If you've planned a Grizzlies game trip from Great Falls before, you already know how the morning goes. Someone floats the idea in the group chat, everyone agrees, and then the carpool math starts: four cars means four people not fully enjoying the 167-mile run down US-89 and MT-200, four separate parking passes to hunt down, and four different cars navigating Missoula's compressed campus layout while 25,000 other fans do the same thing at the same time. A Great Falls charter bus to Washington-Grizzly Stadium (32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812) eliminates every piece of that problem — one pickup, one drop on Campus Drive adjacent to the stadium, and no drawing straws for who has to navigate Rogers Pass sober in November.
Washington-Grizzly Stadium holds 25,217 fans and the Grizzlies fill it — in 2024, the team averaged 25,845 per game (102.49% of listed capacity) across 16 consecutive sellouts. Ahead of the 2025 season, season tickets sold out for the first time in program history with 19,737 packages distributed. On a packed Brawl of the Wild Saturday, getting that many fans out of a tight campus layout after the final whistle is a genuine undertaking.
This guide covers exactly how that works — where the bus drops, how Campus Drive functions on game day, both route options from Great Falls, what tailgating requires, and what leaving actually costs in time if you don't have a pickup plan already in place.
Why Great Falls Groups Rent a Charter Bus or Party Bus to Washington-Grizzly Stadium
The case for a bus out of Great Falls is simpler than it is for most destinations. This isn't a 20-minute crosstown ride — it's a 167-mile highway run each way, which means the transportation question carries the whole day's energy. Four cars from Great Falls means four people who can't fully engage with the pregame, four separate parking situations to solve on a maxed-out campus, and — after a sold-out Brawl of the Wild — four cars trying to exit the same narrow post-game corridor at the same time.
One Great Falls sporting event bus rental makes the whole equation simpler: one pickup address, one drop on Campus Drive, and one coordinated departure after the game.
There's also the Rogers Pass factor, which out-of-state fans and first-timers sometimes underestimate. The US-89/MT-200 route from Great Falls — the shorter option at 167 miles — crosses Rogers Pass at 5,610 feet on the Continental Divide. The pass picks up ice and snow early in the fall season, and late-season games like the Brawl of the Wild in November are exactly when conditions there get uncertain.
Checking Montana DOT's 511 line before a November departure is standard operating procedure for anyone driving that corridor. On a charter bus, the route is handled for your group regardless of conditions — nobody in your group is watching the road report at 6 a.m. from behind a steering wheel.
Charter Bus and Party Bus Drop-Off at Washington-Grizzly Stadium
The single most important logistical fact for large groups arriving at Washington-Grizzly Stadium: Campus Drive closes to through traffic two hours before kickoff and does not reopen until approximately 30 minutes after the game ends. On game days, Campus Drive wraps around the east and north sides of the stadium and functions as the primary staging zone for RVs, semi-trailers, and other large vehicles — charter buses included. That puts your bus physically adjacent to the stadium rather than a long walk away in a general-use lot.
For reserved tailgate and large-vehicle spaces on Campus Drive, the University of Montana Athletics takes reservations through the official Griz football parking page beginning June 1 each season, filled first-come, first-served. A fee applies — Campus Drive was priced at $60 per space for 2025 playoff games. General single-game parking in non-reserved lots (A, B, D, F, R, S, V, and V-1) runs $25 cash, day-of.
For current rates by game date and bus parking coordination, the UM Parking office at (406) 243-6132 or um.parking@mso.umt.edu is the verified contact — reach out at least two working days before your game.
Campus Drive becomes the large-vehicle staging zone on game day. It closes two hours before kickoff and reopens about 30 minutes after the game — so a charter bus dropping your Great Falls group here puts everyone at the stadium's perimeter, not in a remote lot requiring a long walk. That single logistics fact is the core reason a bus works better than a caravan of cars for a Missoula game day.
Where the Bus Stages While Your Group Is Inside the Stadium
Because Campus Drive is closed to outbound traffic until roughly 30 minutes after the final whistle, coordinate the post-game staging plan before your group goes in. The bus holds gear in its undercarriage bays during the game — coolers, extra layers for a November game, anything the group brought down from Great Falls — so nobody is hauling anything into the stadium. The smarter move is to agree on a pickup window and staging point before kickoff, because Campus Drive doesn't open for departure until that 30-minute post-game window.
