The Road of Legend—Going-to-the-Sun Road

Motorcyclists who like mountains shouldn’t miss out on tackling the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Its remote location, challenging switchbacks, and majestic views are the essence of mountain road riding.

Going-to-the-Sun Road is the only paved road traversing Glacier National Park in Montana. Over its approximately 50-mile length, it crosses the Continental Divide between West Glacier/US 2 in the west and St. Mary/US 89 in the east.

The road is also known as simply the Sun Road or—in dry official contexts—Glacier Rt 1. Its unusual moniker stems from the nearby Going-to-the-Sun Mountain.

As to the origin of the mountain’s name, there are several stories. One states it got its name when the Sour Spirit descended from the sun and taught the Blackfoot Native Americans to hunt. With his work done, the spirit returned to the sky at the top of the mountain.