Park stays busy in September
Glacier National Park had a 24-percent increase in visitors in September 2009 compared to September 2008. First-time Glacier National Park visitor Chip Bouton of Tennessee scans the mountainside above Logan Pass for wildlife early in September.
September continued the trend for a banner year in Glacier National Park, with a 24 percent increase in visitors over the same month last year.
Despite construction closures on the upper reaches of Going-to-the-Sun Road, more than 325,000 people entered the park in September, compared to 262,782 for the month last year.
For the first nine months of the year, nearly 2 million people entered the park, a 13.4 percent increase from the same period last year. The year-to-date total for 2009 is 1,955,393 visitors, compared to 1,724,862 a year ago.
It has been the park's busiest year since 1994.
There have been significant increases in traffic at several park entrances, including jumps of 31 percent at Many Glacier, 14 percent at St. Mary and 11 percent at the park's most heavily used entrance at West Glacier.
Glacier also had a notable 15 percent increase in overnight stays, including a 52 percent increase in stays at backcountry campgrounds and a 30 percent increase in recreational vehicle stays.