Logan Pass opens

Glacier National Park officials announced that all 50 miles of the Going-to-the-Sun Road are open to motor vehicles. The road opened at 8:30 a.m. Friday, June 21. Forecasts call for 40 mph wind gusts and even more snow in the Park at the higher elevations as a spate of rough weather has come to Northwest Montana this week..

Park crews were sandbagging the bridge to the Many Glacier Hotel at the outlet of Swiftcurrent Lake as the lake level rose. The trail to Cracker Lake was closed because of flooding. High winds downed trees in the Apgar and Fish Creek areas.

A tree hit the backcountry permit office in Apgar. The east side of the Sun Road was closed at the Jackson Glacier Overlook on Wednesday then reopened Thursday.The mainstem of the Flathead River was expected to reach the 13-foot flood stage on Friday and then decline over the weekend..

Snow was falling at the higher elevations on Thursday afternoon, June 20, and about an inch of slush was on the road. The temperature at Oberlin Bend was 30 degrees. From two to three inches of rain fell in the Flathead Valley on June 19.

But by late Thursday the rain had all but stopped.

Park crews were removing mud and rock debris from the roadway and preparing the Sun Road for public access. Visitors are encouraged to drive with care.    

The Logan Pass Visitor Center is expected to be open on Saturday, June 22, but hours of operation may be limited. Restroom facilities are available at the pass, and potable water will be available Friday.

Visitors are reminded that conditions are still winter-like at Logan Pass, and inclement weather is expected over the weekend. Exercise caution when walking on snow and be alert of possible collapsible snow and falling snow or rock debris.

Road construction on the Sun Road will continue this summer — on the west-side between Logan Creek and Avalanche Creek through August, on the east-side between Rising Sun and Siyeh Bend beginning July 8.

Road work on the east side will take place 24 hours a day on Mondays through Friday mornings. Sun Point will be closed to the public beginning June 30. Visitors should expect 40-minute maximum construction delays for one-way travel across the entire road.

The Park’s shuttle system will operate July 1 through Labor Day. The transit centers are located near Apgar on the west side and at the St. Mary Visitor Center on the east side. For more information, visit online at www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm.

Additional information on roads, weather and visitor services can be found online t www.nps.gov/glac or by calling 406-888-7800.