Glacier National Park is such a gorgeous place for an elopement or wedding. On a sunny day in July, Jake and I said “I do” in Glacier. It was truly such a rewarding and lovely experience that I wish for everyone. There are certain things we learned along the way about how to elope in Glacier National Park.

UPDATE: TICKETED ENTRY SYSTEM FOR 2025. CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION

For those of you wanting an intimate wedding or elopement, Glacier is the place to be for the amazing mountains over in Many Glacier, the crystal blue waters of Lake McDonald, the crushing waterfalls of Saint Mary Falls or wildflowers at Logan Pass. We are here to help you with a guide on how to elope or have a wedding in Glacier National Park, step by step. We believe this place holds a little bit of magic and we’d love to share it with you!

Many Glacier Shuttle update // 2025

From July 1st-September 21st, there will be no general public entrance into Many Glacier. Instead, there will be a shuttle service getting people into Many Glacier and Swiftcurrent. To get into Many Glacier, you’ll need a special use permit, shuttle ticket, commercial service booking (boat ride or horseback ride), or lodging reservation. The gates will be manned 7am-5pm and there will be a gate that you can’t get through if you try to arrive outside of those hours. If you book a hotel stay, you will be given a code to open the gate.

This is due to extremely limited parking during a construction project, which will cut the parking capacity in half. The area between Many Glacier Hotel intersection and the Swiftcurrent area is closed to vehicles, bikes, and foot traffic. The only parking available during the closure will be at the Many Glacier Hotel.

The hiker shuttle service will be available to 120 groups per day and only able to reserve on short notice. You can reserve the shuttle 7 days in advance starting at 8am (MST) via reservation.gov starting on June 24th. You can also reserve it the night before entry at 7pm (MST). One shuttle ticket is required per vehicle.

*The link hasn’t been populated this early in the year. Time blocks will be announced in late spring*

To use the shuttle service, you will park alongside the several designated pull-outs along Many Glacier Road. You will board the shuttle from the parking location for a 15-30 minute ride to Many Glacier Hotel.

Full blog post on Our Favorite Ceremony Locations in Glacier.

When to Elope in Glacier National Park

I mean, there is no bad time to elope in Glacier National Park, but here’s the 4-1-1 to get the elopment you envision!

Winter

Winter is stunning in Glacier. Whitefish Mountain Resort is a great place to ski Grouse Mountain Lodge offers ski packages if you’re into that. If you’re not a big hiker, Winter is great because we can pull up and have a cute little walk to the ceremony spot. Also the contrast between snow and water?!? Holy fucking steam.

Spring

Spring is the shoulder season. You’ll have the park a little quieter while still pretty acessible. The flowers will be springing, the trees are green and lush from a wet winter. There may be some reason, but the weather is a bit more predictable.

Summer

By far the busiest months for Glacier and that’s for a reason. The long hours of daylight give you lots of time to explore and ALL of the park is open! The wildflowers bloom from late July through mid August! The Going to the Sun Road “usually” opens in July. You’ll see sunshine AND snowcapped mountains. The waterfalls are gushing and on point.

Fall

Fall features smaller crowds, crisp autumn colors (red, yellow, burnt orange!!), and still has a lot of accessibility! It does rain and snow in the fall so you are rolling the dice a bit, but I promise we will make the magic happen!

Year Round Notes: Glacier National Park had nearly 3 million (yes, million) visitors in 2021. That’s, like, three times the entire population of Montana. What?! If you’re serious about Glacier, we highly recommend a weekday. The crowds are much smaller. The best time for your ceremony is morning or evening if you’re looking for those gorgeously lit photos. The busiest time in the park is 8am-5pm.

Ceremony Locations

For more information on all this fun stuff, check out our article Top 5 Spots In Glacier National Park to Elope to help you choose the perfect place for you. Glacier National Park has over 1 million acres in the park with 131 named lakes, 157 mountains and 26 glaciers (sadly all shrinking in size. Insert us sobbing.). It’s named the “Crown of the Continent” for a reason with some of the most impressive scenery in North America. Buuut I digress. The epic photo spots are endless! There are entrances on two sides of the park and aligning that with how far you want to travel, where to stay, where you want to eat your husband and wife dinner (yes, husband!). Here’s a great site for location and drive times.