Building a 30-to-45-minute buffer into the departure plan keeps everyone from standing outside waiting while the lot clears. For specific bus parking coordination by game, contact UM Parking directly in advance.
The 167-Mile Great Falls to Missoula Drive: Routes, Timing, and the Rogers Pass Variable
Two real options exist for the Great Falls to Washington-Grizzly Stadium run, and the right one depends on the calendar.
Route 1 — US-89 South to MT-200 West (the shorter route): About 167 miles and three hours of non-stop drive time. You head south on US-89 out of Great Falls, connect to MT-200 West near Bowman's Corner, and follow the highway west through Lincoln before crossing Rogers Pass at 5,610 feet and dropping into the Blackfoot River corridor to Missoula. The trade-off is Rogers Pass itself — it sits on the Continental Divide and can accumulate ice, blowing snow, and low visibility from early October onward.
Montana DOT's 511 road conditions line is essential before a game-day departure on this route, especially for anything in November.
Route 2 — I-15 South to Helena, then I-90 West (the longer route): About 205 miles and three to three-and-a-half hours, but entirely on divided interstate. You go south on I-15 through Great Falls and Helena, then pick up I-90 West into Missoula. No mountain pass, better winter road geometry, and easier for a large vehicle in general.
For a charter bus carrying a full group in November, this route's predictability is worth the extra mileage.
Whichever route your bus takes, factor this into the departure time: you are arriving in Missoula at the same time as fans from across Montana, and the campus approach corridors are limited. The Clark Fork River cuts off southward movement, and residential neighborhoods press in on the other sides. Arriving two to two and a half hours before kickoff gives your group the tailgate window you made the drive for.
Washington-Grizzly Stadium Parking and the UDash Shuttle System
For any members of your group who drive separately to Missoula and meet you there — or for fans already in Missoula — here's how campus parking actually functions on game day. Season permit lots (P, P1, Z, W, U, V, N, N1, L, F, A, and R) are pre-sold and already allocated. Single-game lots A, B, D, F, R, S, V, and V-1 cost $25 cash, day-of, first-come-first-served.
Free lots G, H, J, and K exist but sit farther from the gates and fill early on sold-out games. For the Brawl of the Wild, a realistic expectation is that accessible, close-in, day-of parking is gone within 90 minutes of kickoff.
The University of Montana runs three free shuttle routes on game day through its UDash football shuttle system, starting 2.5 hours before kickoff with free parking at every park-and-ride origin. The South Campus Shuttle picks up at the Lewis and Clark Transfer Center and runs through Dornblaser Field along Arthur Avenue to the campus transit hub — every 10 to 15 minutes. The Downtown Shuttle serves the Central Park and Park Place parking garages downtown and drops riders at the Van Buren & Front Street footbridge — every 15 to 20 minutes.
The Missoula College Shuttle leaves from the Missoula College front entrance to the same footbridge — every 15 to 20 minutes. All three routes run for approximately one hour after the game concludes. At one Brawl of the Wild game, 1,811 fans used the shuttles — and they still reported post-game exit congestion on campus.
The shuttle system is the right answer for fans already in Missoula. For a group driving 167 miles from Great Falls, a charter bus is the one-vehicle solution: your group loads at pickup in Great Falls, exits at Campus Drive, and the shuttle question never comes up. The bus drops your group closer to the stadium than any shuttle stop and holds everyone together for the full round trip.
Transportation Options for Great Falls Groups at Washington-Grizzly Stadium
| Option | Cost Shape | Arrive Together? | Drop-Off Point | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charter bus from Great Falls | One flat rate for the group, split per head | Yes — one vehicle, one arrival, one departure | Campus Drive, adjacent to the stadium | Groups of 15+ making the full round trip |
| Multiple cars + campus parking | $25 per car day-of (cash, first-come) per vehicle | Only if you caravan and arrive at the same lot at the same time | Varies by lot — some are a significant walk | Very small groups (2–3 people, 1 car) |
| Multiple cars to Missoula + downtown parking + UDash shuttle | Downtown garage rate per car + free shuttle | Only if everyone parks in the same garage and catches the same shuttle | Van Buren & Front footbridge — short walk to stadium | Fans already based in Missoula |
For groups under five people arriving from one car, the math doesn't necessarily favor a bus. But the moment your group is enough people to need two or more vehicles — and those vehicles have to arrive somewhere, park somewhere, and find each other afterward — the coordination cost tips toward one bus with a single plan. A 40-person group from Great Falls driving separately means at least 10 cars, 10 parking passes at $25 each, 10 separate exit approaches, and no guaranteed way to leave at the same time.
