Rising Sun Campground
The Quick Take
Rising Sun sits in one of the most photogenic locations in all of Glacier — perched halfway along St. Mary Lake with Red Eagle Mountain filling your entire eastern horizon. The sunrises here are genuinely spectacular, the kind that will have you voluntarily crawling out of your sleeping bag at five in the morning. The campground splits between exposed sites with lake breezes and shaded spots tucked into the trees, so you can pick your trade-off: views or privacy. The camp store next door is a lifesaver, but the lack of flush toilets and showers keeps this firmly in the roughing-it category despite the convenient location. With easy access to trails on the east side of Logan Pass and the Going-to-the-Sun Road right outside your tent flap, this is the ideal base camp for day hikers who want to hit the trail early without fighting traffic from St. Mary.
Booking
Reserve Your Campsite
84 sites, first-come first-served.
What You Get
Sites & Setup
RV Information
RVs allowed. Maximum length: 21 feet. No electrical hookups.
Accessibility
1 campsite (#7) Paved Roads - All vehicles OK
Pro Tips
This is first-come, first-served only, so arrive before 8 AM — sites turn over early as people break camp to hit Going-to-the-Sun Road. Weekday mornings give you the best odds. If you strike out, the camp store staff can usually tell you which sites are vacating that day.
You are six miles from the St. Mary entrance and perfectly positioned for early morning drives to Logan Pass before the parking lot fills by 9 AM. Sunrift Gorge, Sun Point, and the St. Mary Falls trailhead are all within a few minutes' drive — knock out St. Mary and Virginia Falls before lunch while the crowds are still assembling.
No showers here, but Rising Sun Motor Inn next door sometimes lets campers use their facilities for a fee — ask at the front desk. Bring extra layers even in July; the east side of Glacier is noticeably windier and cooler than the west, and those open sites along the lake can get brisk after sunset.
Photos
NPS Photo
NPS Photo
NPS/Gabriel MorrowGetting There
Directions
On the east side of the park, approximately 6 miles (9.6 km) from St. Mary entrance and halfway along St. Mary Lake, adjacent to Rising Sun Motor Inn.
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