Glacier visitation up 7.5% over last year

Glacier National Park’s June visitation was up almost 5% over last year, even with visitation restrictions at Many Glacier due to construction and a new timed entry system for the west side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road and the North Fork.

June visitation topped 576,577, up from 549,591 last year. So far this year, overall visitation to Glacier is up 7.5%.

The busiest June ever in Glacier was in 2017, when 620,962 people visited.

Many Glacier saw a 40% drop in visitation and St. Mary saw a 2.1% drop, even though people can drive around to St. Mary to travel the Sun Road without a reservation. The St. Mary numbers may reflect a lower number of Canadian visitors, as the political climate between the two countries has been tense and many Canadians have vowed not to visit the U.S. The two countries are embroiled in tariff disputes and President Donald Trump has suggested Canada become the 51st state.

Paul Larson, the acting chief ranger for Glacier, told the crowd at the North Fork Interlocal earlier this month that the reservation system appears to be working well and the park, through its social scientist, continues to tweak the numbers.

Glacier is doing more with less staff, however. Numerous sources report about a 25% cut in permanent and permanent season staff and a hiring freeze is in effect until Oct. 15. Seasonal staff hiring is down as well.

“We’re doing the best we can with the staff we have,” Larson said.

In some cases, volunteers are helping. For example, Numa Lookout will be staffed this summer through volunteers and other staffers filling in. Work continues in the park with planning efforts as well.

New North Fork District Ranger Tye Cheatum said the Bowman Lake Road will see grading this summer and the Park Service plans to start formal public scoping on the future of the Inside North Fork Road from Logging Ranger Station to Camas Creek. That section is kept open for hikers and bikers, but has been closed to motor vehicles for 10 years after it flooded at a couple of creek crossings.

The crossings have been repaired, but the question is whether to open it to vehicle traffic, as North Fork visitation is already up over last year, even with a reservation system.

In other North Fork news, the park will upgrade the water system at the Polebridge Ranger Station complex, which has been badly needed. In addition, the park plans to formally cap and close an oil well at the head of Kintla Lake. It’s believed to be the oldest oil well in Montana, drilled before Glacier was a park.

Remnants of the operation are still in Kintla Lake, as a rusting boiler juts out of the lakebed near what is now the backcountry campground.