Glacier Institute program offers education and park access

The Glacier Institute is taking enrollments for its new Going-to-the-Sun Road day program. As a nonprofit partner of Glacier National Park, the Glacier Institute aims to provide visitors in-depth, field-based educational experiences.

The day program offers participants a hands-on view of what makes Glacier part of one of the world's most critically important ecosystems.

"With the expectation of transportation challenges this year, we wanted to be creative in finding ways to help visitors get out into the park and have meaningful learning experiences," Pete Webster, the park's acting superintendent, said in a statement. "The Glacier Institute was eager to assist us in this way, and we're excited to partner with them on this pilot program.”" 

Participants can expect a full day of adventure and education with a naturalist-led hike to some of the park's most popular points. There are four daily options to choose from, each of which requires a different hiking ability. While there are no age restrictions, guests are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the website and choose a course that fits their comfort level with distance and elevation gain.  

To meet demand and make an impact for the community, the Glacier Institute has purchased five additional vehicles and hired seven additional employees to facilitate the programs.

"We see this as a great opportunity to further our mission," Anthony Nelson, executive director of the Glacier Institute, said in a statement. "In addition to experiencing the beauty of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, we'll use education to get them to fall in love with the park and understand its importance."

The courses began on July 1 and all four course options will be offered daily. Each course runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and starts and ends at the Glacier Institute's main office at 320 Nucleus Ave. in Columbia Falls. Participants can park for the day near the main office or inquire about hotel shuttle service.

In addition, the local transit system, Mountain Climber, will offer round-trip shuttles to and from the Glacier Institute main office for $5 per person or $10 per family. Current plans include multiple shuttle stops Monday through Friday in both Kalispell and Whitefish. Additional service days will be added as needed. Participation in a Glacier Institute course acts as a Sun Road ticketed entry reservation for the day. A national parks pass still is required and can be purchased in advance at recreation.gov. 

Registration is open glacierinstitute.org. Each course is $100. Glacier Institute members receive a 10% discount.