Though it’s one of the most popular (and most beautiful in our opinion) places to visit in the United States, finding the best airport for Glacier National Park can be a bit challenging. Glacier National Park is fairly remote and in a part of the country that is not a major tourist destination year-round, so air travel to and from the park area isn’t as easy to find as some of the other parks. Still, there are quite a few options for you to consider as you plan your trip.
Depending on where else you may be visiting on your trip to Montana, you may find that you won’t want to head to the closest airport. And of course, where you want to enter the park (or spend the most time) plays a factor too.
We hope this guide helps you navigate your way through the decision making process on what is the best airport to get to Glacier National Park for you and your travel companions!
AIRPORTS NEAR GLACIER NATIONAL PARK: OVERVIEW
To figure out where you want to fly to get to Glacier, it’s a good idea to get a handle on what entrance you want to head to, or if that even matters at all. The three most popular entrances to Glacier National Park are the West Glacier Entrance, the St. Mary Entrance and the Many Glacier Entrance. The West Glacier Entrance and St. Mary Entrance are connected via the Going-to-the-Sun Road. This road is open only in the summer months after snow clearing efforts are completed in late June / Early July. The other popular entrance is the Many Glacier Entrance (but it can only go to the Many Glacier Area.
There are so many choices, but we hope that this graphic that we put together helps you easily see what airports / entrances may be the best fit for you!
THE CLOSEST AIRPORTS TO GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
Glacier Park International Airport:
- Symbol: FCA
- Location: Kalispell, MT
- Closest Park Entrance: West Glacier (24 miles)
- Operating Season: Year-round
Calgary International Airport:
- Symbol: YYC
- Location: Calgary, AB (Canada)
- Closest Park Entrance: Mary (187 miles)
- Operating Season: Year-round
- Notes: Be advised that if you head to Calgary, you will have to tend with a border crossing. It’s a great drive from Calgary, and if you’ll pass Waterton Lakes National Park along the way. You also will be close to a few other great parks if you fly into Calgary, such as Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho.
Great Falls International Airport:
- Symbol: GTF
- Location: Great Falls, MT
- Closest Park Entrance: Mary Entrance (156 miles)
- Operating Season: Year-round
Missoula International Airport:
- Symbol: MSO
- Location: Missoula, MT
- Closest Park Entrance: West Glacier Entrance (132 miles)
- Operating Season: Year-round
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport:
- Symbol: BZN
- Location: Bozeman, MT
- Closest Park Entrance: Two Medicine Entrance (281 miles)
- Operating Season: Year-round
Spokane International Airport:
- Symbol: GEG
- Location: Spokane, WA
- Closest Park Entrance: West Glacier Entrance (278 miles)
- Operating Season: Year-round
- Notes: You may be put off by the distance from Spokane, but the drive is beautiful. Along the way you can also make a few stops and enjoy the scenery by taking a hike. One of our favorite places to check out is Kootenai Falls.
FURTHER INFORMATION ON GLACIER NATIONAL PARK FROM JUST GO TRAVEL STUDIOS
- Before you head out on your trip, get a copy of our itinerary for Glacier National Park. It’s got all the info you need to help plan out your trip!
- Check out our blogs on Glacier, including 10 Reasons Why You’ll Love Glacier National Park, the Iceberg Lake Trail, the Avalanche Lake Trail, the Hidden Lake Trail and the Trail of the Cedars. It was one of our favorites in the park, for sure!
- After your trip, send us a photo so we can make a custom, vintage-style travel poster for you!
