How To Plan Your 2026 Elopement In Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is one of the most incredible places to elope in the U.S. It’s truly an adventure-enthusiast’s dream from epic mountain trails to jaw-dropping views along the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road. There are so many magical experiences and memories to create when planning your Montana adventure wedding here! 

If you’re looking to elope in Glacier National Park, this guide is for you! It’s chock-full of helpful tips, real elopement inspiration, advice for the best time of year to visit, and more. 

Glacier National Park Elopement Checklist

1. Your Glacier Photo & Video Team!
2. Picking The Best Time of Year To Get Married In Glacier
3. Choose Your Elopement Ceremony Location
4. Applying For Your Special Use Permit
5. The Best Portrait Locations In Glacier!
6. Applying For Your Marriage License
7. Booking Your Lodging
8. Accessing The Park
9. Things To Do In Glacier National Park
10. Real Glacier Park Elopements & Tiny Weddings
11. Book Your Glacier Park Elopement With Us!

Your Glacier Park Elopement Photographer + Videographer Team

Hey, we’re Hannah and Adam, your adventure-loving photo and video husband & wife team based in western Montana. We’ve been capturing elopements and small weddings in Glacier Park for the past 3 years! We know the best times of year to plan your trip, some great local vendors, and exactly where to take you for the most incredible views!

When Is The Best Time of Year To Elope In Glacier?

Picking the best time of the year to get married in Glacier totally depends on the kind of accessibility and overall experience you’re looking for! The best time of year to avoid crowds is typically going to be during the shoulder seasons. Summertime is incredible for views and hiking trails! And while winter is often overlooked, you should 100% consider a snowy elopement if you love the look of a winter wonderland.

SPRING (end of April to mid June)

Best for: fewer crowds, snow in some areas

What’s accessible: West Glacier, Apgar along Lake McDonald, St. Mary on the east side of the park

Keep in mind: While spring in other areas starts in April, the snow is typically not melted at lower elevations until the end of April or beginning of May! You can camp year round at Apgar and St. Mary Campgrounds, according the the nps.gov website, but running water and flush toilets are turned off until early May. The Going-to-the-Sun Road is partially open at lower elevations, and while plowing begins in March, it takes 2-3 months depending on the snow levels. So, while most roads are accessible and plowed by mid to late May, the GTTSR is not accessible. 

SUMMER (July to mid September)

Best for: hiking, seeing higher locations in the park (specifically along the GTTSR)

What’s accessible: Everything! But pay attention to the nps.gov website because sometimes the GTTSR isn’t fully plowed and open to the public until the beginning of July. Back in 2022, Logan Pass wasn’t open until July 13th.

Keep in mind: Summer is a wonderful time of year for hiking, fully accessible and snow-free locations, and warmer weather! It’s also extremely busy, so while we love summer elopements, we’ll typically recommend ceremony locations outside the park (because the crowded locations don’t make for a private ceremony experience), hiking adventures, and/or getting up early for a sunrise ceremony to have a more intimate elopement adventure.

FALL (end of September to October)

Best for: fewer crowds, fall colors

What’s accessible: Everything is still accessible until about mid October, then the GTTSR closes for the winter. Lower elevations are still gorgeous in late October with fall foliage, though!

Keep in mind: Fall is probably our favorite time of year to capture Glacier elopements! Late September to early October is when it’s getting a bit colder, the fall colors are popping, and there aren’t a lot of people in the park except for couples getting married and older folks. 

WINTER (November to April)

Best for: winter activities inside or outside the park (Whitefish Ski Resort is close by!), no crowds

What’s accessible: The Going-to-the-Sun Road from West Glacier to Lake McDonald Lodge is plowed and open year-round (unless the weather is bad).

Keep in mind: In the wintertime, a lot of the park is closed and covered in snow. But this is a great option if you like colder weather, want to adventure in the snow, and are really prioritizing a private experience (not many people visit the park in the winter). 

Best Glacier National Park Ceremony Locations

Glacier National Park has several designated wedding ceremony locations, including places along Lake McDonald, the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and in each district of the park. Some of our favorite designated elopement ceremony locations in Glacier include: Bowman Lake, Avalanche Amphitheater, Ryan Beach along Lake McDonald, Sun Point, and the Lake Josephine Shoreline.

Important Note: The Two Medicine District is completely unavailable for elopements in the 2026 and potentially 2027 season(s) due to construction.

Special Use Permit For Ceremonies

In order to say vows or have a wedding ceremony inside the park, you will need to apply for a Special Use Permit (SUP).This is because the park is a protected area, and the National Park Service must ensure that activities are conducted in a safe and responsible manner. The permit also ensures that the park’s resources are not damaged or disturbed, and remains a peaceful and tranquil place for visitors to enjoy!

We help all of our couples fill this out and submit it because you need to have a date, location, and exact time picked out for your elopement ceremony. You’ll also need a backup date, location, and time just in case your first choice is unavailable. You can apply for this up to 1 year in advance, and the sooner the better!

Best Elopement Portrait Locations in Glacier

While there are designated ceremony locations within the park, there are tons of great spots to take wedding portraits! The Going-to-the-Sun Road has a ton of awesome roadside stops that are fantastic for spontaneous adventures or short trails if you want to get out of the car longer. And with 4 different districts within the park, there are plenty of adventures for everyone!

