Going to the Sun Inquiry (Glacier National Park, Montana)?

Question

I am making my 1st ever visit to Glacier National Park. In addition to hiking, we will be driving the Going to the Sun Road. I've heard different viewpoints on which direction to drive it.

(a) West to East -- I am coming from the south, by way of the west and this is the preferred route. I hear, too, the dramatic approach of seeing the Great Plains.

(b) East to West -- I read in a travel guide that it's a better choice as the sun is behind you. I am interested specifically whether you get better photographs with the sun in this direction.

Any experiences would be most appreciated!

Thank you.

Answer 1

If you plan to take pictures on the western side of the continental divide as you traverse the Going-to-the-Sun Road, you better not be driving. There are few places to pull over and you need to concentrate on the road. You’ll know what I mean when you see this engineering marvel. It literally hangs off the cliffs. In my opinion, it is one of, if not thee most scenic roads in North America and perhaps the world. The views are drop-dead gorgeous. Pictures cannot do it justice. If scenic beauty is the measuring stick, then Glacier NP is the crown jewel of our National Park System.

As far as direction is concerned, lighting is a function of the time of day. If you start the drive in the morning, the east to west approach will be best for photos taken on the eastern side. If you start the drive in the afternoon, the west to east approach will be best for photos taken on the western side. At mid-day when the lighting is flat and the shadows short, you should be able to get decent pictures (but not the best) of either side of the mountain.

The drive is not so long that you can’t do it more than once. The first time I drove the Going-to-the-Sun Road I did it from west to east. I hung out at Apgar on the western shore of Lake McDonald until mid-afternoon before starting up the road. The sun was still high enough that there wasn’t too much glare when shooting photos looking west. A polarizing filter might help reduce the glare and saturate colors. There are very few places where you can actually pull over to take a photo. If you’re lucky and all alone on the road, you can stop for a minute to take a photo before moving on. Other than that, you best leave the picture taking to a passenger. I took just a few pictures of the eastern side that day because of the less than ideal lighting. Instead, I drove back up the road the following morning going from east to west and stopping at Logan Pass.

I found that the pictures I took of the western side on the first day were somewhat disappointing. But, it wasn’t because of the lighting. The reason they were disappointing is because it’s impossible for the camera to capture what my eyes saw. The views were so majestic and awe inspiring that they were impossible to photograph. Perhaps someone will the skill and talent of Ansel Adams could do it but for me it was impossible.

My photos of the eastern side better reflected what I saw. Not because the views were less grand than the western side but because the rugged snow covered mountain peaks, deep sculpted valleys, waterfalls and long morning shadows made for much better pictures than the grand open expanses of the west.

Take your pictures but don’t forget to spend some time drinking in the views. The photos cannot compare to what the mind remembers. One other thing – Glacier is grizzly country so if you plan to hike you should consider carrying bear spray. It could save your life.

Answer 2

Since you emailed me this question, here's an answer from a "native" of this region. I would come up on the borders of South and North Dakota to visit the badlands, Mt Rushmore Etc first before heading into Montana and Glacier National Park. There is a lot of history throughout the region and the landscapes are spread some distance apart. But if you have the time, it's a beautiful trip.

Answer 3

1

Answer 4

go north