Glacier hosts community meeting on park challenges

Glacier National Park will hold a virtual community discussion on Thursday regarding challenges the park and visitors will face in the upcoming 2021 season.

Park Superintendent Jeff Mow will provide an overview on topics, such as the proposed ticketed entry system, park visitation numbers, COVID-19 mitigations, and challenges with seasonal housing.

Glacier National Park could institute a ticketed entry system for the Going-to-the-Sun Road this summer, Superintendent Jeff Mow said recently.

Park spokeswoman Gina Kerzman said they expect a final decision by the end of the month.

On a peak day, the Sun Road will see more than 5,000 vehicles. Last summer, if the Sun Road saw 1,800 cars by 11 a.m. Glacier staff ended up having to institute closures as nearly every turnout and parking lot along its 52-mile length would fill.

Without ticketed entry, Mow projected the park would likely shut down the west entrance about 25 times this season.

The virtual meeting will be held over Zoom from 7 to 8 p.m. Register on the Glacier National Park Conservancy website www.glacier.org.