Some of our favorite roadside stops along the Going-to-the-Sun Road include McDonald Falls, the Weeping Wall, and a few stops right before and after passing Logan Pass (especially great for portraits if you can’t find parking up at Logan Pass, which is usually full around 8:00 am).

How To Obtain Your Marriage License

Prior to your elopement (it can be just a couple days before), you’ll head to the courthouse with proper forms of ID for both of you, and sign the application in-person with the county clerk. You can fill out the application ahead of time online! After signing, you’ll need to pay $53 via cash, check, or card (there is a small fee for credit cards). 

After your elopement, you can either return the application to the courthouse or if you’ve hired an officiant, sometimes they will send it in for you!

The Flathead County Courthouse address for Glacier National Park elopements is: 920 S. Main St. #300 Kalispell, MT 59901

Booking Lodging

If lodging is important to you, you should book this as soon as you’re able to! The cute a-frame cabins and unique stays get booked out pretty far in advance, and if you’re looking to stay near Many Glacier or East Glacier, there are very limited options.

If you’re getting married at places like Bowman Lake, Lake McDonald, or Logan Pass for example, you probably want to stay on the west side! Some of the park’s stays include the Lake McDonald Lodge, Village Inn at Apgar, or Cedar Creek Lodge. Each of these lodges offers stunning views of the park’s mountains, lakes, and forests. You can also stay at one of the park’s campgrounds: Apgar, Fish Creek, Sprague Creek, and Avalanche Creek. But there are also a ton of great rentals in Columbia Falls, Whitefish, and Kalispell. Just be careful because you may have to drive 1+ hours to access certain parts of the park.

On the east side of Glacier National Park, you can stay at the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, Many Glacier Hotel, St. Mary Village, or the Rising Sun Motor Inn. You also have the option of camping at Many Glacier Campground, Rising Sun Campground, or St. Mary Campground. In terms of cute rentals, you have a few options in East Glacier, Babb, and Browning. But we love the little cabins at Divide Creek Campground and Johnson’s Campground & RV Park.

Accessing The Park

In order to access the park, every vehicle is required to have a National Park Pass, even if you have a Special Use Permit. A National Park Pass can either be an America the Beautiful Annual Pass ($80) or you can get a 7 Day Pass at the entrance station for $35/vehicle.

Going-to-the-Sun Road Information: The Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTTSR) is the most iconic part of Glacier National Park! It’s a 50-mile road that takes around 2 hours (without stopping) to get from West Glacier to St Mary. The road typically opens at the end of June or beginning of July and closes sometime in mid to late October. However, depending on the weather, it may open late or close early, so it’s important to keep this in mind when planning your wedding here! Be prepared with backup locations.

Important Note: You will NOT need a Timed Entry Reservation Ticket for anywhere in the park in 2026.

Activities & Things To Do In Glacier

Planning activities and things to do while you’re visiting can be overwhelming since there are so many awesome options! We always encourage couples to pick activities that reflect them on their wedding day. But you can also make your elopement experience that much better if you plan things to do before and after your wedding day.

One of the BEST things to do in Glacier National Park is hike! There are so many popular trails and gorgeous views to experience when you choose to get out of the car and explore. Make sure to have enough time at the park to try at least 2 trails! It’s 100% worth it. Here are some of our favs:

• Trail of the Cedars – 1 mile roundtrip, 60 feet of elevation gain, Avalanche Creek (West Glacier)
• Highline Loop – 12 miles roundtrip, 2000 feet of elevation gain, Logan Pass
• Hidden Lake Overlook – 3 miles roundtrip, 500 feet of elevation gain, Logan Pass
• St. Mary Falls – 2 miles roundtrip, 200 feet of elevation gain, St. Mary Shuttle Stop
• Grinnell Glacier – 7.6 miles roundtrip, 2000 feet of elevation gain, Many Glacier
• Iceberg Lake – 10 miles roundtrip, 1275 feet of elevation gain, Many Glacier
• Upper Two Medicine Lake – 5 miles roundtrip, 350 feet of elevation gain, Two Medicine

Some other awesome activities include:

• Find a riverside spot on McDonald Creek for a picnic
• White Water Rafting
• Scenic River Float
• Horseback Riding Tours
• Explore Whitefish Lake State Park & Flathead Lake (outside the West Glacier entrance)
• Rent bikes and explore the Whitefish Trail (outside the West Glacier entrance)
• Two Medicine Lake Boat Tour (or you can rent kayaks)
• Spot moose at Fishercap Lake in Many Glacier
• Boat Tour or rent kayaks/canoes on Swiftcurrent Lake
• Fly Fishing Tour
• Check out Many Glacier’s Historic Hotel + Restaurant

Real Glacier Park Elopements & Tiny Weddings!

Excited about planning your Glacier National Park wedding adventure? Check out some of these real weddings and elopements for inspiration!

Booking Your Glacier Park Elopement With Venture to Elope

If you want to chat about your Glacier National Park adventure elopement experience, or if you’re ready to book with us, head over to our Contact Page to reach out. We’d love to help you plan your greatest adventure yet in the most incredible park!