One bus collapses all of that into a single, predictable arrangement.
Tailgating Lots and Rules at Washington-Grizzly Stadium
The tailgate scene at Washington-Grizzly Stadium — particularly on Campus Drive — is one of the better game-day environments in the Mountain West, and a bus group is well set up for it. Undercarriage bays carry the gear that would otherwise require a trailer, which cannot enter campus. Here's what the university's rules actually require.
Small private tailgate parties of 20 people or fewer can set up in University parking lots without a permit. Groups larger than 20, or anyone wanting a reserved space in premium zones like Kirkland Memorial Grove, River Bowl South, Memorial Row, or Campus Drive itself, need a permit purchased through the Griz football parking page. Reservations open June 1 each season and fill fast for the Brawl of the Wild and other high-demand games.
No open-flame grilling or oil-frying equipment is permitted on campus.
Tailgating begins approximately two hours before kickoff and does not continue during or after the event — the pregame window is clearly defined. For the Brawl of the Wild, when Campus Drive fills with buses and motor homes and the stadium is well over listed capacity, getting a Campus Drive tailgate space reserved in early June is the difference between a prime spot beside the stadium and a free lot at the edge of campus. The bus group that reserves its space in June and shows up two hours before kickoff is the one with the full game-day experience; the group that figures it out the week of the game is the one making the longer walk.
Rent a Party Bus or Charter Bus for the Brawl of the Wild from Great Falls
The Brawl of the Wild — Montana vs. Montana State for the Great Divide Trophy — is the biggest game on the Grizzlies' annual schedule and arguably the most-watched college football event in the state each November. The rivalry is one of the four oldest in the Football Championship Subdivision, alternating venues each year between Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula and Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman. When it lands in Missoula, it is the hardest single-game ticket in Montana.
Season tickets sold out ahead of 2025 — the first time in program history — with 19,737 packages distributed, and the Brawl is the game that moves secondary tickets and bus reservations fastest.
For Great Falls groups, the Brawl is the game that demands the earliest booking by a significant margin. The transportation side follows the ticket side: buses from Great Falls for Brawl weekend fill out weeks before game day, and closer to kickoff the rate climbs and the vehicle list shortens. If the Brawl is in Missoula in your target year, request your quote the moment your tickets are confirmed — don't wait until October.
Call 406-836-8150 or fill out the online form to check availability for your date right now.
When the Brawl rotates to Bozeman, the same Great Falls groups that follow the Griz all season often make that trip too. The logistics there are different — a different stadium, different campus layout, different parking rules. That guide covers it in full: Rent a Bus to Bobcat Stadium.
And for any trip where your group is originating in Missoula itself rather than Great Falls, the Missoula party bus rental page covers local transportation options.
Leaving Washington-Grizzly Stadium After the Final Whistle
Post-game exit at Washington-Grizzly Stadium is where the transportation question gets most concrete. Campus Drive does not reopen to outbound traffic until approximately 30 minutes after the game ends. At that point, 25,000-plus fans are simultaneously trying to exit a compact campus hemmed in by the Clark Fork to the south.
One post-event concert at the stadium saw fans report waiting over an hour without their car moving an inch. After a Brawl of the Wild at full capacity, the exit compression is real — not hypothetical.
With a charter bus already staged on or near Campus Drive, your group has a clear exit plan the rest of the crowd doesn't. Agree on a departure window and meeting point before kickoff, build in the 30-to-45-minute post-game buffer while Campus Drive clears, and the bus is moving before the general lot traffic reaches its worst. The group can also extend the post-game window downtown — Missoula's Higgins Avenue bar and restaurant scene is walkable from campus, and heading downtown immediately after the game while the campus lots clear is a common local strategy.
If your group wants to do that, the bus meets you downtown on Higgins instead of on Campus Drive, and the exit crunch resolves by the time you're ready to head back to Great Falls.
