Tree hazard keeps park campground closed

The Daily Inter Lake

A recent assessment of dead trees at Logging Creek Campground in Glacier National Park attributes the cause to an infestation of Douglas-fir bark beetles.

Park officials delayed opening the campground because of hazardous trees near campsites. The park announced Wednesday that the campground would remain closed this summer to "allow park officials to evaluate options for resolving the safety concerns posed by these hazard trees."

A similar infestation has been found in the Quartz Creek drainage, but well away from the Quartz Creek Campground.

The infestations are not unique to the park, because beetle populations have been at epidemic levels in the Forest Service's Northern Region since before the fires of 2000. Although outbreaks are traditionally short-lived, park managers will continue to carefully monitor for any new tree mortality.

Both campgrounds are on the west side of the park and are reached by the Inside North Fork Road. Logging Creek has eight campsites, and Quartz Creek has seven.