1 active Glacier alert
- ClosureTwo Medicine Campground closed for 2026 constructionTwo Medicine Campground is closed throughout 2026 because of construction in the Two Medicine developed area.Official details
Overview
About Rising Sun Picnic Area
Why stop
- The shoreline path turns a meal stop into a lakeside walk.
Heads up
- Picnic tables are first come, first served.
Map
Where it is
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Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Glacier Tour Guide
Your drive to Rising Sun Picnic Area, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Glacier National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Glacier audio tourRecorded for this place
Rising Sun: Food and Lakeshore0:00 / 0:31
“You're nearing Rising Sun, a useful place for a meal and a short walk by St. Mary Lake. Two Dog Flats Grill at the motor inn serves American comfort food, including build-your-own burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads.”
Plays as you drive up to Rising Sun Picnic Area in the Parkwolf Glacier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Wild Goose Island Overlook
- A Homeland Across the Park Boundary
- How the Peace Park Began
- Sun Point's View and Vanished Chalets
- 204 audio storiesacross Glacier’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Wolverine, Mountain Goat, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 157 trails, 91 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Our first time to glacier and we used the audio portion for Going to the Sun Road. Wonderful information with perfect advice of what to see and do along the road.”
Guide
More about Rising Sun Picnic Area
A lunch stop with room to stretchRising Sun Picnic Area is a public day-use spot on Going-to-the-Sun Road, separate from the…
Rising Sun Picnic Area is a public day-use spot on Going-to-the-Sun Road, separate from the nearby campground and motor inn. It works best as a meal outside with a little time by St. Mary Lake, rather than a place that needs a long visit. Tables are first come, first served; walk down to the shore instead of stopping at the tables alone.
Follow the shorelineThe Rising Sun Trail runs from the picnic area along the lake to a boat launch, about 0.
The Rising Sun Trail runs from the picnic area along the lake to a boat launch, about 0.4 mile each way on a level route. It passes through aspens and crosses Rose Creek, making the round trip about 0.8 mile. At the shore, St. Mary Lake opens toward the mountains across the water. For a photo, include the path and shoreline trees in the foreground.
Keep nearby services straightParking and a public restroom serve the picnic area.
Parking and a public restroom serve the picnic area. The separate Rising Sun Motor Inn has a seasonal restaurant and grocery store nearby. If your drive crosses Logan Pass, plan around the road’s seasonal opening and weather closures. This day-use stop is distinct from Rising Sun Campground.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Glacier
404 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
11 sightingsWolverineMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
1,173 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,000 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
395 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
506 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Glacier. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