What Size Bus Does Your Great Falls Group Need for a Washington-Grizzly Stadium Trip?
Vehicle choice for this run depends on your headcount and how much the 167-mile road time matters to the experience. This is not a short crosstown hop — it's a three-hour-each-way highway drive, and what your group has to sit in and do for that time is part of the trip. Here's how the options break down.
| Vehicle | Seats | Best For | Why It Works for the Great Falls Run |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15–35 passenger minibus | 15–35 | Mid-size groups, office groups, family gatherings | A/C, reclining seats, overhead storage; nimble enough for Missoula's campus approach corridors |
| 25-passenger party bus | Up to 25 | Fan groups who want the celebration on the ride itself | LED lighting, premium sound system, perimeter seating — the pregame energy starts in Great Falls, not in the parking lot |
| 40–56 passenger charter bus | Up to 56 | Large fan groups, company game-day outings, reunions | Onboard restroom eliminates pit stops on MT-200; deep undercarriage bays hold all the gear; reclining seats and climate control for a comfortable three-hour haul each way |
For groups of 30 or more making the full Great Falls round trip, the 56-passenger charter bus is the strongest match — the onboard restroom alone is worth it for 167 miles each way, and the undercarriage bays handle coolers, extra layers, and tailgate equipment without anyone holding anything in their lap for three hours. Groups under 30 who want the game-day energy on the bus itself will find a minibus handles the highway and Campus Drive approach cleanly. Browse the full vehicle lineup or call 406-836-8150 to match the right size to your headcount.
A 56-seat charter bus replacing 14 cars on a 167-mile round trip means 14 people who get the full game-day experience both ways, 14 fewer parking passes at $25 each, and one coordinated exit instead of a 14-car group text trying to regroup in the same clogged Campus Drive post-game window.
Washington-Grizzly Stadium Charter Bus Rental Prices from Great Falls
Pricing for a Great Falls to Washington-Grizzly Stadium run depends on vehicle size, total hours reserved (including travel time both ways, tailgate time, and the post-game buffer), and the game date. The Brawl of the Wild prices differently than a mid-September opener with an easy parking situation. To give you a planning sense: a minibus rental typically runs $200–$275 per hour on weekends, while a full-size charter bus generally falls in the $200–$350 per hour range.
A 25-passenger party bus for a fan group that wants the pregame experience on the road typically runs $275–$375 per hour on weekends.
For a Great Falls game-day trip — roughly eight to ten total reserved hours across the drive down, tailgate, game, and drive back — those per-hour rates apply across the full block. Split across a full bus of fans, the per-person cost routinely lands in the $35–$70 range, often less than what a single person spends on gas, a parking pass, and a pre-game meal driving separately. These are planning ranges; your final price moves with your date, vehicle, and hours.
Fill out the online form or call 406-836-8150 and you can have pricing for your specific trip in about a minute. The Great Falls party bus prices page breaks down what shapes the quote in more detail.
Game Day Tips at Washington-Grizzly Stadium
Clear bag policy. Each fan may bring one clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag no larger than 12" × 6" × 12", plus a small clutch no larger than 4.5" × 6.5". Backpacks and non-clear bags won't get in.
Download mobile tickets to your phone's wallet before leaving Great Falls — cell service near a packed campus can slow to a crawl, and fumbling at the gate is not how you want to start the game.
Game-day timeline. Gates open 1.5 hours before kickoff. Tailgating starts approximately two hours before kickoff in designated areas.
Mobility assistance. Golf cart assistance for fans who need it is available on game day through UM's game-day mobility line at (406) 243-2300. If anyone in your group needs mobility support, arrange it in advance; demand is high on sold-out game days.
November weather at an open-air venue. Washington-Grizzly Stadium is an open-air facility at 3,190 feet. A November Brawl of the Wild game is legitimately cold — not "wear a light jacket" cold.
Pack serious layers. The bus's undercarriage bays are the right place to stash the bulky gear after the game; you don't want to haul oversized bags through the gate check under the clear-bag policy constraints.
For a local perspective on the full game-day experience — where to eat in Missoula before the game, how the Griz Walk works, and what the postgame downtown scene looks like — Destination Missoula's fan guide is the best starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly does a charter bus or party bus drop off at Washington-Grizzly Stadium?
