Glacier looks to pave over more of the Park in its new Sun Road plan

Glacier National Park late Friday announced the release of its Going-to-the-Sun Road Corridor Management Plan, which has been in the works for years now.

The Park, in a press release said the plan has the following highlights:

- Expanding the shuttle system with additional buses, extended hours of daily service and six new stops

- Extending visitor center hours at Apgar and St. Mary Visitor Centers

- Adding approximately five miles of hiking trails, one-and-a-half miles of bike trails, and pit-toilets at a number of popular day-use areas

- Enhancing opportunities for bicycle use through the addition of bike trailers to shuttles, installing bike racks, and promoting bicycle-only events

- Improving circulation at Avalanche Campground by restoring a historic exit and converting camping to parking during peak season

- Managing traffic and parking using day-use parking permits for a portion of popular locations such as Logan Pass, St. Mary and Virginia Falls Trailhead, and prohibiting overnight parking in the corridor

- Constructing a new, 100-car parking lot on the west side of the park and expanding parking on the east side.

The plan is available online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/GTSRPlan. Comments can be posted on this website, or sent by mail to Superintendent, Glacier National Park, Attn: GTSR Corridor Management Plan, PO Box 128, West Glacier, Montana 59936. The plan may also be requested by calling 406-888-7995. The plan will be available for public review for 30 days; comments are due Oct. 6, 2019.

A more thorough look at the plan will come in the Hungry Horse News print edition next week.