Date: July 16, 2010
Contact: Amy Vanderbilt, 406 888-5838
Contact: Wade Muehlhof, 406 888-7895
WEST GLACIER, MONT. – It’s mid-July and high season in Glacier National Park. As Glacier commemorates its centennial this year, there are many special events and activities to enjoy while numerous projects are also underway to help preserve the park’s infrastructure for future generations. Visitors may experience short construction delays on Glacier’s roads this summer, but every effort is being made to minimize inconvenience.
Parking along Going-to-the-Sun Road (Sun Road) on both sides of Logan pass is very limited this summer due to the Sun Road multi-year rehabilitation project. Workers are utilizing turnouts and parking areas on either side of Logan Pass to stage equipment and materials. Drivers are asked to use only signed parking areas between Siyeh Bend and Logan Pass and between Big Bend and Logan Pass. The Logan Pass parking lot remains open.
Visitors should plan for no more than a 40-minute construction delay when traveling the entire length of the Sun Road one way. Night work is scheduled for Monday evening through Friday morning from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. on the west side of the Continental Divide with no passage allowed during the entire 10-hour nightshift. The Sun Road on the east side of the Divide has the same nighttime restrictions, but there is one short, 15-minute window for passage through the construction zone at 2 a.m. There is no night work scheduled for Friday through Sunday night.
A parkwide secondary roadway pavement preservation project is also underway in Glacier this summer. The project includes paved surfaces throughout the park EXCEPT for the Going-to-the-Sun Road. All secondary roads, campground loops, parking lots and pullouts NOT on the Going-to-the-Sun Road (Sun Road) will be chip sealed this summer. Visitors can expect flaggers at both ends of a work zone with pilot cars moving traffic through at a controlled speed. Visitors may experience short delays (5 to 15 minutes) on the roadways, reduced campground access for up to two hours, and restricted access to parking lots for up to 24 hours. Advance notice will be provided at each location to minimize inconvenience to area visitors.
A wind storm Monday, July 12 caused dead trees to fall across the Inside North Fork Road. Travelers on this remote dirt road are urged to carry hand saws. The downed trees have been cleared and the road is open.
There is still considerable snowpack on the popular Highline and Grinnell Glacier trails and other trails. Park trail crews are working to tread snow and make these areas more accessible, but hikers are reminded to always use caution, wear sturdy boots and other proper hiking gear and be prepared for all types of weather and temperature changes. A dusting of fresh snow fell on mountain peaks Wednesday, July 14. Trail status is available at: https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/trailstatusreports.htm
A two week projected schedule and map of the chip sealing project will be updated weekly and posted to Glacier website at https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/chipseal2010.htm. Current road conditions are available by calling 511, the Montana Department of Transportation Traveler Information System. If a phone does not support 511, call 1-800-226-7623. Both numbers are toll-free. Select “Glacier Park Tourist Information” from the main menu to hear Glacier’s road report. Travelers may also call park headquarters at 406-888-7800 for current road and weather conditions. Glacier National Park centennial events and activity listings are available at www.glaciercentennial.org.
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