Camping in Glacier National Park

Camping is a great way to experience the outdoors, meet people from all over and save a little money on your Glacier vacation.

Front Country Camping
Front country, aka car camping, is widely available throughout the park. Campgrounds on the west side of the park are: Apgar, Avalanche, Bowman Lake, Fish Creek, Kintla Lake and Sprague Creek. On the east side are: Many Glacier, Rising Sun, St. Mary and Two Medicine. Campgrounds in Waterton Lakes in Canada are: Townsite, Crandell and Belly River.

Reservations/Walk-ins
All campgrounds in Glacier are first-come, first-served EXCEPT Fish Creek and St. Mary. These may be reserved up to six months in advance for a fee of $9. With a $9 fee, group sites for 9-24 campers may be reserved up to a year in advance at Apgar, Many Glacier, St. Mary and Two Medicine. All campsites in Waterton Lakes may be reserved in advance.

While it is impossible to say when a first-come, first-served campsite will fill up, you can get an idea by checking the NPS Glacier camping webpage to see what time each site filled up on particular days in years past.

Cost
Cost per campsite per night ranges between $15 and $23 in Glacier and $15 and $55 (Canadian dollars) per campsite in Waterton Lakes.

Amenities
Most, but not all campgrounds in Glacier have toilets and Rising Sun is the only campground with showers. The showers at Rising Sun are behind the general store and are token-operated. Tokens can be purchased at the general store. The Townsite campground in Waterton Lakes has free showers.

For more detailed information about front country camping in Glacier or to make reservations, visit the NPS Glacier camping webpage. For more information about front country camping in Waterton Lakes or to make reservations, visit the Waterton Lakes camping webpage.

Outside the Park
There are National Forest and private campgrounds outside the park as well. Big Creek campground in Flathead National Forest is $13/night, has toilets and is convenient to the North Fork area. Glacier Campground and San Suz Ed Bed & Breakfast and Campground are both private campgrounds with public showers located on west of Glacier on Highway 2. If you camp there, showers are included, but showers are open to anyone for a $5 fee.


Backcountry Camping
Backcountry camping can be the most rewarding way to visit the park. It's in this way that you can get off the well-beaten path, find a bit of solitude and the most breath-taking views. You can hike for a short trip, a multiple night trip, or even an extended backpacking trip.


An indispensable resource when planning a backcountry trip is the Glacier National Park Backcountry Guide, updated each year by the National Park Service. Read it all the way through at least one time. Another helpful resource for backcountry trips is the Falcon Guide Hiking Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks by Erik Molvar.

To camp in the backcountry, you must obtain a backcountry use permit. In Glacier National Park, the Nyack/Coal Creek Camping Zone is the only area designated for camping outside of a campsite. Everywhere else you must camp in a designated campsite. Camping outside designated campsites in Waterton Lakes is permitted only under certain circumstances, but the Waterton Lakes website does not specify what these circumstances are. Call the warden's office to inquire (403-859-5140).

Cost
Backcountry camping in Glacier costs $5 per adult (ages 16 and up) per night. Children 8-15 years old cost $2.50 per night, and children 7 years and younger are free. In Waterton Lakes, the cost to camp in the backcountry is about $10 per person per night, with children ages 16 and under being free.

Reserving Backcountry Campsites
Approximately half of all backcountry campsites can be reserved in advance, with a processing fee of $30 per trip. Reserving particular campsites can be competitive. To have the best chance of getting the campsite of your choice, apply for your backcountry permit by April 15th. Applications can be found here. Applications submitted by April 15th will be entered into a lottery, meaning that an application submitted in January and an application submitted on April 15th have equal chance of being processed first. If your application is in the lottery, you can expect to hear back by mid-May. All applications submitted after April 15th are considered on a rolling basis. Your permit will NOT be sent to you in advance, you must pick it up at one of the permitting offices as early as the day before your trip and as late as 4:30pm on the day your trip is to begin.

When choosing a backpacking route, it is important to note the first day you may reserve particular sites (this information is available on page 4 of the Backcountry Guide). These dates are determined by when, in a typical year, these sites are likely to be clear of snow and suitable for camping. Some years, depending on the winter and spring snowfall, the campsites will open earlier than the published date, but in high snowfall years, they may open later.

Walk-in Backcountry Campsites
Approximately half of all backcountry campsites cannot be reserved. To obtain a backcountry permit without a reservation, you must go to one of the permitting offices the same day that your trip is to start. Walk-in campsites will go fast, so arrive early.

For more information about backcountry camping, visit the National Park Service Glacier backcountry webpage.