Campus Drive — which wraps the east and north sides of the stadium — closes to through traffic two hours before kickoff and becomes the primary staging area for RVs, semi-trailers, and large vehicles including charter buses. That puts your group directly adjacent to the stadium gates rather than in a general parking lot requiring a walk. Coordinate the specific drop point with UM Parking directly at least two working days before your game date.
How far is the drive from Great Falls to Washington-Grizzly Stadium?
Approximately 167 miles via US-89 South to MT-200 West — roughly three hours non-stop. That route crosses Rogers Pass at 5,610 feet on the Continental Divide. Check Montana DOT's 511 road conditions line before departure on late-season games.
The alternative is about 205 miles via I-15 South through Helena, then I-90 West to Missoula — longer but entirely on divided interstate with no mountain pass to factor. For November Brawl of the Wild games, many groups from Great Falls prefer the Helena route.
Is parking difficult at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on game day?
Yes — especially for the Brawl of the Wild and playoff games. Season permit holders fill the closest lots before game day even starts. Single-game lots (A, B, D, F, R, S, V, V-1) are $25 cash, day-of, first-come-first-served, and on sold-out games they fill well before kickoff.
Free lots G, H, J, and K are farther from the gates. For a Great Falls group making a 167-mile trip, solving the parking question entirely by arriving on a bus is a meaningful simplification — especially given that Campus Drive closes to through traffic two hours before kickoff anyway.
When should I book a Great Falls charter bus for the Brawl of the Wild?
As early as your ticket and date are confirmed. The Brawl of the Wild is the highest-demand game of the Grizzlies' season — the game where buses from across central Montana move on the same date. The right vehicle for your group size books quickly, and rates on this weekend are higher than a regular home game.
For regular-season Griz home games, two to four weeks of lead time is workable. For the Brawl in Missoula, book as soon as the schedule releases. Call 406-836-8150 to check availability for your specific date.
Do the UDash shuttles work for a group coming from Great Falls?
The UDash game day shuttles are designed for Missoula-based fans who park at specific campus or downtown locations and ride in. They don't originate in Great Falls. If part of your group drives separately to Missoula and wants to use the downtown shuttle, it drops at the Van Buren & Front Street footbridge — a short walk to the stadium — and runs for about an hour after the game.
But for a full Great Falls group making the round trip together, a charter bus or party bus is the single-vehicle solution: one pickup in Great Falls, one drop on Campus Drive, and one coordinated return — no shuttle staging required.
Can the bus pick up people at additional stops between Great Falls and Missoula?
Yes. Groups from the Great Falls corridor frequently consolidate fans from Augusta, Lincoln, or other towns along the route, or arrange to pick up additional guests at a single meeting point in Great Falls before heading south. When you request a quote, include your pickup plan so the itinerary and hours are priced correctly.
Call 406-836-8150 to go through your specific stops and get a quote for your exact route.
What is the bag policy at Washington-Grizzly Stadium?
Each fan may bring one clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag no larger than 12" × 6" × 12", plus a small clutch no larger than 4.5" × 6.5". Non-clear bags, backpacks, and oversized bags are not permitted inside the stadium. Download your mobile tickets before leaving Great Falls — cell signal on a packed game day campus can be slow, and you want tickets already cached in your phone's wallet.
Book Your Washington-Grizzly Stadium Charter Bus from Great Falls Today
The Griz home schedule sells out fast, and the Brawl of the Wild sells out fastest. Whether you're planning a regular-season home opener or the biggest rivalry game of the year, Partybusgreatfalls.com makes it easy to compare charter buses, minibuses, and party buses serving the Great Falls area — no account required, free quote online or by phone at 406-836-8150. One bus from Great Falls means everyone rides together, everyone gets dropped on Campus Drive, and nobody is navigating Rogers Pass in November from behind a steering wheel.
Call 406-836-8150 or fill out the quick online form to check pricing and availability for your game date.
Also planning a trip to Bozeman for a Bobcats game or when the Brawl rotates stadiums? The Bobcat Stadium transportation guide covers that drop-off and parking situation in full. For group transportation needs beyond game day, the Great Falls group transportation services page covers the full range of occasions the same bus network handles.
