Glacier National Park Red Bus Tour: A Review
If you’re visiting Glacier National Park and want a side of history with your sightseeing, add a Red Bus Tour to your itinerary!
These guided tours operate all over the national park, allowing you to see Going-to-the-Sun Road, East Glacier, and more without having to worry about navigating the park’s often crowded roads.
This allows everyone in your family to enjoy the views while you’re learning about the fascinating people, geology and wildlife that make up this incredible national park.
Below, you’ll learn everything you need to know to determine if a Red Bus Tour is right for your family’s visit to Glacier National Park, including routes, what to expect on the tour, and photos of popular stops.
My parents stand next to the Red Bus at Apgar Visitors Center
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What are the Red Bus Tours?
The Red Bus tours are Glacier National Park’s official tour buses. These guided tours run daily throughout the park in the iconic, bright red, and historic vehicles.
These same buses have been taking visitors around the park since the mid-1930s as Glacier’s visitation levels began to soar.
Each of the buses in the historic fleet were specially made for the park by the now-defunct White Motor Company. While engine parts have been upgraded over the years, the buses’ 16 seats and unique roll top have remained the same for decades.
Notably, the buses are also known as “Jammers,” due to the sound that the vehicles used to make when the drivers were shifting gears. Nowadays, the engines have been upgraded to automatic transmissions, but the name stuck!
The buses don’t look like what you’re probably thinking. They’re less city-transport and more 1930s-station-wagon.
There are 16 seats in each bus, with 4 people sitting on each of the 4 rows. There are windows throughout the bus so you can easily see wherever you’re sitting, and the convertible top will be open on nice days.
How to Book
The Red Bus Tours are run by Xanterra, an official park concessionaire that provides lodging and dining options in Glacier and other national parks (including Yellowstone and Grand Canyon).
You’ll want to head over to their Glacier National Park booking page to select the date, time, and route that you’d like to take.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when you’re booking.
1) Reservations for the summer open up in mid-January of that same year. So, you can only book for 6 months out.
2) The tours sell out quickly, so you need to book ahead. If you wait until you get to Glacier to see what’s available, it is very likely you will come away disappointed.
3) The tours that utilize Going-to-the-Sun Road, including the Crown of the Continent route and the Big Sky Circle, only run when the entirety of the road is open to vehicles. Because of the elevation at Logan Pass is on Going-to-the-Sun Road, and the cooler climate here, the road isn’t fully open until the end of June or even early July.
If you’re visiting in early June, plan to do one of the tours that only goes part of the way on Going-to-the-Sun Road.
4) Having a booked West Glacier-departure Red Bus Tour does not give you vehicle access to Going-to-the-Sun Road from West Glacier. Instead, you’ll need to park in the Apgar Visitors Center and take the bus further into the park.
Learn more about the existing reservations system for Glacier National Park and Going-to-the-Sun Road here.
5) Having a booked Red Bus tour in any area of the park is not a substitute for valid park admission. You’ll need to pay that separately at the park entrance gates, or save money by pre-purchasing the annual America the Beautiful pass and AllTrails+ bundle.
Red Bus Tour Routes
A Red Bus makes the turn at Crystal Point on Going-to-the-Sun Road
While the Crown of the Continent tour from West Glacier through Logan Pass to Many Glacier is one of the most popular route, there are many ways you can see the park on these tours.
First, you’ll want to determine if you need a West Glacier departure or an East Glacier departure.
West Glacier is near Hungry Horse, Columbia Falls, and Kalispell, Montana, and it is, by far, the more popular entrance point to the park.
East Glacier is near St. Mary, Montana, which is the quieter entrance point to Going-to-the-Sun Road and the main area of the park. However, St. Mary is very small and this entire part of the park is remote.
West Side Departures
There are 4 Red Bus tours that leave from Apgar Village on the western side of the park:
Huckleberry Mountain
Crown of the Continent (west to east)
Western Alpine
Mountain Majesty
Huckleberry Mountain is a half day tour that focuses solely on the North Fork and West Glacier areas of the park. You will not see the grandest views of Going-to-the-Sun Road on this route, but you will learn about the park’s recent fires, take a short hike, and see the Sacred Dancing Cascade.
Crown of the Continent runs in both directions across the main area of the park, depending on which departure point you’d like. When booking, carefully note which one you’re picking!
