Weekend outlook: drier than normal
This weekend could be drier and sunnier than most Memorial Day weekends in Northwest Montana, and campgrounds are open across the region.
The forecast for today is mostly sunny with a 10 percent chance of rain. Sunday, it's expected to be partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain and by Monday, there's a 40 percent chance of precipitation.
That's a big improvement over the record rain that fell Thursday in the Flathead - .84 inches, compared to the 1990 record of .71 inches for May 24.
Major campgrounds, facilities and services are operational in Glacier National Park, Flathead National Forest and state lands.
In Glacier Park, visitor centers at Apgar and St. Mary are open. Campgrounds are open at Apgar, Bowman Lake, Kintla Lake, Many Glacier, Rising Sun, Sprague Creek, St. Mary and Two Medicine. Primitive camping, with no water available, is open at Cut Bank.
Most roads in the park are open except for the Inside North Fork Road between Fish Creek and Polebridge.
Snow clearing operations are still under way on Going-to-the-Sun Road at Logan Pass, and storm damage repairs are under way east of the pass.
On Sun Road, motorists can travel 15.5 miles from the park's west entrance to Avalanche, and on the east side, 13.5 miles from St. Mary to the Jackson Glacier Overlook. Hikers and bikers will have unlimited access beyond the west-side road closure, and on the east side, there will be no hiker-biker access because of storm damage to the road.
The park's major concession contractors, including Glacier Park Inc. lodging, Swan Mountain Outfitters and Glacier Park Co., will be open for business.
Higher-elevation trails in the park, including the Highline Trail, are still snow-covered. Visitors are urged to check with visitor centers for trail information.
On the Flathead National Forest, all campgrounds are open, including those operated by concession contractors around Hungry Horse Reservoir, at Big Creek on the North Fork Flathead River and at Tally Lake, Holland Lake and Swan Lake.
Campers can make reservations at those campgrounds on the Internet at: http://www.recreation.gov.
Denise Germann, the forest's public affairs officer, said there is timber blowdown on trails across the forest that hikers should be prepared to encounter.
All state parks and fishing access sites are open across Northwest Montana, said David Landstrom, regional parks manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
"We usually fill up, but that's kind of weather-dependent," Landstrom said. "I'm guessing we'll be full to capacity in most of our state parks … You can still get a site, but maybe you need to plan on looking in the morning rather than waiting until evening."
Around Flathead Lake, camping is available at several state parks: Wayfarers, Finley Point, Big Arm, Yellow Bay and West Shore.
The lake's elevation is just above 2,890, or about three feet shy of full pool, a bit low for some docks but high enough for others and all boat launches.
Other state parks open in the region include Logan Park on Middle Thompson Lake, Whitefish State Park on Whitefish Lake and Thompson Falls State Park.
Since 2005, there are no longer day-use entry fees for state residents driving vehicles with Montana plates. There are overnight camping fees of $15 for state parks, with the exception of Logan Park, which is a fishing access site.
The camping fee there is $7 for campers who have fishing licenses or $12 for those who don't.
Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com