Ever since the pandemic spurred a spike in visits to national parks, Glacier managers have been trying to safely handle the increased popularity.
By Justin Franz MONTANA FREE PRESS
Glacier National Park is once again fine-tuning its summer vehicle reservation system to reduce congestion along the Going-to-the-Sun Road and the North Fork region of the park.
Since 2021, the park has experimented with different types of reservation systems to handle the increasing crowds. In 2024, more than 3 million people visited Glacier during the first nine months of the year, a nearly 9% increase over 2023.
During the summer, visitors are required to purchase a $2 reservation via Recreation.gov to visit certain parts of the park during the busiest times of the day. The tickets are available either four months in advance or 24 hours in advance. The reservation system was initially used only on the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor but was later expanded to the Many Glacier, Two Medicine and North Fork regions. Last year, it was only used on the west side of the Sun Road, the Polebrdige area and the Many Glacier Valley. Another change last year was that people were able to access the Apgar Village area on the west side of the park and reservations were only required beyond the foot of Lake McDonald.
In 2025, reservations will be required for the west side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road and the North Fork. Also new next year will be the implantation of a timed-entry system, meaning visitors will have to arrive at a specific time between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Outside of those hours, a reservation will not be required.
MTFP reporters are your eyes on Montana. Show your support for local journalists with a year-end gift today!
In a press release, Superintendent Dave Roemer said the timed entry system has worked well in other parks.
“In 2025 we are continuing successful measures from the 2024 season, including access to Apgar Village, Two Medicine and the East Entrance to Going-to-the-Sun Road outside of the vehicle reservation system. Within that successful framework we are going to try timed entry to see if we can minimize congestion, optimize visitor arrival and improve visitor experiences,” Roemer said.
Tickets will be required for the west entrance and the North Fork from June 13 until Sept. 28. As in previous years, visitors who have lodging, camping, transportation or commercial reservations on the west side of the Sun Road will not need a reservation to enter.
The Park Service said it was still “researching” what access to the Many Glacier Valley would look like in 2025. Next year, parking in that area is expected to be extremely limited by the closure of the Swiftcurrent area due to construction. NPS officials anticipate making an announcement about that area in the coming months.
