Group effort graces Glacier Park passes
<p>The 2012 Glacier Park annual pass features artwork from a mural.</p>
Who says art can’t be done by committee?
Glacier National Park’s annual pass for 2012 features a mural developed by a very large committee: hundreds of park visitors and staff who contributed to its design last year.
The $35 pass that allows entry to the park shows an image called “Touched by Glacier” that was created by park volunteer Sheryl Mink and painted by more than 700 park visitors and staffers during summer 2011.
The project was located in the park’s 1913 Historic Ranger Station at St. Mary.
Mink created the basic background of the St. Mary Valley while others added layers of detail and color. The original mural now is at the St. Mary Visitor Center.
Next year, the park’s annual pass will include artwork from a local high school student. The Glacier Association, a park partner, hosted an art contest last fall and the winning art will be featured on the 2013 pass.
About 80 percent of revenue from annual passes sold at the park is dedicated to improving visitor recreation services in the park.
The passes are for entrance only to Glacier and do not apply to other user fees. The pass can be purchased at park headquarters from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from the west entrance station on weekends during the winter, or by calling 888-7800.
Without an annual pass, the seven-day winter entrance fee is $15 for vehicles or $10 for hikers, bicyclists and motorcycle riders. During the summer, the fees are $25 for vehicles or $12 for single entrants.
Glacier and all 397 national park sites across the country will offer free admission from Jan. 14-16 to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.