Glacier National Park sees large visitation drop in April

The coldest April on record and high gas prices seemed to have taken a toll on Glacier National Park in April as the park saw a 31% decrease in visitation as compared to 2021.

The park recorded 36,758 visits in April this year, down more than 16,000 from 2021’s 53,207. Overall, the park is down more than 28,000 visitors as opposed to this time last year, when 124,959 had already come through the park’s gates.

While the April numbers were down from last year, it was still the fifth highest number of visitors to the park in that month in any given year.

Both major park entrances saw significantly diminished visitor numbers in April 2022. The St. Mary Entrance, which was not yet open in April, saw 3,047 less visitors while the West Entrance saw a dip of 10,699.

Camas saw 4,692 visitors in April, down from 7,689 last year. The number of visits to Polebridge stayed about the same.

Things could continue to slow down in the summer months as Glacier’s road reservation system went into effect last week and construction has begun along the Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Glacier is again requiring reservations to drive the Sun Road from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. from the West Entrance to Rising Sun from May 27 through Sept. 11.

In addition, utility work began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road 1, which includes replacing sewer, electric and telephone lines from the foot of Lake McDonald to 1,000 feet west of Sprague Creek campground.

Crews will work overnight from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and that section of road will be closed, excepting emergency travel.