Bump in Park fees coming this fall and winter

Starting this fall, visitors to Glacier National Park will have to pay more to get in, but not as much as originally proposed.

On Nov. 1, weekly winter rates will rise from $15 to $20. The cost of the annual pass will increase from $35 to $45 on Jan. 1 and increase to $50 in January 2017, chief ranger Paul Austin said during a June 3 community meeting in Columbia Falls.

Original proposals called for an annual pass of $60 per year, which is what other large national parks like Yellowstone plan to adopt.

Starting May 1, 2016, the seven-day pass will increase from $25 to $30, and a motorcycle pass will increase to $10 for one person and $15 for two people.

The Park also plans to complete bypass lanes at the west and east entrances so visitors with an annual pass can avoid waiting in long lines.

"That's still a couple of years out," Austin said.

Park superintendent Jeff Mow said the Park is also working with the Glacier National Park Conservancy on an International Peace Park Pass valid for both Glacier Park and Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada.

The idea of a joint park pass has been discussed for years, but reconciling the fees through both governments has been difficult, Mow said. Progress in developing the pass might be possible by working with a third party like the Conservancy, he said.