Just in time for the holiday weekend, Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road was re-opened Thursday to Avalanche after heavy rains caused washouts and mudslides.
Park spokesperson Margie Steigerwald said heavy rains earlier in the week resulted in a washout on Monday. Later, the water destabilized some beaver dams located above the roadway, just north of Apgar. When the dams broke they sent mud, water and debris onto the road on three different occasions on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Steigerwald.
The Sun Road is open for 15.5 miles on the west side and 13.5 miles on the east side. Vehicles can drive from the West Entrance to Avalanche. Hikers and bikers can travel as far as Bird Woman Overlook, approximately 13 miles past the vehicle closure, while the road crew is working. The hiker/biker closure on the east side is located at Siyeh Bend, approximately 2 miles past the vehicle closure, while the road crew is working.
The Inside North Fork Road is currently closed at Logging Creek RS and Fish Creek. Past flooding events have damaged the road. The southern end of the road is now open to Camas Creek, approximately 6.5 miles north of the Fish Creek junction. The Cut Bank Road is currently closed at park boundary due to the weather. Some snow is still on the road, but it is drivable to the park boundary. The Camas Road, Chief Mountain Road, Many Glacier Road and Two Medicine Road are open.
Plow crews were dealing with 1 to 3 feet of fresh snow that fell earlier in the week around Logan Pass. The fresh snow resulted in an increased avalanche danger and Steigerwald said plow crews on the east side will not be able to get back to work until early next week.
“It’s a bit of a setback,” Steigerwald said.
Visit Glacier Park’s website for the latest information on the Sun Road.