Glacier campgrounds opening as plows make progress

Hikers and campers will soon have access to a few campgrounds in Glacier National Park.

The road to Two Medicine Lake on the east side of the Park is anticipated to open by mid-day on Saturday, April 18 with limited services.

The campground is planned to open with limited sites, on a first-come first-serve basis.  Water and restroom facilities will be available and the nightly camping fee will be $20. The recreational vehicle dump station will not be available.

Two Medicine Lake is free of ice, but the boat dock will not be available. Boat inspections for aquatic invasive species must be scheduled in advance by contacting the park at 406-888-7800. 

The restroom facility near the lake will be open, but the general store will not be open.

 The St. Mary Campground, located on the east side of the park, is open for walk-in campers only and remains closed to vehicle traffic through June 4. The campground will remain in primitive status, with no flush toilets and no water during this time. 

The camping fee is $10 per night.

Vehicles can park at the St. Mary Visitor Center. Vehicle access to the campground is closed due to rehabilitation work on the Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Primitive camping is available in the Apgar Picnic Area through April 30 on the west side of the park. The camping fee is $10 per night. The Apgar Campground is anticipated to open May 1.

The Apgar Visitor Center is open weekends, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Snow plowing activities on the Going-to-the-Sun Road continue with the west-side road crew approaching the Big Bend area. Weather conditions at the higher elevations this week have limited plowing activities and crews have been busy with lower elevation work. 

Road crews on the east-side have reached the Siyeh Bend area, and are also working in the Many Glacier and Two Medicine areas on projects.

There is vehicle access on the Going-to-the-Sun Road to the Lake McDonald Lodge area on the west side. Due to road rehabilitation work, vehicle access on the Going-to-the-Sun Road is limited to the St. Mary Visitor Center on the east side.

Hiker and bikers can access the Going-to-the-Sun Road past the vehicle closures when plow and rehabilitation crews are finished for the day and on weekends, or as posted. Be prepared for ice patches on the road. 

For information about the Going-to-the-Sun Road, please visit the park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/goingtothesunroad.htm.