Glacier National Park is capping private vehicle parking at Logan Pass at three hours all summer. The rule runs July 1 through September 7, 2026, and it is enforced around the clock. If you were planning to leave your car at Logan Pass and hike the Highline Trail, that plan does not work this year without a shuttle ticket.
What the pilot actually is
Per the Logan Pass 2026 FAQ, all private vehicle parking spots at Logan Pass are limited to a maximum three-hour duration. Spaces are first-come, first-served; there is no way to reserve one. When you park, you pick up a free timestamped permit at the kiosk and display it on your dashboard.
Three hours is enough to hike to Hidden Lake Overlook, visit the Logan Pass Visitor Center, or catch an interpretive program. It is not enough for the Highline Trail one-way to the Loop, the Granite Park Chalet loop, or most of the classic long routes that start from Logan Pass.
If your rig is longer than 21 feet, wider than 8 feet, or taller than 10 feet with bumpers and mirrors, you cannot drive Going-to-the-Sun Road to Logan Pass in the first place. Those size limits are not new.
The shuttle is now a ticket
For 2026 Glacier is piloting a ticketed shuttle to Logan Pass. Tickets are $1 (a processing fee, the park entrance fee is still separate) and are booked through Recreation.gov. The shuttle boards at Apgar Visitor Center, Lake McDonald Lodge, St. Mary Visitor Center, and Rising Sun Picnic Area.
Per the park’s 2026 summer operations release, tickets are released in two windows: 60 days in advance at 8 a.m. Mountain time (the first release was May 2), and next-day tickets starting at 7 p.m. Mountain time beginning June 30. All shuttles are ADA-accessible, per the park.
What the pilot does not change
Two exceptions matter if you are on a longer trip. Wilderness permit holders can park overnight at Logan Pass for the number of nights on their permit, with the hangtag displayed. Guests of the Granite Park Chalet can park overnight with proof of reservation. Everyone else, three hours.
Vehicle reservations were dropped for 2026. You do not need a timed entry ticket to enter Glacier this year, and Mount Rainier, Yosemite, and Arches all did the same thing. Glacier replaced the entry reservation with a parking constraint at the destination, which is a different lever for the same problem: too many cars for the space at Logan Pass on a July afternoon.
What to do this week
If you have a Logan Pass hike on your itinerary and no shuttle ticket, get on Recreation.gov at 7 p.m. Mountain time the night before and refresh. Next-day tickets are the fallback if the 60-day release is fully booked. If you strike out, drive the road and take the three hours at Logan Pass to hike Hidden Lake Overlook, then move on to a trailhead further along Going-to-the-Sun Road. Only Logan Pass carries the 3-hour parking cap; other pullouts follow their standing rules, which are posted at each site.
Overnight vehicle camping outside the Loop-to-Logan corridor is only allowed in designated campgrounds. The posted sign at the site wins over any website, including this one.
For an overview of camping in the state, see our Montana free-camping page.