If you’re going to visit Glacier National Park, you might as well see the whole thing.
There are plenty of ways to spend a fall day in Glacier National Park. You can hike. You can drive Going-to-the-Sun Road. You can stand along the shore of Lake McDonald and wonder how water can possibly be that clear.
But if you’re leaving from Bigfork, we have another suggestion. Do the entire loop.
Instead of driving into the ever-popular West Glacier entrance, traveling Going-to-the-Sun Road and then turning around to see everything again in reverse, keep going. Follow Highway 2 along the southern edge of Glacier National Park to East Glacier, head north to St. Mary and enter the park from the east. Then take Going-to-the-Sun Road all the way back across.
It’s a full day. It’s a lot of driving. And in the fall, when the summer crowds have thinned and the colors have started to change, it’s worth every mile.
Start in Bigfork
Make Timbers Motel your home base. You’ll appreciate their outdoor hot tub and comfy beds at the end of the day. From there, it’s a short walk or easy drive downtown to Pocketstone Café, a longtime Bigfork favorite and a good place to get a real breakfast before spending most of the day exploring.
Before you leave town, check the weather and road conditions in Glacier and any pertinent business hours. Bring water, snacks and layers. It might be a beautiful fall day in Bigfork and a completely different story at Logan Pass.
If you’re planning to hike, take bear spray. Keep it somewhere you can actually reach it and know how to use it. Bears spend more time foraging in the fall as they prepare for winter, so brush up on your bear-aware knowledge before heading out.
Drive Right Past West Glacier
Yes. Keep going.
In the peak summer months, roughly 800,000 to 1 million visitors come through Glacier’s West Entrance alone. That’s a lot of people trying to see the same place at the same time. Fall is different. The crowds thin out, traffic slows down and there’s simply more room to explore. Another reason we love Glacier this time of year.
But there’s another reason we’re sending you past the entrance. Continue on Highway 2 along Glacier’s southern boundary toward East Glacier Park. The drive is part of the day, especially in fall.
By mid-September, fall colors have generally started appearing in the park. Later in the season, the western larch turn brilliant gold, and Highway 2 along the southern boundary is one of the best places to catch them.
So don’t treat this part as the commute. It is part of the trip.
East Glacier Looks Different
By the time you reach East Glacier, things look different. The thick forests of the west side give way to open country. The road winds through the prairie. The trees get shorter and a little more weathered. It’s a good reminder of just how much wind and weather this side of the mountains takes.
Then the mountains jut right out of the plains. This is why we like doing the whole loop. The east and west sides of Glacier don’t feel like the same place.
Before heading into the park, stop at Serrano’s Mexican Restaurant in East Glacier and grab something to eat. We’re not entirely sure why, although it’s likely a combination of the food and service, but Serrano’s has become a Glacier tradition for a lot of us.
Just remember that fall colors aren’t the only things changing this time of year. Hours change, too. Restaurants, visitor centers and other businesses around Glacier begin reducing their hours or closing for the season, so double-check before you count on anything being open.
Head Toward St. Mary
From East Glacier, head north toward St. Mary. This is one of our favorite parts of the loop.
The road winds through open prairies with short, weathered trees and the mountains rising beside you. It’s a completely different view of Glacier, and you feel like you are in a different world.
The East Entrance takes you past St. Mary Lake, where evidence of past wildfires adds a dramatic flair to this side of the park, with standing snags framing portions of the lake and hillsides. In fall, those weathered trunks sit in brilliant contrast against new growth turning brown, red and gold.
Stop at Logan Pass
At 6,646 feet, Logan Pass is the highest point on Going-to-the-Sun Road. Stretch your legs, take in the view and wander around a little before heading down the other side.
If the Logan Pass Visitor Center is still open, go in. Fall services are limited as the season progresses, so don’t assume that what was open in July will still be open in late September or October.
If the weather is good and you have enough daylight, the Hidden Lake Trail starts right here. You don’t necessarily have to make a whole hike out of it. Even walking part of the trail gets you out into the alpine landscape and gives you a closer look at the browns, reds and golds covering the hillside.
And yes, take your bear spray.
Take Your Time Coming Down
The drive down is worth calling shotgun for…being the passenger has its advantages.
Going-to-the-Sun Road hugs the mountainside, and you’re looking down into the valley below as summer’s green gives way to fall. There are still plenty of evergreens, but now they’re mixed with reds, yellows and golds. Depending on when you go, there may already be snow on the peaks above you.
There will be plenty of reasons to stop. Use the designated pullouts. Get out. Take pictures. Stretch your legs.
Plan on seven or eight hours for the whole drive. The actual driving time is roughly five hours, but give yourself some extra time to take in all the reasons you came. And keep an eye on sunset. Fall days get shorter quickly, and this isn’t a drive you want to rush at the end.
Leave It Like You Found It
Fall is quieter in Glacier. That’s one of the reasons we love it, and we’d like to keep it that way.
Stay on designated trails. Use designated parking areas. Pack out what you bring in. Don’t pick the flowers or take the rocks. Don’t feed wildlife, and an apple core or banana peel still counts as garbage. Give wildlife space.
Glacier still feels wild because people have worked hard to keep it that way. Help us keep it that way.
What if Going-to-the-Sun Road Is Closed?
Go anyway.
Going-to-the-Sun Road can remain fully open into October, but there is no guarantee. Weather changes quickly at this elevation, and snow can close the alpine section earlier. Check the current road status before you leave Bigfork.
Even if the alpine portion is closed, West Glacier is worth the trip alone. Explore Apgar. Drive along Lake McDonald and spend some time walking the lakeshore. The road from West Glacier to Lake McDonald Lodge is generally plowed and open year-round, weather permitting, so you can still experience this part of Glacier long after the alpine section of Going-to-the-Sun Road closes.
And don’t think you’re settling. Fall around Lake McDonald can be spectacular. The mountains reflect across the water, the leaves change along the shoreline and later in the season the western larch turn brilliant gold.
There aren’t many places that can compete with Glacier when the fall colors are at their peak. Although we’ll admit the Seeley-Swan Valley gives it a pretty good run for its money.
Back to Bigfork
When you get back to Bigfork, finish the day at Flathead Lake Brewing Co. Pubhouse. Grab dinner and a locally brewed beer and take in the view overlooking Flathead Lake. If you timed things right, you might catch one last bit of golden light over the lake before the sun goes down.
Glacier National Park by day. Bigfork by night.
[Check Current Glacier Road Conditions.]
[Explore Glacier National Park.]
[Plan Your Fall Getaway.]
