Glacier will lift west entrance restrictions Monday; Sun Road will open to Avalanche Creek on Monday, too

Glacier National Park will lift some entrance restrictions starting Monday. The west entrance gate will no longer close at 4:30 pm. and the Going-to-the-Sun Road will open to Avalanche. The Avalanche campground will be available for day-use parking. The restroom at the shuttle stop will also be available.

The Camas Road will be open Monday and the North Fork will open as a day-use only area with the gate closing at 4:30 p.m. each day. The gate may also close during the day when parking areas become full and will reopen periodically as conditions allow. The Polebridge Ranger Station will be closed to the public, but visitors will be able to get information and publications from staff stationed outside.

All trails in the North Fork will be open, however only the Bowman, Kintla, and Logging Lake trails are cleared. Visitors can expect to encounter downed trees on all other trails in the district. Both frontcountry and backcountry campgrounds remain closed.

Also on June 15, the Village Inn Hotel and Lake McDonald Lodge open to overnight guests.

The lodge lobby and lobby restrooms will be closed to day-use visitors. Food service will be take-out only and orders can be placed on the lakeside exterior of the building. The bar and gift shop in the lodge will be closed. The Lake McDonald campstore will also open and restrooms across from the campstore in the old post office building will be available.

The park is tentatively planning to start issuing backcountry permits on June 26.

This weekend, the west entrance to the park will continue to open by 8 a.m., as conditions permit, and close at 4:30 p.m. After 4:30 p.m. additional entries will not be allowed, including hikers and bikers. Visitors already in the park are not required to leave by 4:30 p.m. and are free to exit after finishing their recreational activities. No overnight use of the park is permitted over the weekend and campgrounds and lodges will remain closed.

Visitors will be able to access Apgar and Going-to-the-Sun Road as far as Lake McDonald Lodge. Hikers and bikers can go as far as Logan Pass on Going-to-the-Sun Road at their own risk. Visitors are discouraged from going past the Loop due to falling rock and avalanche danger. Bicycles are permitted between the foot of Lake McDonald and Sprague Creek Campground before 11 a.m. and after 4 p.m.

Glacier Guides day hikes will start on June 12 and Swan Mountain Outfitters horseback rides at the Apgar Corral will start on June 13.

Lake McDonald is currently the only waters open to boating and the Apgar Aquatic Inspection Station opens at 9 a.m.. All watercraft must be cleaned thoroughly before coming to the inspection station. Please review the park’s website regarding watercraft prior to arrival.

The east side of the park is also closed, including the Two Medicine, Cut Bank and Many Glacier roads.

Sun Tours has suspended operations in Glacier National Park and Blackfeet Country for the month of June and the foreseeable future. The park continues to consult with the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council to establish reopening dates for entrances from the reservation.

Visitors can expect to find uncleared hiking trails with debris and downed timber. Due to public safety concerns, congestion, and gridlock the Going-to-the-Sun Road may be closed temporarily on and off throughout the day. Visitors are asked to exercise patience and flexibility, the park said in a release.