Glacier National Park reopened the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road to all vehicle traffic on Monday, more than a month after the road was shuttered due to the Howe Ridge Fire.
All 50 miles of the road from Apgar to St. Mary are now open, however people will not be able to stop between the Lake McDonald Lodge and Avalanche Creek due to ongoing firefighting efforts. The Avalanche area, including the Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake Trail, are once again open. The Flattop and Loop Trails have also reopened.
The Sun Road is expected to remain open until Oct. 15, when it will be closed for seasonal maintenance.
The west side of the road was closed on Aug. 12 when the Howe Ridge Fire made a sudden and dramatic run on the west side of Lake McDonald, destroying a number of historic structures and forcing an evacuation of a large section of the park’s west side.
As of Monday, the Howe Ridge Fire has burned 14,522 acres and is 35 percent contained. Rain and cold temperatures have helped firefighters gain an upper hand on the blaze and this week they are disassembling hose lays and removing water pumps from the Fish Creek Campground, which is still evacuated. A backcountry cabin that had been wrapped with protective material is also being unwrapped today.
The fire is expected to continue to creep and smolder in heavy fuels, but for the most part it will be dramatically slowed by the arrival of more seasonal weather. Additional rain is expected later in the week.
The Howe Ridge Fore has cost more than $12 million to suppress. Approximately 135 firefighters are currently assigned to the blaze.
While many trails remain open in Glacier Park, officials are warning hikers to be come prepared for changing conditions and pack extra layers in the event that they encounter cold conditions as they travel throughout the park.