PRO TIP: FIND YOUR FAVORITE, EPIC PLACE AND PLAN EVERYTHING AROUND THAT.

I mean, that’s what you’ve probably flown thousands of miles to see, right?! Go big or go home!

We love helping our couples find their perfect ceremony spot. First, we ask our clients to reflect on what they want their ceremony to look like. The ceremony could be behind mountains, waterfalls, glacial lakes or a rumbling river. Second, we send our couples photos of ceremony spots that would fit their vision. The number of guests and vehicles can determine a certain ceremony location. Our favorite parts of Glacier are West Glacier (Lake McDonald), Logan Pass, Two Medicine, Many Glacier, and Polebridge.

In our opinion, the most epic ceremony backdrops are Two Medicine Lake, Running Eagle Falls, Sun Point, Sprague Creek Picnic Area, Logan Pass, Lake Josephine lakeshore, and spots along Lake McDonald. Glacier National Park is the most gorgeous place to elope.

If you’re thinking a reception is in your future, here’s where you can check out the Glacier National Park Wedding Venue Options.

Many Glacier

The Many Glacier region is located north of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, on the east side of the park. Lake Sherburne is the large lake in the area and the Many Glacier Hotel, the largest hotel within the park, is along the shore of the adjacent Swiftcurrent Lake. The hotel and surrounding buildings are a National Historic Landmark.

*Due to extremely limited parking during construction in the Swiftcurrent area, personal vehicle access into Many Glacier will be restricted from July 1-September 21, 2025. A temporary shuttle service will be provided for hikers wanting to access the area.

Two Medicine Lake

The Two Medicine Valley sits in the southeast corner of Glacier. Two Medicine is less visited than other parts of Glacier, but is sure to impress with its dramatic views, rushing waterfalls, and reflective lakes. Two Medicine has a campground, picnic areas, camp store and gift shop, as well as scenic boat tours and rentals, wildlife watching, and numerous hiking trails. Not only is Two Medicine one of the most secluded areas in Glacier National Park, but it checks all the boxes: mountains, lakes, and of course waterfalls! 

Lake McDonald

Lake McDonald Valley is the hub of activity on the west side of Glacier National Park. Once occupied by massive glaciers that carved this area thousands of years ago, the valley is now filled with spectacular sights, hiking trails, diverse species of plants and animals, historic chalets, and the grand Lake McDonald Lodge.

Logan Pass

Logan Pass is the highest elevation (6646ft/2025m) reachable by car in the park. It is extremely popular with visitors and the parking lot is generally full between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm. Plan your elopement early or late in the day! We take the iconic Going to the Sun Road, full of my favorite pull-out spots! There are lots of wildlife, catch us making friends with a deer while we’re exploring the bright pink wildflowers. We take some pictures and soak in the beautiful insane mountain views. Also you MUST check out the highline trail. 

St. Mary

In St. Mary, the Great Plains of Montana stretch to the east and the mountains of Glacier National Park scrape the sky to the west—this is one of the most dramatic backdrops of all Glacier National Park hotels. Resting at the intersection of Going-to-the-Sun Road and Looking Glass Highway, it’s the ideal starting point for exploring two of the most famous and picturesque drives in the world! We wholeheartedly believe that ending the day with a polar plunge into St Mary Lake, is an adventure like no other. They’re our spirit animals. It’s fine.

Big Bend

Big Bend is a wide sweeping curve just past halfway between the Loop and Logan Pass. Dramatic vistas of the Lake McDonald Valley, and the high peaks of Mount Canon, Oberlin, and Heaven’s Peak make this a great place for an elopement!

Sun Point

Sun Point is high above the lake was once home to the Going to the Sun Chalets, built in 1915. Today it’s a great viewpoint over St. Mary Lake, as well as a shuttle stop, parking area, and starting point for the Baring Falls, St. Mary Falls, and Virginia Falls trails. We love Sun Point for a Glacier National Park ceremony location because it has one of the best views in the park. There is also a parking lot and restrooms close by.

