2024 will be my 6th visit to Glacier National Park in the last seven years; I’ll be there in mid July. I’d like to offer a few tips for visiting in July, as the rules for entry and camping have changed yet again:
1) As of July 1, vehicle reservations are required between 6am-3pm for the west entrance of the GTTSR, Many Glacier and the North Fork. The east entrance of the GTTSR and Two Medicine do not require any reservations. The initial release for July has come and gone, but fear not - additional reservations are released each evening at 7pm via reservation.gov for the following day. Refer to the park website for details.
www.nps.gov
2) Getting a campsite is even more challenging. Yes, most within the park are already booked, but as with the road reservations, there are a number held back for late release (4 days from arrival) and others that are first come, first served. There are additional options outside of the park to include commercial locations (KOA, Johnson’s of St. Mary, places in Coram and Hungry Horse), national forest (on the west side of the park)and tribal campgrounds (Chewing Black Bones, Duck Lake on the east side). I’ve come to prefer the east side. Although there are less amenities (less touristy), it’s closer to the best scenery and hiking. It’s also great for a day trip to Waterton Lakes National Peace Park (bring your passport and take the boat to Goat Haunt!).
3) You will NOT be able to tow your trailer across the GTTSR. The size limits for your entire rig are 21 ft long, 8 ft wide, and 10 ft tall. When you drive the section of the road between The Loop and Logan Pass, you’ll understand why!
If you have questions, feel free to reach out to me. I’ve visited many of the western parks and public lands, learning by trial and error.