Trail of Cedars Paving Project Nears Completion

Subscribe RSS Icon | What is RSS
Date: September 23, 2015
Contact: Michelle Fidler , 406 888-5838
Contact: Katie Liming , 406 888-7895

WEST GLACIER, MT. – The paved portion of the Trail of the Cedars Nature Trail will be closed temporarily to complete repaving on Thursday, September 24. Signs will be posted on the trail during the temporary closure. The Trail of the Cedars Nature Trail is a wheelchair accessible trail located near Avalanche Creek Campground along Going-to-the-Sun Road.

The boardwalk portion of Trail of the Cedars Nature Trail will remain open during construction. The Avalanche Lake trail is anticipated to remain open throughout most of the paving. Visitors can access the Avalanche Lake trailhead from the boardwalk portion of the Trail of the Cedars Nature Trail. Visit the for the most up-to-date information on trail closures in Glacier National Park.https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/trailstatusreports.htm 

The first half of the trail was repaved on Friday, September 11. The remaining half of the trail is expected to be completed on Thursday, September  24.

The Trail of the Cedars was one of the first accessible trails in the park. The existing pavement on the Trail of the Cedars Nature Trail has deteriorated to the point that it no longer complies with current accessibility standards. The trail is being replaced with a sustainable non-asphalt polymer pavement.

The non-asphalt polymer used for this project is Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certified as an environmentally friendly product. Park managers selected a red color to blend in with the environment. It can be applied directly over asphalt, reducing the time and expense of tearing out old material. It is more flexible than asphalt, which helps ensure an accessible trail surface. The material comes ready to install. Once it is compacted, the trail can be immediately reopened.

This is the first time this material has been used in Glacier National Park. Based on its benefits, park managers may consider using this material for other accessible trails in the park in the future.
 
This paving project is a partnership between Glacier National Park, The Glacier National Park Conservancy, and HK Contractors. The Glacier National Park Conservancy is funding much of the materials needed for the project. HK Contractors, who has completed much of the paving and rehabilitation work on Going-to-the-Sun Road, and Valley Fence, a subcontractor on the project, are donating time, labor, and equipment to help with the paving of the Trail of Cedars.

For additional park information, visit the park’s website https://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm or call park headquarters at 406-888-7800.

-NPS-



Last updated: September 23, 2015

Park footer

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

PO Box 128
West Glacier, MT 59936

Phone:

406-888-7800

Contact Us