Glacier's Sun Road opens to Avalanche
A hiker at Avalanche Lake in Glacier National Park. (Hungry Horse News file)
Visitors to Glacier National Park can now access the Avalanche parking area on the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road. The scenic highway opened to the popular trailhead on Thursday.
Plows on the west side are now at the Rimrock area, which is about 1 mile below Logan Pass and the last of the major avalanche chute zones. Crews are encountering average snow depths in this area, park officials reported Friday.
Hikers and bikers may ride on the Sun Road as far as The Loop during the week while plow crews are working. Sun Road tickets aren’t required until May 28, although a park pass is still required to drive the road.
Plows on the east side of the Sun Road have a ways to go, having made it to the Jackson Glacier Overlook as of Friday.
The crews are spending much of their time removing numerous fallen trees from the St. Mary Falls area to the overlook, park officials noted. Crews are also assisting with work on the Many Glacier Road.
Visitors may drive to Rising Sun. Hikers and bikers may use the road beyond Rising Sun. Bicyclists should beware of icy road conditions. The Many Glacier valley is closed to all access until May 28.
The Two Medicine Road is still closed as well.