Lake Josephine

Lake Josephine requires either a very easy one mile hike to its shore from the Many Glacier Road or hopping aboard a boat to cross Swiftcurrent Lake followed by a easy 200 yard hike.

Glacier National Park Wedding Permits

The link to apply to a permit is here. The permit is $125 (as of 2025, so this could change). This is if you’re getting married and having a ceremony. If you are just reading vows, you will not need a permit. You can fill out the permit here. Send the form to Bettina at GLAC_SUP@nps.gov 

Submit the $125 fee to: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/1150861043

You can call (406) 888-5960 for more information.

Decide on your top two ceremony spots. The permit will have you list your first and second ceremony location choices. You will need to include your ceremony time. An evening or morning ceremony is prefered to avoid a duplicate wedding ceremony. Be sure to bring your permit with you.

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR GLACIER NATIONAL PARK WEDDING PERMIT

Caution: the park is cracking down on weddings and there are more restrictions to be aware of. You and everyone associated with your wedding are allowed only 5 vehicles into the park. You will need to pay for park entry and parking is not reserved for you. A good option for transportation option is Arrow Shuttle. Glacier National Park’s shuttle system offers tours and shuttles within the park with the Big Red Bus. We love the Big Red Bus shuttles and photos with them are a must.

Depending on the number of people at your ceremony, you may be assigned (and be paying for) park rangers to make sure your guests are respecting the rules of the park. Some of the rules that apply to weddings and elopements are: no decorations, playing of instruments or amplified sound or tossing anything (throwing rice/birdseed/other non-native seeds aren’t permitted, among others) for your processional. The only flowers allowed are your bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages.

Book and Officiant (or a friend or family member!)

According to Montana marriage laws, anyone can be ordained to officiate your wedding. Here is the link to become ordained in the state of Montana. You will need two witnesses to sign your marriage license. If you are eloping solo, Jake and I would be happy to sign it for you. It’s that extra special bond between us aaaand we’re here for it!

If you don’t have a friend, family, or random person you sat next to on the airplane to officiate, here are a couple of people who do a great job with a personalized ceremony.

• Kate Berry – she makes every wedding story come to life aaand she’s basically the coolest.
• Sarah Harding – here is a video of one of her ceremonies.
• Sheba Bagrow – she’s open to incorporating cultural aspects of your wedding day! Here she married an Indian couple!
• Shawna with Best Day Officiants – her entire team is so great to work with!
• Sally Hanger with Marry Me In Montana sallyhanger@gmail.com

Montana Travel Plans

If you want to get married in the most beautiful place on earth, you’ll elope in Glacier National Park. Not gonna lie, the park is a bit of a jaunt to get to. The most reasonable airport for you is the Glacier International Airport, about 30 minutes from West Glacier and an hour and a half from East Glacier. I know, right?! Woof. Eastern Glacier is where those big kahoona (yes, I just said “big kahoona”) mountains are and it’s worth it!

Our favorite places to stay outside the park is The Lodge at Whitefish Lake and Grouse Mountain Lodge. Both are in Whitefish and both so luxurious! Grouse Mountain offers a snow day ski special in the winter too if you’re into that sort of thing. Whitefish is where you’ll find your breweries, wineries, shopping, and the overall cuteness that is a Montana small town. Closer to the West Glacier entrance, you can find Great Norther Resort and the Belton Chalet. On the road between West Glacier and Two Medicine, you’ll find Izaak Walton Inn. It’s quaint and lodgey (if that’s even a word), and the food is great in the restaurant!

Accommodations within the park sell out quickly. Lake McDonald Lodge (West Glacier), Many Glacier Hotel (Many Glacier) and Glacier Park Lodge (East Glacier) are the most popular.

Don’t forget about AirBnBs close by! We stayed at an AirBnB for our wedding in Glacier National Park.

