fbpx

Glacier Park Visitation Up in October

Year-to-date visitation surpassed 3.27 million

By Beacon Staff
A historic Red Bus passes by Haystack Creek in Glacier National Park on July 18, 2017. Greg Lindstrom | Flathead Beacon

Monthly visitation in Glacier National Park grew once again in October after a dip due to wildfires.

An estimated 84,000 people visited the park last month, roughly 9,000 more people than a year ago, according to the National Park Service.

Year-to-date visitation surpassed 3.27 million, a 13 percent increase over 2016. The 2017 attendance, with two months remaining, has already shattered the previous annual record set last year.

Visitation dipped 11 percent at the West Entrance in October and nearly 20 percent at Polebridge. There was a 100 percent increase at Many Glacier with more than 7,800 visitors. St. Mary’s visitation increased by 80 percent.

Construction crews have been working along a large stretch of Going-to-the-Sun Road on the west side this fall, causing some delays, and the road was closed in mid October at Avalanche.