Park Officials Release Details on Many Glacier Hiker Shuttle

With restrictions in place limiting the general public’s ability to enter the Many Glacier Valley, as well as scant parking availability, the popular hiking destination will look and feel much different this summer as work continues on a multi-season construction project.

But hikers determined to access any of the dozen trails radiating out of the Many Glacier and Swiftcurrent areas — from Grinnell Glacier to Cracker Lake — will still have that option between July 1 and Sept. 21 due to the temporary Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle, the details for which the National Park Service announced last week.

There will be no general public entrance into Many Glacier between July 1 and Sept. 21 without either a day hiker shuttle ticket, a wilderness (backcountry camping) permit, a commercial service reservation, or a lodging reservation. A gate will be in use at the fee booth to restrict overnight access and limit overnight parking in the valley to visitors with lodging reservations or wilderness permit holders.

For visitors’ safety, hiking and biking will also not be allowed on the Many Glacier Road between July 1 and Sept. 21.

Prior to July 1 and after Sept. 21, there will be general public entrance to Many Glacier; however, because parking is limited to the Many Glacier Hotel parking lot, capacity will be reached quickly, and daily temporary access restrictions of up to several hours are expected.

Although Superintendent Dave Roemer acknowledged that “2025 will not be an ideal year to plan a visit to the Many Glacier Valley,” park officials stopped short of closing the area, and have taken steps to provide the public access to popular trailheads.

“We chose to keep Many Glacier open during construction, with mitigations, after taking public comment on this project in July 2023,” Roemer said in a prepared statement. “There was a lot of support for keeping the valley open and available for hiking, despite the limited parking capacity.”

The hiker shuttle service will be available to around 120 groups per day, limited by parking, and only available to reserve on short notice, either one week before or the night before at 7 p.m.

To use the Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle, day hikers will need to obtain shuttle tickets on Recreation.gov. Tickets will be available seven days in advance at 8 a.m., starting on June 24, and at 7 p.m. the night before entry, starting on June 30. The only cost associated with obtaining a ticket is a $2 Recreation.gov processing fee.

Each ticket allows up to four people arriving in one vehicle to park and ride the Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle. If there are more than four people in a party, additional tickets can be purchased. During the checkout process in Recreation.gov, visitors should select a date and time, and indicate the number of people in your group.

Hikers with shuttle tickets will park at one of nine pullouts designated for parking along Many Glacier Road and board the shuttle at an indicated loading area for a 15- to 30-minute ride to Many Glacier Hotel. Access to all trails will begin at Many Glacier Hotel, with maps and signs indicating detours around the construction zone. Hikers should be aware that detours add mileage and elevation to hikes.

Tickets are available in one-hour time blocks: 7-8 a.m., 8-9 a.m., 9-10 a.m., and 10-11 a.m. Hikers will need to park and board the shuttle within their designated time block, which is designed to match shuttle capacity and minimize wait times. Hikers who arrive inside their time block will be given priority for boarding the shuttle.

A valid park entry pass is also required for each party boarding the shuttle. Only one park entry pass is required per vehicle. These passes could include any of the following: a $35 vehicle entrance pass, good for seven days; a valid Interagency Annual/Lifetime Pass (America the Beautiful); or a Glacier National Park Annual Pass. Shuttles will stop near the Many Glacier Entrance Station where park entry passes will be validated prior to entry. Vehicle entrance passes can be purchased on Recreation.gov when shuttle tickets are purchased, or at the park upon arrival.

A Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle ticket will be required to park and ride the shuttle. Roadside parking areas will be reserved for ticketed shuttle riders only, and parking will only be allowed at designated parking locations. Parking spaces cannot accommodate vehicles over 21 feet or vehicles with trailers. No overnight parking will be permitted in shuttle parking.

Visitors without a Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle ticket, or commercial service or lodging reservation, or a wilderness permit are discouraged from driving into the valley past Babb, since there will be no parking and additional traffic will cause congestion and dust.

Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle buses comply with federal accessibility standards. However, most shuttle stops do not meet these standards.

Visitors with mobility disabilities holding a Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle ticket can park for shuttle pick-up in one of two accessible parking spaces near the accessible restroom, located at pullout No. 6, on the Many Glacier Road. Alternatively, visitors with mobility disabilities and a shuttle ticket may drive their vehicle to Many Glacier Hotel by presenting the shuttle ticket and an accessible placard or an “America the Beautiful – Access Pass” to park entrance staff. Parking availability inside Many Glacier is not guaranteed.

In 2025, Many Glacier Hotel, Swan Mountain Outfitters and Glacier Park Boat Company will operate as usual. The only parking available for these services and activities will be at Many Glacier Hotel. The parking at Many Glacier Hotel will be set aside for visitors with lodging, horseback riding, boating reservations, and wilderness permits between July 1 and Sept. 21.

Visitors with boating, horseback riding, lodging reservations or a wilderness permit should not purchase a Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle ticket, but should drive their vehicle to the entrance gate. Visitors with boating or horseback riding reservations can enter the park only between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. by showing confirmation of a reservation, either saved on their phone or a printed copy, at the entrance station. Visitors with a lodging reservation will also need to show confirmation of a reservation at the entrance from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. An access code to enter the gate will be provided to Many Glacier Hotel guests in their final lodging confirmation if access is needed before 7 a.m. and after 5 p.m. Visitors with a wilderness permit will need to show their permit at the entrance station from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and place a copy of the permit on the dash of their parked vehicle.

Pursuant to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, tribal members will have access to enter Many Glacier Valley from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, Many Glacier Campground, and all trailhead parking in the Swiftcurrent area will be closed through mid-May 2026. All waters in Many Glacier Valley will be closed to private personal watercraft the entire 2025 season. Many Glacier Ranger Station is closed for the 2025 season. The nearest wilderness permit office is at St. Mary Visitor Center. National Park Service information and trail updates will be available at Many Glacier Hotel.

For more information, see the park’s website.

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