All the add-ons

Dress shops in the area: Mimi’s Bridal Boutique 406-257-4684 mimisbridalmontana@gmail.com

For hair and makeup, here’s the scoop:

• MVP Beauty (hair & makeup) (720) 456-9924 Mvp.hairandmakeup@gmail.com
• Glacier Beauty Co – (hair & makeup) (406) 369-6204 glacierbeautycompany@gmail.com
• Majestic Mountain Beauty (hair and makeup) (406) 926-0190 Info@MajesticMountainBeauty.com
  

Florists:

• Forage & Floral (406) 871-7738 forageandfloral@gmail.com
• Rose Mountain Floral 406-752-7673 rosemountainfloral@gmail.com
• Mums Weddings 406-862-2757 cara@mumsflorals.net
  

Booking a caterer for a sunset picnic or intimate meal with your loved ones.
Caterers:

• Apple & Oak Pop Up Picnics (406) 212-3994 kallai@appleandoakevents.com
• Kopper Kitchen (406) 407-3029 eat@thekopperkitchen.com
• Lady Luck Catering (406) 260-0409 emily.ladyluckhospitality@gmail.com
• Oso’s Catering 406-309-4439 info@osocatering.com

Marriage License

The Kalispell Courthouse (located 920 S Main, Kalispell, MT 59901) is the closest place to get your marriage license. You will go to the office within 180 days of your wedding date. The marriage license office is on the third floor. You just check in with the lovely secretary and you’re on your way. We suggest saving yourself some time and filling out the Marriage License Application. Bring your passport OR driver’s license and $53 for the fee. After you get married, you’ll need to deliver or mail your license back along with this form. You’ll need it if you’re changing your name. We recommend getting several certified copies as you’ll need to mail them out for your passport and social security card.

**what to bring with you to Glacier National Park

1. Hiking shoes as well as ceremony shoes if they aren’t the same
2. Sweater/jacket/wrap – mornings and evenings in Montana are chilly with the higher elevations.
3. Water and snacks aaaaand…. BUBBLY!! We love to have that epic “pop the bubbly” photo on top of the mountain!
4. Any easy, cute props, like a rug or blanket to stand on or to cuddle underneath
5. Headlamp or flashlight for our epic hike up to the ceremony spot.
6. An umbrella or heavier jacket for the rain/snow/sleet what might happen. Montana weather is a beast in itself. Embrace it.
7. Sunscreen for those white girls like myself out there who burn to a crisp at even the whisper of sunshine.
8. Bug screen because the state bird of Montana is arguably a mosquito.
9. Bear spray. We have never encountered a bear close enough to warrant this, buuut it lets our heart rest easy
10. Wedding permit from Glacier National Park

Incorporate Wedding Traditions

Eloping gives you the freedom to chose what your wedding day will look like. You don’t have to worry about the wedding day events. If a huge wedding reception isn’t your thing, that’s ok! It doesn’t mean you have to cut out wedding traditions all together. Eloping is more emotionally fulfilling and meaningful as a big wedding because it allows you the time to be intentional.

You are soaking in the moment with just the two of you, and focusing on your marriage, not just the wedding day. From saying traditional vows or exchanging rings to having a first dance and cake cutting with your new spouse… we say “JUST DO IT!” We have 6 Sweet Wedding Traditions to Include in Your Elopement.

GET MARRIED!

Do the dang thing! This is the best part! Glacier National Park is often named the “Alps of the United States.” It’ll be beautiful! Be sure to bring yourself snacks, sunscreen, and bug spray. At the end of the day, you will be married! You don’t have to abide by typical wedding day events. You can have the adventure you’ve always dreamed of.

If you’re wondering how to elope in Glacier National Park, just know that you can make the adventure your own. The photographs and video from your wedding day is something you will hold on to for the rest of your lives.

11. tell the world you were married in Glacier National Park

Share your photos and video with your loved ones. Send out tangible announcements using your amazing photos in the mail. Relatives love that stuff. Hey, they might even send you back a gift! Your wedding video Your wedding can be remembered Play your wedding video at your reception.

Mention this blog post when you CONTACT US and we’ll give you 10% off your collection with us! After reading this novel of a blog post, you’ve earned it!

PSA: if getting married in Glacier seems overwhelming, or you want to avoid the crowds, we know all the “locals only” secret gems we can take you to!