This full day and very popular tour takes you across Going-to-the-Sun Road, through St. Mary, and into the Many Glacier area of the park. You can bring lunch or get a meal when you stop at the Many Glacier Hotel.
Western Alpine is a shortened version of Crown of the Continent, taking you to Logan Pass and the Continental Divide on Going-to-the-Sun Road from Apgar Village. If you only have half a day, this is the tour I recommend that you take from the western side of the park!
You’ll get incredible views of the park’s main area, including Weeping Wall, Bird Woman Falls, and Mount Oberlin.
Mountain Majesty is a full day tour that carries you from Apgar Village past Lake McDonald, along Going-to-the-Sun Road, past St. Mary Lake until you nearly reach the east gates.
If you are interested in the Western Alpine tour (above), but also want to add time near St. Mary Lake, pick this one instead.
You’ll be able to spot the buses by their bright red color and distinctive logos.
East Side Departures
There are 5 Red Bus tours that leave from St. Mary and the eastern side of the park:
Eastern Alpine
Old North Trail
Big Sky Circle
Secret Valley
Crown of the Continent (east to west)
PIN ME!
Eastern Alpine is the eastern departure version of the Western Alpine tour (above). It’s a shortened version of the Crown of the Continent tour that takes visitors from the eastern gate of the park along the shores of St. Mary Lake and up to Logan Pass.
While I think the valley views are prettier on the Western Alpine approach to Logan Pass, the Eastern Alpine tour is still worth your time, as you’ll be able to see Jackson Glacier, Wild Goose Island, and Mount Oberlin.
Old North Trail is a great option if you want to get away from the crowds! Some of my favorite parts of Glacier National Park are in the areas off of Going-to-the-Sun Road, and you’ll get to explore 2 of those on this tour.
You’ll start in Many Glacier, travel down to Two Medicine where you can do the short hike to the beautiful Running Eagle Falls.
On the way back to Many Glacier, you’ll duck into the park’s main area to see a short section of Going-to-the-Sun Road and the famous Wild Goose Island.
Big Sky Circle is the longest and most comprehensive of any of the Red Bus tours. You’ll see nearly every area of the park in one 8-hour long tour. The only areas that are left out are Many Glacier and Polebridge.
You will get to travel the entirety of Going-to-the-Sun Road, visit East Glacier, ride along the beautiful Highway 2 to Goat Lick, and then circling through Apgar Village on your return home.
Secret Valley is a shorter version of the Old North Trail. You’ll visit Two Medicine and hike to Running Eagle Falls, then drive past St. Mary Lake to Logan Pass.
The major difference between this tour and Old North Trail is that you do not also go to the Many Glacier area of the park.
Crown of the Continent from the east side follows the same route as the Crown of the Continent west side departure tour, just flipped. You’ll visit Many Glacier and drive along nearly all of Going-to-the-Sun Road, seeing St. Mary Lake, Logan Pass, and Lake McDonald in the process.
Why You Should Consider a Red Bus Tour in Glacier National Park
You’ll be able to see incredible views along your tour, including Lake McDonald
There are several reasons why you should consider doing a Red Bus Tour while you’re in Glacier.
First of all—and perhaps, most importantly—the guided tours allow everyone to enjoy the views, and not just the passengers.
When you’re the driver, you cannot gaze out at the scenery as much as you want to because your primary focus has to be on safely piloting the vehicle.
And that to the fact that Going-to-the-Sun Road is very compact with only a small rock barrier to keep your vehicle from plummeting over the edge, and you really need to pay attention to the road.
By going on the Red Bus Tours, you’re handing all of that responsibility over to the driver, who can do the manuevering for you.
Secondly, the tours, especially the Crown of the Continent, Big Sky Circle, and Western Alpine tours, provide an excellent overview of the park’s main sights.
If you want a great introduction to the park, so that you can determine which areas to then go back and see on your own, the tours are a good way to do so.
Third, congestion on Going-to-the-Sun Road is very much a concern at peak times.
If you’d rather do more sightseeing and less searching for parks, definitely consider the tours. The red bus tours have reserved parking sites throughout Glacier National Park, so this may be a more efficient use of your time, overall.
I recommend pairing the Red Bus tour experience with a self-guided drive in the park afterwards. Learn even more on your self-guided exploration when you use the GuideAlong Glacier National Park audio tour.
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Who are the Red Bus Tours best for?
I think that interest in the tours span a wide range of visitors.
