Shuttles and tour buses

Getting around the different parts of Glacier National Park is easiest by car, although some shuttles and tour buses do run inside the park, particularly on Going-to-the-Sun Road. Shuttles can be relatively expensive ($10 for each major segment of the routes, which connect the Belton Chalet to St. Mary’s Visitor Center and even cross the border to enter Waterton National Park in Canada, where they terminate at the famous Prince of Wales Hotel. There are now free shuttles available along the Going to the Sun Rd. Red tour buses called Jammers (so named after the old practice of jamming the gears in place to climb steep hills) are much more expensive but a beloved fixture of the park to many tourists. They have now been modernized to run on natural gas.

The National Park Service also operates free shuttles along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. These shuttles run every fifteen or thirty minutes. However, intervals may differ depending on road construction.

Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking is also a viable way to travel among destinations along Going-to-the-Sun Road, but be sure to thumb vehicles down from a turn out or shuttle stop so that they can safely pull over to pick you up.

Bicycle

Bicycles are permitted on Going-to-the-Sun Road, and though the ride may be beautiful and rewarding, bikers should be advised that the elevation gain makes the route strenuous and many segments are along steep cliffs without shoulders. Some portions of Going-to-the-Sun Road are closed to cyclists during high-traffic hours of the day for this reason. Bicycles are not allowed on trails.

Walking

With over 700 miles of trails, Glacier Park is best enjoyed through hiking. A good waterproof topographic trail map of Glacier National Park and Waterton National Park is available from National Geographic, complete with GPS checkpoints. Major trailheads are located at the Swiftcurrent Motor Lodge, Logan’s Pass, and at the Lake McDonald Lodge. Trails range from short, handicap-accessible paths to 8-12-mile day hikes to long extended backpacking trails.

Rental car

Avis, Budget, Hertz, and National/Alamo have terminals inside at Glacier Park International Airport (FCA). Dollar, Enterprise and Thrifty are off-airport. Wild Horse Limousine is available as well. http://www.iflyglacier.com/ground-transportation.php

Dollar Rent-a-Car has pick-up and drop-off at all the major train stations, and the Kalispell airport. There’s no one-way fee, if for example, you arrive by train and leave by plane. All of the Dollar Rent-a-Car locations around Kalispell, Whitefish, and Glacier Park are run by the same franchise. Some aren’t fully staffed and have a key drop. If you demand full-service, Avis has several staffed locations, but it’s more expensive.