Parks / Glacier / West Entrance

Glacier · West Glacier, MT (US-2)

Glacier West Entrance: this week

Open — road to Avalanche Creek Week of Nov 9–15, 2026

The West Entrance at West Glacier is the park's year-round front door to Apgar Village, Lake McDonald and the lower Going-to-the-Sun Road. It's about 33 miles from Kalispell.

This week's conditions Risks here now Get GOES before you lose signal

When signal drops, GOES steps in.

Grizzly country, ice-cold lake water and almost no services. Download GOES in West Glacier so its offline bear, cold-water and injury guidance comes with you.

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Official conditions

This week at the West Entrance

From NPS pages and alerts fetched Nov 12, 2026. Each line links to its source.

OpenGoing-to-the-Sun Road is open from West Glacier and closed for the season at Avalanche Creek. NPS's winter page says the road from West Glacier to Lake McDonald Lodge is plowed year-round, weather permitting. NPS alert NPS
InfoBeyond the closure gate, the unplowed road is open to hikers and bicyclists, and to skiing and snowshoeing once there's snow. NPS NPS
InfoApgar Visitor Center restrooms are open year-round, with a water bottle filling station (about 2 miles north of the entrance). NPS's winter page says the visitor center opens on weekends in winter. NPS NPS
InfoApgar Campground offers primitive camping (vault toilet, no running water, first-come, first-served). There's no lodging in the park this time of year. NPS
InfoNo fuel inside the park. Road alerts: text GNPROADS to 333111, tune to Travelers' Information Station 1610 AM, or call 406-888-7800. NPS NPS

Entrance fee: Private vehicle $35 (self-pay when stations are unstaffed). Non-US residents 16+ pay an additional $100 nonresident fee unless entering with an annual / America the Beautiful pass. NPS fees NPS API

Weather

Forecast near the West Entrance

Snapshot from the National Weather Service, fetched Nov 12, 2026. Live forecast loads below if you're online.Full NWS forecast

Period	Temp	Forecast	Wind
Tonight	36°F	Areas Of Fog	0 mph
Thursday	54°F	Areas Of Fog then Mostly Cloudy	0 mph
Thursday Night	35°F	Areas Of Fog	0 mph
Friday	50°F	Areas Of Fog then Partly Sunny	0 mph
Friday Night	35°F	Partly Cloudy	0 mph
Saturday	50°F	Partly Sunny then Slight Chance Light Rain	2 mph
Saturday Night	33°F	Slight Chance Light Rain then Mostly Cloudy	3 mph
Sunday	48°F	Partly Sunny	3 mph

Know the risks

What actually matters here in mid-November

The goal is a good trip, not a scary one. These are the hazards NPS highlights for this area and season, and what to do about each.

Bears on the lower road and trails

Bears may still be active and foraging before denning. Carry bear spray, call out and clap (NPS says bells aren't enough), and don't stop near roadside bears: drive at least 100 yards past before pulling over. NPS NPS

In GOESWildlife Encounters: location-specific risk indicators for bears and other dangerous animals

Lake McDonald's cold water

Water is the park's top cause of death. Slick shoreline rocks and near-freezing water make a fall dangerous within minutes. NPS

In GOESEnvironmental Health: hypothermia and frostbite assessments

Fog and short days

NWS forecast for West Glacier this week: areas of fog, highs near 50–54°F, lows near 35°F, and a slight chance of light rain Saturday. NWS

In GOES125+ extreme weather alerts

Before you go in

Checklist for the West Entrance

Fuel and food in West Glacier or Columbia FallsNo gas in the park; Apgar's camp store may or may not be open.
Bear spray, even for short walksNPS: bears may still be active.
Pay at the self-pay stationFees apply when the booth is unstaffed.
Download GOES before the entrancePlan for no signal past Apgar.

Follow official NPS rules, posted closures and ranger instructions. They override anything on this page.

Park-wide

Glacier risks everywhere in the park

Grizzly and black bears

Glacier has habitat for nearly 1,000 bears of both species. Stay 100 yards from bears and wolves (25 yards from other wildlife), carry bear spray, make noise and hike in groups: Glacier has had no reported attacks on groups of four or more. In fall, bears forage hard before denning. NPS NPS NPS

In GOESWildlife Encounters: location-specific risk indicators for bears and other dangerous animals

Cold water

Water is the number one cause of fatalities in Glacier. Use extreme caution near lakes and streams. NPS

In GOESEnvironmental Health: hypothermia and frostbite assessments

Tularemia

NPS confirmed tularemia in dead snowshoe hares in Many Glacier (Oct 15 release) and the St. Mary Lake area (Sept 17 release). Use insect repellent, check for ticks, don't touch carcasses, drink only treated or boiled water, and see a doctor if you get fever, chills or sores within two weeks of your visit. NPS news NPS news

In GOESTick Risk: location- and season-specific tick activity

Winter self-sufficiency

Most businesses and services in and near the park are closed from early October to late May. Expect cold, blustery days and be entirely self-sufficient. NPS NPS

In GOESEnvironmental Health: hypothermia and frostbite assessments

NPS alerts

All active Glacier alerts

Pulled from the NPS Data API on Nov 12, 2026; the same alerts appear on nps.gov/glac.

Park ClosureGoing-to-the-Sun Road Seasonal Closure. Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed for the season at Avalanche Creek on the west side of the park. On the east side, the closure is located at Jackson Glacier Overlook. Travel on open sections of the road may change at any time due to winter weather conditions. Visitors should check road conditions before their arrival and be prepared for winter weather. More

Your outdoor safety companion

When signal drops, GOES steps in.

Grizzly country, ice-cold lake water and almost no services. Download GOES in West Glacier so its offline bear, cold-water and injury guidance comes with you.

Works with no cell service: interactive health assessment and 50+ visual how-to guides, available offline.
Location-specific risks: wildlife (bears, venomous snakes), hypothermia, frostbite, heat illness, altitude, ticks, poisonous plants, UV and smoke/air quality.
200+ prevention tips across 60+ medical topics, also available offline.
Built by wilderness medicine physicians: founded by Dr. Grant Lipman, former Stanford Emergency Medicine professor and director of its wilderness medicine fellowship; Chief Medical Officer Dr. Colin Little, MD, FAWM.

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Free to download. Premium features need a monthly or annual subscription after a 7-day free trial. GOES provides guidance. It is not a substitute for professional medical care. Follow official NPS rules and ranger instructions.

Other Glacier entrances

West EntranceOpen — road to Avalanche Creek
St. Mary EntranceOpen — road to Jackson Glacier Overlook

Glacier overview, closures and park-wide risks →

Sources

Where this week's information comes from

Fetched Thu Nov 12, 2026 (JST), which is Wed Nov 11 evening in US time zones. We don't publish wait times, bear sightings or conditions we can't source. Check the official pages before you go — they're updated more often than we are.