Going-To-The-Sun Road
Going-To-The-Sun Road is a marvel of innovation, design, and international collaboration.
This stretch of highway through the Rocky Mountains was so game-changing, it’s registered as a National Historic Landmark, a National Historic Place, and an Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
A Glacier National Park road trip on Going-With-The-Sun could be quite the adventure. If you’re thinking of planning one, keep a few things in mind.
Where Is Going-to-the-Sun Road?
Going-To-The-Sun Road is an east-west route across the Rocky Mountains in Glacier national park. It is entirely contained within the U.S. state of Montana.
Going-to-the-Sun Road Map
An up-to-date, digital, satellite map of Going-To-The-Sun Road, designed for navigation, is publically available for free, online. Find it on the “Maps” page in the Glacier National Park section of the NPS website.
Why Is It Called Going-to-the-Sun Road?
Going-To-The-Sun Road is named after the largest mountain east of the road, beyond Logan’s Pass.
“Going-To-The-Sun Mountain” is an English-language interpretation of the mountain’s name among Plains Indians—particularly the Blackfeet Nation and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT).
In the language of the Blackfeet Nation (Siksiká), and in the languages of CSKT (Salish and Ksanka), the mountain was called “Ninaiistako” or “Matapi Otsuksis.” The most technical, literal translation of those names is akin to “forced up.”
But, it was the deeper, spiritual meaning of the names that resonated.
The (Spiritual) Road To The Sun
Near the end of the 19th century, the name Going-To-The-Sun Mountain caught on among English-speaking settlers, who had learned about aspects of neighboring indigenous nations’ beliefs and mythologies connected to the mountain through conversation.
The exact origin is debated. Still, most versions of the history of the mountain’s name have a few things in common:
The mountain is sacred, connected to a sun deity or a spirit from the Sun Lodge
Climbing the mountain alone is an important spiritual practice in the Blackfeet Nation (among others)
It could potentially grant the climber “sun visions”
These treks were sometimes called “vision quests”
In some myths, the spirit set his own face into the mountain after the first vision quest succeeded
Subsequent successful vision quests were marked by cairns
The most-told version is the loosely historical legend of the Blackfoot Tail-Feathers-Coming-Over-the-Hill and his friend, the pioneer James Willard Schultz. It’s a story of profound cross-cultural connection.
To this day, the Blackfeet Nation and CSKT are culturally and communally connected to Going-To-The-Sun Mountain—and its namesake road.
How Long Is Going-to-the-Sun Road, Montana?
Going-to-the-Sun Road is 49.71 miles long. The entire road is elevated above sea level, and its altitude changes as it winds through the Rocky Mountains.
Traveling Going To The Sun Road In Glacier National Park
If you want Going-To-The-Sun Road to be part of your summer road trip, plan ahead. Check the NPS website to make sure the road is open; unfortunately, even during peak tour season, it needs to be closed for repairs.
Plan your route to hit the rest stops when you’ll most want to eat and recuperate, and the sites you’re most drawn to when you’re energized.
Use the NPS portal and directory to learn about lodging and dining options, visitor services, and unique options—including rafting trips or guided tours on horseback.
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