Sun Road plows push past The Loop

A plow clears snow from the Grizzly area on Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park on April 12. Plows on the west side are now about 1 mile beyond The Loop in their annual march toward Logan Pass. (Glacier Park photo)

by Daily Inter Lake
| April 14, 2017 7:17 PM

Glacier National Park plow crews have pushed past The Loop on Going-to-the-Sun Road, opening up about 25 miles of the highway’s west side for bicyclists heading into the park this weekend.

Plows have cleared about 7 miles into Glacier from St. Mary, giving bikers east-side access as far as Rising Sun.

Hiker and biker access to the road is limited during weekdays when crews are working. The current west-side biking closure is at Red Rock Point, about 7 miles past the gate at Lake McDonald Lodge.

Park spokeswoman Lauren Alley noted that wintry conditions are still possible along the road.

“Folks should really be prepared for those kind of backcountry conditions as they would if they were hiking,” Alley said Friday. “And there’s the potential for avalanche conditions and wildlife interactions.”

For updated road status in the park, visit home.nps.gov/applications/glac/roadstatus/roadstatus.cfm.