Rising Sun to St Mary - Going-to-the-Sun Road - Glacier National Park

We continued our trip to national parks in the Dakotas and Montana with a visit to Glacier National Park. We started on the east side of the park at St Mary and drove six miles on the Going-to-the-Sun Road to Rising Sun where the road was blockaded for the winter. As this was our first visit to Glacier National Park, we were somewhat surprised by how quickly the weather could change and how much the weather affected our perception of the park.

When we arrived, there were low clouds and some fog, providing an ominous feeling to the park. Once we arrived at Rising Sun, what we really noticed was the cold wind blowing down the lake at the boat ramp. As we drove from Rising Sun back to St Mary, the gloomy clouds mostly evaporated and we were left with blue skies and brilliant sunshine. The visitor center at St Mary was still closed for the winter as it was scheduled to open in late May, about three weeks after our early May 2021 visit.

 Part of Red Eagle Mountain (8107' and 8340') above Saint Mary Lake (4484')

Curly Bear Mountain (8099')

Rising Sun boat ramp

Path to the Rising Sun campground

Triple Divide Peak (8025')

Rainbow at Two Dog Flats

Elk herd

More elk

Low clouds obscure the view

Aspen trees (Populus tremuloides)

Clouds quickly dissipated

Pasque flower (Pulsatilla patens)

From complete overcast to blue skies in twelve minutes

Kakitos Mountain, Norris Mountain, Split Mountain, and Red Eagle Mountain

Clouds still encircle Little Chief Mountain (9541')

View from the bridge over St. Mary River

Divide Mountain shrouded in fog or clouds

St Mary Visitor Center from the road

View from the visitor center

Entrance to St Mary visitor center

Divide Mountain (8665') and White Calf Mountain (8893')

A Glacier National Park entry fee of $35 per vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, or $20 per person is valid for seven consecutive days. Other fee payment options include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($80 for a lifetime), Access Pass (free with a documented disability), and Military Annual Pass (free for active-duty personnel). Also available is a Glacier Annual Pass for $70. 

The Glacier National Park website is https://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm.