VAN-COMPARATOR

VAN-COMPARATOR Guide

Glacier National Park by RV: the Going-to-the-Sun Road from Calgary

Waterton, Many Glacier, the Going-to-the-Sun Road: how to plan an RV road trip through Glacier National Park (Montana) from Calgary — size restrictions, timing, bears, and the new 2026 fee for non-US visitors.

In 1932, the Canadian and American governments merged two neighbouring parks, Waterton Lakes (Alberta) and Glacier National Park (Montana), to create the world’s first International Peace Park — a symbol strong enough to earn the combined site UNESCO World Heritage status in 1995. For an RV traveller, that means two parks, two countries, and one glacier-carved mountain range, all reachable on a loop from Calgary, roughly 270 km and three hours from the border.

The 8-day itinerary

Going-to-the-Sun Road: the finest drive, not the friendliest for every RV size

The 80 km (50 miles) of Going-to-the-Sun Road between West Glacier and St. Mary rank among the most spectacular mountain drives in North America — and one of the most restrictive for larger vehicles. Between Avalanche Creek and Rising Sun, the National Park Service bans any vehicle or combination longer than 21 feet (6.4 m) or wider than 8 feet (2.4 m) including mirrors; on the height side, rock overhangs between Logan Pass and The Loop make the drive difficult for anything taller than 10 feet (3 m). A standard campervan or panel van fits with no issue; before booking a large motorhome for this trip, check its exact dimensions on the listing — Van-Comparator’s size filter avoids an unpleasant surprise at the checkpoint.

Another factor to watch: the road only reopens in full once the passes are completely cleared of snow, usually between mid-June and early July depending on the previous winter’s snowpack, and closes again in mid-October. In 2026 it opened in full on June 22. One change for the season: the mandatory per-vehicle reservation system used in previous summers has been dropped — but a $1-per-person shuttle ticket is now required to reach Logan Pass in summer, and parking there is capped at three hours starting July 1, 2026.

When to go

The realistic window runs from late June to mid-September, once the road is fully open and park services are running. July and August draw the biggest crowds; at the edges of the season, nights are cold at altitude but Logan Pass parking and campgrounds fill up more slowly. Outside this window, a good part of the park — including the high sections of Going-to-the-Sun Road — stays closed under snow.

Budget: a new trap for non-US visitors

On the Montana side, park entry costs $35 per vehicle for the summer season (May through October). New for 2026: visitors who do not reside in the United States — Canadians and Europeans alike — must now also pay a $100 per-person surcharge for anyone aged 16 or older, unless they buy the $250 non-resident annual pass, which covers the whole vehicle and cancels the individual surcharge. On the Canadian side, Waterton Lakes normally charges around CAD 12.25 per adult per day — but entry is free from June 19 to September 7, 2026, as Parks Canada is waiving fees across its network for the season. For the rental itself, expect the same range as the neighbouring Canadian Rockies — CAD 130-220/day for a campervan, CAD 180-320/day for a family motorhome — detailed in our Banff and Jasper from Calgary guide.

Grizzlies: caution that isn’t optional

Many Glacier and the park’s eastern side hold some of the highest grizzly densities in North America — basic precautions (food in certified containers, keeping distance, bear spray within reach on trails) are not overkill here. As early as 1970, zoologist Stephen Herrero’s landmark study, published in the journal Science, documented 57 attacks that injured 61 people across three major North American national parks, Glacier among them, and laid the groundwork for the prevention advice rangers still teach today (Google Scholar page). Our guide to bear safety for RVers in North America covers the right habits on the road and at camp.

The border: a detail worth planning around

Chief Mountain, the only road crossing between the two parks, opens only from May 15 to September 30, with shorter hours at the start and end of the season (9 a.m.-6 p.m.) and longer hours at the height of summer (7 a.m.-10 p.m.); outside that window, plan to use a year-round crossing further east instead. Bring passports for every passenger, including children, and confirm before signing that the rental contract explicitly allows crossing the Canada-US border — not every rental company includes it. Our deposit and insurance guide covers what to check in the fine print before a cross-border trip.

Book smart

Van-Comparator compares Yescapa, Goboony, Roadsurfer and Indie Campers for pickups in Calgary; Outdoorsy and Cruise America, both well established in North America, are on the way. To pick the right size, our guide on choosing the right vehicle for your trip helps decide between a compact campervan — ideal for Going-to-the-Sun Road — and a roomier panel van for a family camping several nights inside the park.

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