Glacier National Park proposes increases in frontcountry campground fees

Glacier is proposing to increase many frontcountry camping fees beginning in 2024. In some cases, the fees would double what they are now.

Some rates go down for group camping.

The rate increases do not impact backcountry camping,

In general the rate increases are as follows:

Hiker/bicyclist sites (no vehicles allowed) in all campgrounds would increase from $5 to $8 (St. Mary, Fish Creek, and Many Glacier would not change since current rates are $8). 


• Standard summer peak-season tent sites would increase from $10-$23 to $15-$30.


• Standard off-season tent sites would increase from $10 to $15-$20. 


• Group sites with maximum capacities of 24 would increase from $60-$65 to $90. 


• The Apgar group site with a maximum capacity of 15 would decrease from $65 to $45 in 2025.• 
• The St. Mary off-season group site with a maximum capacity of 24 would decrease from $60 to $40.

Winter primitive camping in Apgar and St. Mary would remain free of charge.

“After extensive research of local campground rates and provided services outside the park, the proposed rate increases were found to be comparable with current market rates in the surrounding areas for similar services,” the Park Service said in its proposal.

Glacier tries to keep its rates close to what other surrounding private campgrounds are charging as to not unfairly compete with them.

The last major fee rate change occurred in 2007.

The front country campgrounds affected are the reservation-based Apgar, Avalanche, Fish Creek, Many Glacier, Sprague Creek, St. Mary, Two Medicine; and first-come, first-served campgrounds at Bowman, Cut Bank, Kintla, Quartz Creek, Logging Creek, and Rising Sun.

Reservation campsites are currently booked on Recreation.gov. For reservation campsites, the booking window has typically been 6 months, generally beginning in November. If the fee rate changes are approved, the booking window would not begin until December. This would decrease the reservation booking window by one month (from 6 months to 5 months) for Apgar, Avalanche, Fish Creek, Many Glacier, Sprague Creek, St. Mary, and Two Medicine Campgrounds, as reservations for these campgrounds would not be released until December 2023 or January 2024, depending on campground opening dates. For following years, the 6-month booking window would return.

Apgar Group Site fee rates would change in 2025 and the booking window would permanently decrease from 1 year to 6 months in November 2024.

The Park Service is accepting public comments on the proposed fee increases. Please submit all comments to: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ GLACCampgroundFees

The deadline for comments is Sept. 8.