Going-to-the-Sun Road: 10 Wild Facts About Montana’s Epic Drive

Montana’s full of iconic places—Yellowstone, the Little Bighorn Battlefield, Flathead Lake, Our Lady of the Rockies, and of course, Glacier National Park. Each offers something to explore, learn, and experience.

One of the most anticipated seasonal openings just happened: the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier. This stunning stretch stays closed most of the year due to massive amounts of snowfall, and its opening date is always a bit of a mystery. But as of yesterday, June 16th, it’s officially open—and there's no better time to share some of the most interesting facts about one of the most epic roads in the world.

Fun Facts About Going-to-the-Sun Road

#10. It was one of the FIRST National Park Service roads built specifically for automobile tourists—long before road trips were even a thing.

#9. The full road stretches 52 miles, but 48.7 miles of it have been officially designated as a National Historic Landmark.

#8. Every structure along the road—bridges, retaining walls, and guardrails—was built using native materials. Much of the rock was pulled straight from nearby mountain faces.

#7. Congress first funded construction in 1921, and crews started working from both ends of the road. After nearly two decades, it was finally completed on July 15, 1933.

#6. Before it got its famous name, it was known as the “Transmountain Highway” in the early 1920s.

#5. One stretch of the road is called “The Big Drift,” where snow piles can reach over 60 feet high. Yes—60 feet.

#4. The project cost $2.5 million to build back in the day. Adjusted for inflation, that’s around $62 million today.

#3. Three men died during construction, and many more quit due to vertigo and the extreme working conditions. It was far from an easy job.

#2. The iconic red buses have been running since the 1930s. They were the first authorized motorized transport in any National Park.

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#1. Back in the day, red bus drivers were called “jammers” because you could hear them grinding—or “jamming”—the gears as they climbed the steep grades.