Park open to holiday visitors

Glacier National Park visitors are welcome this holiday weekend, with many services and facilities available, but they are reminded that in some places of the park the transition from winter is slow.

Two campgrounds on the east side of the park will have a delayed opening because of snow. The Many Glacier Campground and Two Medicine Campground are expected to open Friday, May 30.  Snow levels on the east side of the park are generally higher than normal and cooler weather has slowed the spring melting process. 

Hiking and access opportunities are limited across Glacier Park due to lingering snow. Visitors should be prepared to encounter snow, fast-moving water and changing weather conditions.

With some increased snow load, some areas in the park are prone to avalanches and slides, so caution should be used as traveling and recreating in these areas.  

The St. Mary Campground and Bowman Lake Campground will switch to non-primitive status today. Apgar and Sprague Creek campgrounds are open.

Reservation information and specific information about each campground, including a map of the sites, operating dates, available services, current and historic fill times, and more are available by going to www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/camping.htm.    

A Glacier National Park snowplowing crew has advanced into the Big Bend area on Going-to-the-Sun Road’s west side while another crew is working in the Siyeh Bend area just east of Logan Pass.

The west side crew cleared the Weeping Wall area on Tuesday and worked well around the Big Bend, which leads to a straightaway toward Oberlin Bend and Logan Pass.

Hikers and bikers can enjoy unrestricted access on the west side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road this weekend. Today, hikers and bikers can travel as far as The Loop, but there will be no restrictions for hikers and bikers on the west side from Saturday through Monday.

There is no hiker-biker access on the east side of the Sun Road due to road rehabilitation work.

For more information about hiker-biker access, go to http://home.nps.gov/applications/glac/roadstatus/roadstatus.cfm or call the park at 888-7800.

 Visitors can drive Going-to-the-Sun Road from the West Entrance to Avalanche, and for about one mile from the St. Mary Entrance to the foot of St. Mary Lake on the east side.

Camas Road, Many Glacier Road, Chief Mountain Road and Two Medicine Road are open to vehicle travel. The Inside North Fork Road is partially open. From the Polebridge Ranger Station, visitors can drive northeast to Bowman Lake or south to Logging Creek.  

The Apgar Visitor Center is open and the St. Mary Visitor Center is scheduled to open Saturday, May 24. The Apgar Visitor Center has been relocated to the Apgar Transit Center, one mile north of the park’s west entrance.

Several park concessioners and privately owned facilities will begin to offer visitor amenities this weekend. Glacier National Park Lodges, the park’s newest concessioner, will begin operations of Lake McDonald Lodge and Camp Store on Saturday.

Lake McDonald Lodge, Granite Park Chalet and Sperry Chalet celebrate their centennial anniversaries this year.