My husband and I are planning an early fall trip to Glacier National Park. Will the Road To The Sun be open in early September. We are taking the train into Whitefish and we get a rental car there. Have been to Glacier once before and it is the most bautiful park that I have visited. The other visit was on the last day the park was open and part of The Road To The Sun was closed. Thanks for any suggestions about lodging etc. Plan on printing off all inforamtion from past postings on this forum. Is there a nice lodge at Whitefish. I understand our train will be arriving at night.

According to the Glacier National Park website:

"The Going-to-the-Sun Road closes to traffic on the Monday following the third Sunday in October, unless closed earlier due to snow."


http://www.nps.gov/glac/faq.htm#11

Utahtea

I have been in Glacier in early September. The park season is winding down and lodging is beginning to close up shop for the winter. Most of the interpretive program shuts down by the end of August.

As for the Sun Road being open, it depends entirely on the weather. One year when I was at Many Glacier after Labor Day a snow storm on Logan Pass caused the Park Service to close the road for several hours. The problem was as much the snow and treacherous driving conditions as it was poor visibility, which is doubly lethal on that narrow, twisting route.

Hello from Northwest Montana
Going to the Sun road can be closed any day of any month due to weather. However from June on till late August if it closes for snow it usually reopens within 24 hours or less.
For lodging try
www.travel.state.mt.us/
and click on city link.
Weather in the park today calls for temps. of 23F winds up to 25mph with snow showers and accumalations of 2 inches
www.nps.gov
www.nps.gov/glac/home.htm

I have been to Glacier in early September(1997) and found it to be perfect weather. The facilities on the east side shut down earlier than on the west side but most things in the Many Glacier area are open through the first weekend after labor day. The Sun Road was open and gorgeous albeit without the wildflower display of July and August. I camp out so I don't have any info on lodging but several posts on this site have listed facilities in Whitefish. Have a good time.

Can we see any snow capped mountains for labor day weekend in glacier national park? I fear all the snow would have melted by that time and the "going-to-the-sun" road, even at logan pass will have views of plain mountains devoid of any snow. Am I correct?

My husband and I traveled to Glacier National Park late last September. The weather was beautiful, but the Going to the Sun road was under construction and partially closed. Hopefully, that work is finished by now. We stayed at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake. I would highly recommend this establishment-very clean, scenic, good restaurant inside, and a great wine selection at the convenience store just down the street. Hope you have a wonderful trip!

This orginal post is 10 years old!!!