Visiting Glacier National Park in Winter: A Complete Guide
Summary: This post has everything you need to know about visiting Glacier National Park in winter including reasons to visit in winter, what to pack, and what you can do that time of year.
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Like most national parks, Glacier National Park’s peak season is during the summer months. It often gets very crowded June-August which is why my favorite time to go is May or September. However, there’s also a lot to do in Glacier National Park in winter!
Austin and I visited Glacier NP at the end of this past summer and it was still relatively crowded, but it was also pretty chilly, so the crowds had already died down a bit. In winter, you’ll have even more of a chance to have the park to yourself!
Why Visit Glacier National Park in Winter?
The most obvious answer to this question is there will be less people. Most people want to visit national parks in the summer because they can see and do everything that park has to offer. Oftentimes in winter, you can’t do everything you can in summer because of road closures. The same is true for Glacier National Park, but there are a few unique experiences you can have in winter that might make a trip here worth it.
Since there are significantly less people in the park, winter is also a great time to spot wildlife. Animals tend to be more active with less people, so it’s the perfect time to look out for them. Lastly, this park is beautiful just as it is, but if you add snow to the mix, it’s plain stunning. I’m a snow-lover and if you are too, Glacier National Park will make the perfect winter getaway.
What to Pack for Glacier National Park in Winter
Glacier National Park is at a high elevation and it’s also very far north. In fact, it’s about as far north as you can get in Montana before hitting Canada. Because of that, it gets very cold during the winter. You’ll want to wear plenty of layers including wool base layers to keep warm. This is especially important if you plan on doing an outdoor activity like snowmobiling or a snowshoe tour (more on that below!).
At the very least, I’d suggest packing:
- Long sleeve base layer
- Sweater over the base layer
- Winter coat
- Scarf or face shield
- Winter hat
- Warm gloves
- Base layer pants under hiking or sweat pants
- Snow pants if it makes sense (snowmobiling, etc.)
- Warm, waterproof boots
What’s Open in Glacier National Park in Winter?
The entire park is technically open, but the major hurdle to consider is that Going to the Sun Road is not plowed and is closed to vehicles. That said, you can still snow shoe or cross country ski on any of the trails starting at Apgar Village on the west side of the park or St. Mary’s Visitor’s Center on the East side of the park.
You’ll find that most of the activities below are in or start in one of these two places since it’s difficult to get to the center of the park in winter.
What To Do in Glacier National Park in Winter
While you might not be able to see the entire park in winter, here are a few unique experiences you can have while you’re there.
See the Northern Lights
There are a few places in the lower 48 states of the US where you can see the Northern Lights and Glacier National Park is one of them! The best time to see them is in the winter because the nights are so long and that’s just when they come out.
I track the Aurora Forecast somewhat regularly and I’ve found that December-March is typically a good time to plan a trip to Glacier National Park to see them. However, there’s never a guarantee that you will.
If you click this link and scroll down to the 27-day forecast, you’ll see a graph that looks similar to the one I’ll show below. In order to see the Northern Lights in the continental US, you want the Kp index to be 5 or above (or a red line in the graph). If you go as far north as you can on a day with a red bar, your chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis will be much higher.
Since a lot of Glacier National Park is closed in the winter, I’d recommend sitting outside near Lake McDonald or Apgar Villiage to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. They don’t have a schedule, so they show up when they want to. This means you may be sitting outside for quite a while. That’s why I included a packing list above for some of my favorite winter gear to keep you warm!
Take a Snowshoe Tour
On weekends in Glacier National Park, park rangers lead free snowshoe tours starting at the Apgar Visitor’s Center. These walks start at 1:30pm on Saturdays and Sundays, but they are weather permitting, so they may get cancelled if it gets too cold.
If you need to rent snowshoes, you can do so at the visitor’s center for a small fee.
This is a great way for people of all skill levels to winter hike in Glacier National Park. If you decide to go off on your own, there are a ton of great trails in the Lake McDonald area. However, make sure you have warm gear, a first aid kit, and are avalanche-aware.
Try Your Hand at Winter Camping
We tried winter camping in the winter of 2020 and it was an incredible experience! Of course, it’s cold, but as long as you have the right clothing and the right camping gear, you can keep warm pretty easily.
The main things you’ll need are a canvas tent with a stove jack (i.e., a hole in the top for a stove chimney) and a wood burning stove. Once you get a fire going in the tent, it will be nice and toasty! I have an entire post that details what to bring and how to prepare for winter camping.
Apgar campground remains open all year and is where you’ll want to set up when you’re winter camping.
If you’re brave enough, you can also try your hand at winter backcountry camping. However, you’ll have to rely on your body heat and anything you can carry on your back (no, a wood burning stove can’t come with you!) to keep you warm. This should only be done by experience backcountry campers.
Cross Country Ski on Going To The Sun Road
There are a lot of cross country skiing trails within Glacier National Park. Some of them start from Apgar and some start from St. Mary. If you start at Apgar, you can ski along Lake McDonald, see Lake McDonald Falls, and then continue onto Going to the Sun Road.
If you’ve visited Glacier National Park when Going to the Sun Road is open, you’ll know this is the busiest road within the park. Being able to ski on it, take in the views, and likely have it to yourself is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This is also a great time to look for wildlife.
You can always bring your own skis, but you can also rent them at a few places in Whitefish, MT such as Glacier Cyclery and Nordic.
Snowmobile in a Nearby Town
Of course, I have to mention one of my favorite winter activities even if it can’t happen inside Glacier National Park. A few places to start looking might be Swan Mountain Snowmobiling and Action Rentals.
If you’re going snowmobiling in Montana in winter, you NEED to make sure you bring warm gear like the options I listed above. I also highly recommend a fleece face shield to go under your helmet because the wind can be brutal when snowmobiling.
–> Looking to snowmobile in other parts of Montana? Check out my guide to snowmobiling in West Yellowstone, MT! <–
Read More About Glacier National Park
If you’re planning a trip to Glacier National Park in winter or any time of year, I have a few more posts that will help you plan an amazing getaway:
