St. Mary Falls Trailhead
NPS's own description is that “parking is limited and fills quickly during the busy months,” and its suggested fix is to start somewhere else entirely. The agency points visitors at Sun Point, a few minutes east, and the trail down past Baring Falls that connects through to St. Mary Falls.
That's a better hike anyway — you pick up an extra waterfall and a stretch of lakeshore. It's also longer, which is the trade.
There is no published capacity for the trailhead lot, and the 2026 Logan Pass Shuttle does not stop here. Its nearest stops are St. Mary Visitor Center and Rising Sun Picnic Area, both a drive away.
The facts
- Trail served
- St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls, one of the most popular day hikes on the east side of Going-to-the-Sun Road. Connects to Sunrift Gorge, Baring Falls and Sun Point along the lakeshore
- Cost / pass
- Parking free. Park entrance $35/vehicle for 7 days ($25 Nov 1 – Apr 30), $30 motorcycle, $20 per person. America the Beautiful accepted. Non-US residents 16+ pay an extra $100 unless admitted on an annual or America the Beautiful pass. No vehicle reservation required in 2026
- Lot size
- NO PUBLISHED COUNT. NPS says only that “parking is limited and fills quickly during the busy months.” A figure of about 20 spaces circulates online with no traceable source
- When it fills
- No NPS-published time. NPS's qualitative wording — limited, fills quickly during the busy months — is the extent of what the agency states
- Overflow option
- Sun Point, NPS's own suggested alternative start, several minutes east on Going-to-the-Sun Road, reaching the same falls via Baring Falls and the lakeshore. The Logan Pass Shuttle does not stop at either the trailhead or Sun Point
- Tow / citation risk
- No published towing or citation policy. The pullout-heavy east side of Going-to-the-Sun Road makes creative parking tempting and unwise
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Road to the lot
- Directly off Going-to-the-Sun Road on the east side, paved. Inside the restricted segment — Vehicles longer than 21 ft (including bumpers) or wider than 8 ft (including mirrors) are prohibited between Avalanche Creek and Rising Sun — so oversized vehicles cannot reach it from the west
- Busy season
- July through September, once the full road is open. The east side is drier and hotter than the west, and this hike has little shade after the burn scars from recent fire seasons
Getting there
Get directions →The agency's own workaround
It's rare for NPS to hand you a plan B in the trailhead description itself, and rarer for it to be the better hike.
The St. Mary Falls trailhead lot is small — NPS won't say how small — and the page says it fills quickly during the busy months. Rather than telling you to arrive earlier, NPS suggests starting at Sun Point and walking in along the lakeshore.
What that gets you: Baring Falls on the way, a stretch of St. Mary Lake shoreline that most visitors drive past, and a trailhead that isn't the one everybody is circling. What it costs you is distance — this is a longer day than the direct route, and on the east side's exposed slopes that matters more in August than the mileage suggests.
Sunrift Gorge is the third way in, a very short walk from its own small pullout down to Baring Falls and onward. Between the three, the east side has more flexibility than the west — which is fortunate, because it has less shuttle.
No stop, no fallback
The 2026 shuttle change hits this trailhead the same way it hits Avalanche Creek. The Logan Pass Shuttle stops at St. Mary Visitor Center and Rising Sun Picnic Area — both on this side of the park, neither at this trailhead, and neither within a reasonable walk of it.
So the transit answer that used to exist on the old full-length GTSR shuttle is gone here too. If the St. Mary Falls lot and the Sun Point lot are both full, the honest advice is to drive on and come back.
One compensation: the east side genuinely does empty out earlier in the evening than the west. St. Mary sits in the rain shadow, gets long light, and the crowd thins after about 5 p.m. in a way it doesn't at Avalanche Creek.
Plan B
Sun Point, as NPS suggests — it's the official answer, it has its own lot, and it turns a busy out-and-back into a lakeshore traverse with two extra waterfalls.
Sunrift Gorge for a short day. A few minutes' walk from a small roadside pullout gets you into the gorge and down to Baring Falls without committing to the full St. Mary–Virginia Falls hike. It's the right call if you've already driven the whole Sun Road and have an hour rather than an afternoon.
Evening, on this side of the park specifically. The east side clears earlier than the west, the light on St. Mary Lake late in the day is the reason half the park's photographs exist, and a lot that was hopeless at 10 a.m. is workable at six.
What isn't a plan B: the shoulders of Going-to-the-Sun Road. This stretch has pullouts that look like parking and aren't, and the road is too narrow through here for a badly parked car to be anything other than a hazard.
Frequently asked questions
How many parking spaces are at the St. Mary Falls trailhead?
NPS publishes no count. The trailhead page says only that “parking is limited and fills quickly during the busy months.” A figure of around 20 spaces circulates online without any traceable official source, so we don't state it.
Where else can I start the hike to St. Mary Falls?
Sun Point, which is what NPS itself recommends when the trailhead lot is full. The route runs along St. Mary Lake past Baring Falls and connects through to St. Mary and Virginia Falls. Sunrift Gorge is a third option with a short walk down to Baring Falls.
Does the Glacier shuttle stop at St. Mary Falls?
No. The 2026 Logan Pass Shuttle stops at St. Mary Visitor Center and Rising Sun Picnic Area on this side of the park, but not at the St. Mary Falls trailhead or Sun Point. Neither stop is within walking distance of the trailhead.
Do I need a reservation to visit St. Mary Falls in 2026?
No. Glacier requires no vehicle reservation anywhere in the park in 2026. You need a standard entrance pass — $35 per vehicle for seven days, or an America the Beautiful pass — and a parking space.
Are there restrooms at the St. Mary Falls trailhead?
Yes. NPS lists restrooms, accessible restrooms and vault toilets among the amenities at the St. Mary Falls trailhead.
Facts on this page last verified July 28, 2026. Fees, hours, and access rules change seasonally — confirm with the official source before a long drive.