Surprise: Good weather coming this weekend
It's sure to be a busy Memorial Day weekend at Northwest Montana's lakes and campgrounds, with a forecast for warm and mostly sunny weather.
The National Weather Service is calling for highs in the 70s throughout the three-day holiday weekend, with only the slimmest chance of precipitation - dry conditions somewhat unusual for Memorial Day in the Flathead.
Northwest Montana's plentiful lakes should be prime destinations for weekend camping and angling. The region's rivers, however, are running high and fast, with spring runoff putting a damper on river fishing.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reports that all its Northwest Montana campgrounds will be open.
That list includes Wayfarers, Finley Point, Yellow Bay, Big Arm, and West Shore state parks on Flathead Lake, which has been rising and is currently at 2,887 feet, six feet shy of its full-pool elevation of 2,893.
Logan State Park on Middle Thompson Lake is open and dispersed camping is available on Thompson Chain of Lakes. Whitefish Lake, Lake Mary Ronan and Thompson Falls state parks also will be open.
In Glacier National Park, roads, camgprounds and visitor services continue to open.
Apgar, Bowman Lake, Kintla Lake, Sprague Creek and St. Mary campgrounds are now open in Glacier.
A variety of park concession services begin this weekend. Glacier Park Inc. will start red bus tours and open Lake McDonald Lodge, but all other lodges will remain closed.
Glacier Park Boat Co. will start tours and rentals on Lake McDonald. Swan Mountain Outfitters will offer horseback rides at Apgar Corral and Lake McDonald.
Glacier Guides offers guided day hikes and backpacking trips. Sun Tours will start its interpretive bus tours.
The Apgar and St. Mary visitor centers are open daily.
On the west side of the park, Kintla Lake, Bowman Lake, Goat Lick, Quarter Circle Bridge, Kelly Camp and Camas roads are open.
Going-to-the Sun Road is open to vehicle travel up to a gate at Avalanche Campground. From there, hikers and bikers can travel as far as their legs will carry them.
On the east side of the park, Sun Road is open from St. Mary to the Jackson Glacier Overlook, with hikers and bikers able to travel beyond the gate as far as Siyeh Bend.
Other east-side roads that are open include the Chief Mountain, Many Glacier and Two Medicine Valley roads.
Most of the Flathead National Forest's major campgrounds will be open this weekend.
The campgrounds, all serviced by a concessions contractor, include the Tally Lake, Swan Lake and Holland campgrounds, plus Emery Bay Campground on Hungry Horse Reservoir and the Big Creek Campground on the North Fork Flathead River.
The Flathead Forest also rents cabins and lookouts, as well as group sites that can be reserved through the National Recreation Reservation Service at 1-877-444-6777 or on the Internet at: