Glacier Park Begins Winding Down Operations for Fall

Although Glacier National Park is a year-round tourist attraction, Labor Day weekend signals the end of the busiest visitation period and a shift in park operations. The park’s vehicle reservation system, in place for all park entrances this summer, will end on Sept. 10, allowing all-day access for visitors while park services begin winding down. This year, several ongoing construction projects will lead to earlier closures in select sections of the park.

A two-year project to rehabilitate more than a dozen bridges throughout the park is expected to wrap up this fall. Up in the North Fork region of the park, a full closure to vehicle traffic is required for construction crews to replace the Kintla Creek and Bowman Creek bridges. Beginning Sept. 5, the road to Kintla Creek closed to traffic, cutting off all vehicle access past Big Prairie to Kintla Lake. Once work on Kintla Creek wraps up in mid-September, all vehicle access to the North Fork area will be closed while crews shift to working on Bowman Creek, though hiker/biker access will be available through the construction areas.

The North Fork Bridge, at the north end of Camas Road, and the Lee Creek bridge, located on the Chief Mountain Highway, are also part of the bridge rehabilitation project and visitors will see short delays through October.

Construction on the Lake McDonald Utilities Project will continue along Going-to-the-Sun Road from the south end of Lake McDonald near Apgar Campground to upper McDonald Creek Road through the fall, causing short delays in both directions during the day. Although closed to winter recreation due to construction last winter, Going-to-the-Sun Road will be open to Lake McDonald Lodge this year.

The Park’s iconic thoroughfare, Going-to-the-Sun Road, is scheduled to remain open to Logan Pass until Oct. 15 at midnight, unless winter weather conditions force an earlier closure. After Going-to-the-Sun Road closes to the pass for the season, hiker/biker access will be permitted on the road while the park’s road crew is not working. A daily road crew closure will be in place while crews are at work. The Logan Pass Visitor Center will continue daily visitor services through Sept. 24; however, there will be no access to potable water at Logan Pass starting Sept. 11.

As the autumn season approaches, operations in the park will also start winding down, beginning with the conclusion of the park’s 2023 vehicle reservation pilot study on Sept. 10. That means visitors to Glacier National Park are no longer required to obtain a limited vehicle reservation for either entrance to the Sun Road, Many Glacier, Two Medicine or for the North Fork, although they still must have a park pass to enter Glacier.

Concession services (lodging, food service, retail shops, horseback rides, boat and bus tours) have also begun winding down. Guided hiking and backpacking will continue through Oct. 15, while all other concessions services will close for the season by Oct. 1.

Park shuttles will remain in operation until Sept. 17 with reduced services. As of Sept. 5, shuttle service operations are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with all stops in service. Wait times may be longer than 20 minutes as there are fewer shuttles on the road. Visitors planning to use the shuttle should check the Shuttle page for additional details.

The St. Mary Visitor Center and the Apgar Visitor Center will continue daily visitor information services through Oct. 8. There will be no access to potable water at St. Mary after Oct. 9, but the Apgar Visitor Center plaza has access to restrooms and potable water year-round, and will offer visitor information services on weekends.

Front country campgrounds will adjust as follows:   

• Apgar: Reservation required through Oct. 2, primitive status in Loop B only until Oct. 31, and winter camping through spring 2024.  
• Avalanche: Reservation required through Sept. 17 closure.  
• Fish Creek: Reservation required through Sept. 4 closure.   
• Sprague Creek: Reservation required until Sept. 27 closure.   
• Bowman: First come-first served until expected construction closure in mid-September. Expected to re-open to primitive status upon completion of Bowman bridge rehabilitation until weather dependent closure.  
• Kintla: First come-first served until expected construction closure on Sept. 5. Expected to re-open to primitive status upon completion of Bowman bridge rehabilitation until weather dependent closure.   
• Cutbank: Primitive status and first come-first served through Sept. 21 closure.  
• Many Glacier: Reservation required through Sept. 17 and primitive status through Oct. 31 or weather dependent closure. Reservation required through primitive status with a one day out booking window.  
• St. Mary: First come-first served through Sept. 14, primitive status in Loop C only through Oct. 31, and winter camping until spring 2024.   
• Rising Sun: First come-first served through Sept. 8 closure.  
• Two Medicine: Reservation required through Sept. 17 and primitive status through Oct. 31 or weather dependent closure. Reservation required through primitive status with a one day out booking window.  

Campgrounds in primitive status have vault toilets available and fees are reduced. No campground reservations are issued at primitive campgrounds and all camping is first-come, first-served. Visit the park’s Campground page for additional camping information.

Wilderness camping requires a permit, which can be obtained at the Apgar Wilderness Permit Center, or from permit locations at the St. Mary Visitor Center, and the Many Glacier, Two Medicine, and Polebridge Ranger Stations. The permit office hours are as follows:

• Apgar Wilderness Permit Center: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 30, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 1 through Oct. 31  
• Permit Location at St. Mary Visitor Center: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 28  
• Permit Location at Many Glacier Ranger Station: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 28  
• Permit Location at Two Medicine Ranger Station: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 30  
• Permit Location at Polebridge Ranger Station: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 12   

Wilderness permits will be issued until 30 minutes prior to closing, and walk-in permits are issued up to 24 hours in advance. Check the Wilderness Camping page for more information.

Lake McDonald, Bowman Lake, and Kintla Lake will be the only vehicle accessible bodies of water open to watercraft in the park after Sept. 30. Boat inspection station hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily at Lake McDonald, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Polebridge through Sept. 30. Beginning Oct. 1, inspection hours will change to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at both Lake McDonald and Polebridge, with the Polebridge inspection station closing for the season Oct. 12. All park waters are closed to watercraft beginning Nov. 1.

Park officials remind visitors that autumn weather brings cooler temperatures and rapidly shifting weather conditions with the potential for rain or snow, especially in alpine areas. Bear activity also increases in the fall, and visitors are asked to be mindful of attractant storage requirements. For additional information, visit the park’s website or call park headquarters at (406) 888-7800.