Glacier Park reopens after 16-day shutdown

Glacier National Park reopened Thursday morning, Oct. 17, after a partial government shutdown ended late the night before.

About 250 park employees were furloughed during the shutdown, while 20-30 others remained working to manage the Park and protect federal lands, waterways, buildings, equipment and other property within Park.

“We are pleased to have the Park open for visitors and continue with our responsibilities of managing and protecting the resources,” Park superintendent Jeff Mow said.

Park spokeswoman Denise Germann said the Going-to-the-Sun Road would be open to Big Bend this weekend but not to Logan Pass because of snow and ice conditions. The parking lot at the pass has about two feet of snow, and snowslides are 6-8 feet deep along the Rim Rocks on the west side of the pass.

“Weather systems have been consistently bringing rain, snow and winter conditions through the upper elevations of the Park, including the alpine section of the Going-to-the-Sun Road,” Mow said.

Park officials closed the Sun Road at The Loop on Sept. 23 because of snow conditions. The road has not been available to visitors from that time until the federal shutdown ended.

The Sun Road will close for the season at Avalanche Creek on Monday, Oct. 21, so crews can begin winterizing the alpine highway. That includes removal of more than 400 guard rails and installation of about 600 snow poles to mark the edge of the roadway for snowplows next year.

The east side of the Sun Road has been closed for construction since late September.

Most secondary roads in the Park are still open, except for Chief Mountain Road. Most frontcountry campgrounds are closed or are in “primitive” status, meaning they have no potable water.

Campgrounds at Kintla Lake, Bowman Lake, St. Mary, Apgar and Quartz Creek are all in primitive status and will be open until the end of the month unless they become snowed in. Apgar stays open throughout the winter.

Fall colors are still hanging on, and the larch trees should be turning orange in the upcoming weeks.

The Apgar Visitor Center will be open every weekend from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit online at www.nps.gov/glac or call 406-888-7800.