Older kids who are interested in history will get a lot out of these tours, as the guides weave in fascinating stories about everything from the original tour guides (who had to be young men enrolled in medical or law school!) to the land before it became a park.
First time visitors will come away with an excellent overview of the park from these tours.
Visitors who have very little time in the park should also strongly consider one of the Red Bus Tours as you can see and learn a lot about Glacier in a short amount of time.
For example, doing a longer tour like Crown of the Continent tour is a good alternative to touring on your own during a compact, 1 week trip to Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Parks.
Also, visitors with mobility issues who can’t easily get in and out of a car would do well to take one of these tours.
There are opportunities to get out for lunch and viewing areas, but you could easily see all of the sights from your seat in the bus.
Are the Red Bus tours good for kids?
I think that kids 10 and up would do well on these tours, especially if they’re interested in geology, pioneer history, Native American history, and animals.
The entire top of the bus folds back, allowing guests to see far more than you’d be able to see in a standard car. My kids love a convertible, so that alone would be a selling point.
However, the tours are, at minimum, 3.5-4 hours long, and there’s not a lot of room to wiggle. For this reason, I don’t recommend it for younger kids.
You do get out at various viewpoints along the way, but it is a lot of sitting and listening quietly.
Western Alpine Tour on the Red Bus: A Review
We settled on the Western Alpine Tour during our time in Glacier National Park since it provided a great overview of the main area of the park, and the starting point wasn’t far from Beargrass Lodging and RV Park where we were staying.
At this point in our road trip around the Mountain West, which also included time in Utah’s Mighty Five national parks, Million Dollar Highway in Colorado, Bannack State Park in Montana, and Ridgway State Park in Colorado, my dad and I had driven well over 6,000 miles.
He was ready to let someone else do the driving for a while, so the Red Bus Tour ended up being one of the top things to do in Glacier for him and my mom, who we picked up at the Kalispell airport for this leg of the trip.
Red Bus Tours made the pick up easy for this tour, as they offered 3 different pick up locations:
Apgar Visitors Center
The Village Inn at Apgar
Lake McDonald Lodge.
My dad next to the Red Bus for the Western Alpine Tour
We weren’t staying at either of the hotels, so the bus met us at the Apgar Visitors Center.
Check in is well designed and easy to follow. If the bright red bus isn’t at your pick up location yet, you’ll find a Xanterra guest services person available to check you in.
Once you’re underway, the views on the Going-to-the Sun road are breathtaking!
The open top of the red bus added another dimension to our first glimpses of this grand area. Unless you’ve rented a convertible, you just won’t be able to get the same views as you will from the Red Buses.
Smelling the crisp mountain air as we cruised along was another reminder that we were in the Rocky Mountains on an adventure.
The historic 1930's red buses are such a fun and nostalgic addition to the experience. There are other tour companies that run along similar routes in the park that use modern 16 passenger vans, and, while I’m sure those are great, the aesthetics of cruising through the park in the old buses is unmatched.
You can ride a passenger van anywhere in the world, but this fleet of vintage buses is unique to Glacier National Park.
Our driver, who also served as our tour narrator, was an experienced guide and a long term resident of the area.
He shared facts about the national park and added helpful hints we could use during our stay. This experience gave us a much more well rounded understanding of the park, and made it come alive in a way that simply reading a guide book couldn’t.
The timing and duration of the Western Alpine Tour was perfect.
It was less than four hours, so we still had a half day to hike at Trail of the Cedars and paddle board on Lake McDonald afterwards.
We loved that the tour highlighted the most popular viewpoints on the western and central parts of the national park, and it took us by the rustic and beautiful Lake McDonald Lodge for a quick peek.
Final Thoughts on the Red Bus Tours in Glacier
A benefit to taking the Red Bus tours is the pre-determined and dedicated scenic viewpoints | source
While these tours aren’t the cheapest way to see the park, they can be a great tool to get an overview of the park’s most popular and scenic areas.
If you’re short on time, or just want to let someone else take the wheel for a bit, the Red Bus Tours infuse your Glacier National Park itinerary with nostalgia and plenty of fun facts.
Older kids will enjoy the novelty of the convertible tops, while first time visitors will be able to easily understand the scope and layout of the park.
Just be sure to book early so you get the tour and starting area that works best for you.
Be a part of this long running piece of park history when you join one of the Red Bus tours and you can say that you’re touring the park exactly as visitors did 100 years ago!
