Talk is cheap. It’s time for Zinke to act on Glacier access

After years of tinkering with its vehicle reservation system, Glacier National Park has added yet another layer of red tape to visit Montana’s crown jewel next summer.

Beginning in June, people who want to drive the Going-to-the Sun Road corridor from the west side or visit the North Fork area will be required to secure an entrance reservation during a designated time slot. Visitors from the St. Mary side of the Sun Road can still get in without a reservation. 

Timed ticketed entry is used at other national parks like Arches in Utah and Yosemite in California, where traffic can stack up during the morning rush, like what happens along U.S. 2 at West Glacier. In theory, spreading out the onslaught of visitors throughout the day with designated time blocks should keep a more even flow of traffic at the entrance gate and trailheads beyond. 

It’s important to remember that one of the park’s goals is to provide visitors with an overall positive experience in nature that isn’t subject to the anxiety of bumper-to-bumper traffic and parking lot rage. 

Initial reviews of the timed-entry plan have been mixed. Some locals justifiably lament the additional hurdle to visit their backyard park, while some business partners understand the need to further regulate Glacier’s record crowds. 

Among the dissenting voices is former Interior secretary and recently re-elected Rep. Ryan Zinke. The Republican congressman from Whitefish accused the Park Service of playing politics by pushing out this plan before the new Congress is sworn in. 

“[It’s] a step in the opposite direction and unsurprising the activists at the NPS would jam this out after the election,” Zinke unleashed in a statement to the Hungry Horse News last week. “Rationing access to the park is not the answer to the problem. The answer is developing a transportation system that is reliable, functional and enhances the park experience, coupled with bolstering the trail system. Parks are for the American people, not a select few radical bureaucrats. I look forward to working with the Trump administration to correct the ongoing rationing of public lands by unelected bureaucrats.” 

Bluster aside, Zinke’s desire for fewer access barriers and a more streamlined transportation system is widely shared by both the public and the Park Service leaders he is criticizing. In fact, Glacier officials highlight as much in their own 2024 visitor use strategy. 

“Visitors were generally in favor of shuttle systems, citing the desire for more shuttle options, but commented about the inconsistency of service with the current shuttle system,” the document states. 

It goes on to state that while many visitors support the reservation system, others cite frustration with booking windows and availability. 

Contrary to claims of “radical bureaucrats” who are out to shut down Glacier to the public, it seems park officials are more than willing to engage in discussions about access pitfalls and areas to improve. In fact, they are actively seeking public feedback on how to better manage visitation, with four open house events planned next month.

Still, Zinke has repeatedly railed against the vehicle reservation system, even going as far as attempting to defund it last year through an appropriations bill. All the while, he has yet to present a concrete plan for how it should be fixed — despite this newspaper asking about it for the past year.  

We continue to look forward to reviewing the congressman’s proposal for how Glacier should build and fund a public transportation system that accommodates more than 3 million visitors a summer and fully alleviates the need for the ticketed entry system he loathes. 

With his party in control of the White House, the Interior Department and Congress, it’s time for Zinke to can the theatrics and get to work on actionable solutions. Now is the time to walk the talk.