Glacier Park Horseback Concessionaire Contract Up for Renewal

Touring Glacier National Park by car is one of the most popular ways to discover the incredible scenery and wilderness found there, thanks in large part to the engineering marvel that is Going-to-the-Sun Road.

There are also boat options, and of course human-powered transportation, such as cycling, as well as 734 miles of trails to hike.

But one of the most romantic and classic ways to travel the park is on horseback, taking in the sights and sounds on the back of a gentle creature willing to do the legwork.

It’s a truly Montana experience, and only one company is allowed to operate guided interpretive trail rides and pack animal services in Glacier. Since 2007, that company has been Swan Mountain Outfitters, located in Swan Lake.

That concessionaire contract is up this year, according to the National Park Service, with another 10-year contract starting up next January. The park service issued the prospectus for the contract on March 25, and any outfitting companies wanting a shot as a concessionaire must turn in their offers and applications by 4 p.m. on June 3.

According to the prospectus, the horseback concessionaire runs three corrals within the park’s boundaries, located at Apgar, Lake McDonald, and Many Glacier. The Apgar site tends to run trail rides on six major loops, the Lake McDonald site typically includes four major trails, and the Many Glacier site regularly covers seven trails.

Specific operating standards and requirements include offering daily horseback trail rides, ranging from one hour to all day, as well as having one wrangler per nine riders.

Swan Mountain Outfitters, which also runs outfitting trips outside the park’s boundaries as well, had its busiest year ever in 2015, according to office manager Kristine Marvin.

Marvin, who is also the general manager of the Crown of the Continent Discovery Center, said SMO definitely plans on reapplying for the concessionaire contract.

“We love doing it,” she said. “It’s a passion that we all have; we love our horses.”

The horses, currently out to pasture in Whitefish and Wyoming, are getting ready for another summer of trail rides, she said. Each summer, SMO wranglers work with 250 horses, and each year they take approximately 15,000 riders into the wild.

Last year’s banner year happened despite the intense wildfire season, Marvin said, with June and July coming in at record rates and August proving to be the lowest month, due to the thick smoke and intense heat.

The horses hit the trail in Glacier Park typically in mid-May, and continue their work until after Labor Day.

All offers must be received by Jennifer Parker, Chief of Concessions, NPS, Intermountain Region, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, CO 80228-0287 on June 3.