Logan Pass is the summit of the road, at 6,646 feet, and the only point where it crosses the Continental Divide. From here, water flows west toward the Pacific and east toward the Atlantic, and at Triple Divide Peak, a little to the south-east, a single raindrop can even end up in Hudson Bay. The pass sits in a high, rocky bowl under the sharp edge of the Garden Wall, and when you arrive, you feel as though you have reached the roof of the park.
The visitor centre here is the busiest spot in Glacier National Park, and its car park is usually full by mid-morning in summer, so arrive early or late if you can. Motorcycles can sometimes squeeze into small gaps, but the area is crowded and the surface can be slippery with gravel. Snow often lingers into July, and even in August the nights are cold and the wind can be fierce. A warm layer and gloves are essential, because the temperature at the top can be freezing even when it is warm in the valleys.
The high meadows around the pass are among the most beautiful in the park. In July and August they are carpeted with wildflowers, glacier lilies, beargrass and paintbrush, and mountain goats and bighorn sheep wander through them with remarkable calm. Hoary marmots whistle from the rocks. A boardwalk trail leads from the visitor centre up to Hidden Lake Overlook, a walk of about a mile and a half each way, with a view down to a blue lake cupped in the rock. Keep a safe distance from the animals, and check for bear warnings before you walk.
The road itself is a feat of engineering. When it opened in 1933, it was the first road to cross the park, and it required years of blasting and the building of tunnels, bridges and retaining walls. Each spring a crew of plough drivers works for weeks to clear drifts that can be eighty feet deep in places, and the work often runs into June. When you ride it, you are enjoying their labour.
There are no services on the road itself beyond the visitor centre's basic facilities, so carry fuel and water. Weather changes fast at this height, and snow or hail in summer is not unusual. If the sky turns dark, do not hang about: get over the pass and down the other side, where the wind and cloud are often less severe.