Glacier looks to move wilderness camping reservations to Recreation.gov

Glacier National Park is looking at transitioning its advance wilderness (previously known as backcountry) camping permit system to the recreation.gov website — the same one used to get reservations to drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road.

The Park would still offer walk-in permits to camp in the wilderness, but the system is tilted toward reservations, with 70% resos and 30% walkin between June 15 and Sept. 30.

“Over the last few years, applications for advance wilderness camping permits have tripled. Previously, park staff conducted a lengthy manual lottery to issue advance reservation permits using Pay.gov. Transitioning to Recreation.gov for advance reservations would replace the labor-intensive lottery with a more efficient, user directed online service,” Glacier said in a scoping memo issued last week.

The new online reservation system will only accommodate groups of one to four campers per permit. (Previously, successful applicants could obtain single permits for groups of 1-8 and 9-12.)

To make advance reservations for groups larger than four on Recreation. gov, backpackers would need to be aware of the following permitting requirements: Groups of 5-8 campers would require two separate permits and two separate group leaders. Groups of 9-12 campers would require three separate permits and three separate group leaders. To provide an alternative way of obtaining a permit for groups larger than four, the park would retain the use of the Pay. gov site during a oneday application period (24 hours) for mid-size and large group permits.

The application period for permits via Pay. gov would occur before advance reservations are available on recreation. gov. Therefore, visitors planning wilderness camping trips for groups larger than four could first apply for permits using the one-day Pay.gov opportunity, followed by the Recreation.gov site if unsuccessful at Pay.gov.

Folks can get a look at the new system next week.

• On Feb. 15: The Recreation.gov site would be live for preview only (not yet for reservations).

Glacier National Park’s Wilderness Camping Advance Reservations webpage would also be available for visitors to familiarize themselves with important details about obtaining an advance wilderness camping reservation.

March 1: One-day (24 hours) application period on Pay.gov as an alternative way to obtain permits for groups larger than four. The Pay.gov site would open at 12:01 a.m. Mountain Standard Time and close at 11:59 p.m. Group applications submitted to Pay.gov would be placed into a lottery and reservations for successful applicants would be booked on Recreation.gov by park staff. Camping reservations would be awarded to 30 groups of 5-8 campers and five groups of 9-12 campers. Successful applicants would be notified via email from Recreation.gov.

• March 3 – 7: Visitors who submitted applications on March 1 to Pay. gov for groups larger than four would be notified if they were successful or unsuccessful.

Once notified, successful applicants would have five days from receiving notification to make payment to Recreation.gov or the reservation would be canceled.

• March 15 – Sept.

30: Wilderness camping reservations would be available on Recreation. gov beginning at 8 a.m.

Mountain Daylight Time on March 15.

A Recreation.gov account would be necessary to make reservations. Visitors may visit the Recreation.gov website to create an account.

Camping fees would be reduced to $10 as opposed to the $30 imposed for previous reservations.

Campers still have to go a Glacier Park Backcountry Permit office to pick up the actual permit and to visit with staff.

Late fall and winter camping would still be walk-in only.

Folks can comment on the plan at: https:// parkplanning.nps.gov/