Visitors flock to Glacier

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK - A good year for Glacier National Park got better Thursday as the National Park Service reported another spike in the number of visitors.

July brought 673,359 recreational visits compared to 603,681 during the same time last year, according to the park service. Overall, the park has recorded 8 percent more visitors this year compared to the same time in 2009.

The latest data brings the total number of recreational visits this year to 1,176,369, nearly 90,000 more than the same time last year.

The upswing means packed parking lots and crowded roads. Businesses in and around the park say it also means improvement in bottom lines.

Glacier Park Inc., which operates cabins, lodges and hotels in the park, is recording a successful year, director of marketing Alicia Thompson said. Its retail sites, restaurants and bus service have also enjoyed increased patronage, she said.

"It was a very strong July," Thompson said. "The whole summer, June and July, has been good for us."

While the number of visitors was relatively high in 2009, many businesses reported stale or declining revenue.

Montana Raft Company co-owner Randy Gayner said his company watched last year as record numbers of visitors often chose to expend as little money as possible.

In many cases that meant visitors passed up lodging, raft trips and guided tours. He said the outlook has improved compared to 2009.

Gayner estimated a 5 percent increase in revenue for his company compared to last year.

"We're definitely up versus last year," Gayner said. "But we're still not quite where we were at in 2008."

Glacier Raft Company has enjoyed an increase in visits as well. Co-owner Sally Thompson echoed doubts that an increase in visits automatically translates into success for private businesses, but said there are many indicators that business is improving.

"Yeah, it seems like it's been really busy," Thompson said. "I don't know that we're breaking any records."