’s most famous trails, like The Loop, Granite Park, and the Highline.

Fed by snowmelt from Mount Oberlin and Mount Cannon, the falls are especially spectacular in late spring and early summer. From the overlook, Bird Woman Falls, at 960 feet, is across the valley.

Paradise Meadow overlook is a quick roadside stop that lets visitors see across the rolling hills and valleys of Glacier. In spring, a blanket of vibrant wildflowers covers the hillside.

Oberlin Bend offers a ten minutes boardwalk trail offering great views of Logan Pass, the Mc Donald Valley, and, sometimes, the local mascots, Glacier's mountain goats.

At a whopping 6,600 feet above sea level, Logan Pass is the highest elevation on the road. There's a lot to see and do here, including several famous trails and the Logan Pass Visitor Center.

One of the most popular trails on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, the Highline Trail in Glacier National Park is a spectacular 11.8-mile path that follows the Continental Divide, offering breathtaking views of alpine meadows, rugged mountain peaks, and diverse wildlife.

Hidden in a hairpin turn, Lunch Creek Pullover is where water cascades down Pollock Mountain. Take a short walk down to the observation deck to take in the sights and sounds.

Piegan Pass is a popular hike, but at over nine miles long, it’s definitely a full-day adventure. First, the trail follows along Siyeh Creek, through a thick, spruce-fir forest, and up to the barren, rocky pass between Siyeh and the Cataract Mountains.

Jackson Glacier Overlook is where you can see Jackson, the park’s 7th largest remaining glacier, and learn a little about glaciers and their fate in the park.

If you’re up for a short hike, we highly recommed the St. Mary Falls Trail. It’s only one-and-a-half miles to the falls and back, with less than 200 feet of elevation change. If you want to double your falls, you can take the trail down to Virginia Falls, for a total of three miles round trip.

This quick hike is great to take on its own, or with St. Mary's falls. It’s just over a mile to Baring Falls and back.

The picture-perfect promontory of Sun Point is a great place to look out over St. Mary lake. You may also want to set out on the Sun Point Nature Trail, a two-mile, or three-kilometer hike that offers stunning views of Saint Mary Lake, Baring Falls, and Red Eagle Mountain.

Wild Goose Island lookout is a great place to stop and practice your photography skills. From left to right, you’ll see the following mountains: Red Eagle, Mahtotopa, Little Chief, Dusty Star, and Citadel.

This overlook looks our at The Narrows and The Golden Staircase, the narrowest channel of the lake and the retaining wall built to support the banks.

This is a great spot to dip your toes in the waters of St. Mary Lake, watch boaters, or maybe even set sail yourself.

This lakeside picnic area is one of the final stops before exiting the eastern Going-to-the-Sun gate.

At the St. Mary Visitor Cnter, you can browse the bookstore and exhibits, and watch a film on the history of the park. You can also swing by the restroom and fill up your water bottles.

This "secret stop" is missed by most people. Only about 500 feet down Beaver Pond Trail, this historic ranger station was built in 1913 and housed one of the earliest park rangers.