Proposed Utility Projects in Glacier Park to Require Campground and Road Closures

Glacier National Park officials are seeking public input on a suite of proposed utility projects that would be phased out over the next three or four years at seven sites across the park, requiring closures at key visitor destinations.

As part of the civic engagement process, park officials will host a virtual public meeting on March 17. Comments are due April 7.

The proposed water and wastewater system improvement projects would update outmoded infrastructure at the St. Mary, Two Medicine, Logan Pass, Lake McDonald Lodge, and Many Glacier Hotel developed areas, as well as at Granite Park Chalet.

The projects would be phased over three to four years, according to a story map describing the proposal, beginning with Two Medicine and St. Mary in fall of 2025 through spring of 2027. The park would close the Two Medicine Campground during the 2026 summer season. The Two Medicine Road would also be temporarily closed in fall of 2025 for rehabilitation. Impacts to visitors at Two Medicine would be most noticeable during the summer of 2026, when the campground would be closed.

The current potable water and wastewater infrastructure for the seven project areas was installed in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, according to park officials. The infrastructure is beyond its useful life and in need of repair and upgrade.

“Existing water and wastewater systems in these areas provide service to the most visited places in the park, but are outdated and deteriorating, requiring continuous, costly maintenance,” according to the project proposal.

Concessioner operated boat tours would remain available during the campground closure and the Two Medicine Campstore would remain open. The park would maintain access to hiking trails as feasible, but access to some trails may be limited, officials said.

“Reliable, well-maintained and properly designed water and wastewater systems are essential to protecting Glacier’s unique environment and supporting public access and recreation,” according to the project proposal.

The Two Medicine area is a popular visitor destination, with approximately 200,000 recreation visits every year. The current water system supports two concession operations, a large campground and picnic area, ranger station, and employee housing. The existing water system was built in 1978 and is past its service life, according to the project proposal. The system leaks a significant amount of water every summer, costing the park thousands of dollars each year in electricity, parts, and labor.

“The upgrades to the potable water and wastewater systems would improve efficiency and operations and maximize system lifecycles,” according to the project proposal. “The updates to the systems would improve and sustain the park’s existing infrastructure; this project is not an expansion of infrastructure.”

There would be little change to the availability of services during the road closure in the fall of 2025, since services at Two Medicine are normally closed during this time.

The St. Mary area is a major hub for park operations on the east side of Glacier National Park, with more than 100 employees living and working in the area. The St. Mary entrance is the second most visited entrance in the park, supporting more than 600,000 visits each season. With 148 sites, the St. Mary Campground is the largest campground on the east side of the park and is open year-round, with primitive status in winter. It provides potable water to visitors throughout the high season of visitation.

According to park officials, the potable water supply system for St. Mary is over 60 years old and is visibly deteriorating. The galvanized steel and asbestos cement pipes used in the original system leak due to the corrosive nature of the soil.

“These leaks result in additional supply requirements to the water distribution system and cost the Park thousands of dollars every year in electricity, chlorine, filters, and labor for repairs,” according to the project proposal.

The St. Mary Campground would be temporarily closed during the spring shoulder season in 2026.

Construction of the St. Mary and Two Medicine improvements would begin in fall 2025 and conclude in the spring or early summer of 2027. Many Glacier and Lake McDonald improvements are planned to begin in fall of 2026, and Logan Pass and Granite Park improvements are tentatively planned to begin in fall of 2027. During utility work in the Two Medicine developed area, rehabilitation of the Two Medicine Road from the junction at Highway 49 to the parking lot near the Two Medicine Campstore would also be underway.

The two projects would be implemented at the same time to minimize the overall duration of construction in the Two Medicine area.

Road rehabilitation would be in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and includes culvert replacement, wetlands reclamation, pullout formalization, entrance station rehabilitation, electric utility replacement, and a full mill and pavement overlay. Road rehabilitation is expected to conclude in the fall of 2027.

The water and wastewater project would be funded through the Great American Outdoors Act. The FHWA roadway improvements would be funded through the Federal Lands Access Program and the Federal Lands Transportation Program.

The utility and road rehabilitation project would require temporary road and area closures while work is underway. The Two Medicine Road would be closed in the fall of 2025. The Two Medicine Campground would be closed for the summer season in 2026, but the picnic area, ranger station, campstore and boat company would remain open. During the winter, the Two Medicine area would be closed to vehicles as usual, remaining open to non-motorized winter recreation (such as skis and snowshoes). The St. Mary Campground would be closed during the spring shoulder season in 2026.

Anticipated Closure Timeline for Two Medicine and St. Mary

Fall 2025: Two Medicine Road closed beginning Oct. 1, 2025.

Winter 2025/26: Two Medicine Road closed to vehicles but open to non-motorized recreational access.

Spring 2026: Two Medicine Road and developed area open to the public by late May. St. Mary Campground closed until mid-June.

Summer 2026: Two Medicine Campground closed for the 2026 summer season. Other services, including the Two Medicine Campstore, picnic area, ranger station, and boat launch remain open.

Fall 2026: Two Medicine Road closed in mid-September.

Winter 2026/27: Two Medicine Road closed to vehicles but open to non-motorized recreational access.

Spring 2027: Two Medicine Road open mid to late May.

In the Many Glacier Hotel area, park officials said maintaining the water supply and distribution system and adding backup power is critical for the approximately 300,000 visitors the site receives each year. Park officials anticipate that construction of water-system upgrades in the Many Glacier Hotel area would begin in the fall of 2026.

The developed area surrounding the Many Glacier Hotel runs on a seasonal system that supports visitors camping, hiking and backpacking. Visitor services include the 300-room hotel, as well as restaurants, horse concessions, and the Glacier Park Boat Company. The current system is beyond its design life and is deteriorating, officials said, with exposed piles and other failing infrastructure visible to visitors. Although the project remains in the early stages of design, improvements may include: replacement of existing well pumps; installation of a new, larger water-treatment building; replacement of pipes, valves and hardware; replacement of fire hydrants; rehabilitation of existing water storage tanks; replacement of fire-pump building; and the installation of a new diesel backup generator.

The Lake McDonald Lodge developed area is located on the northeast shore of Lake McDonald and is accessible from the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The iconic National Historic Landmark and surrounding area includes the 100-room lodge, restaurants, shops, a campstore, and guest cabins. The single water system and well serving the developed area also provides water to the nearby Sprague Creek Campground, as well as for fire suppression.

“Without a backup water source or power generation system, failure of the well would shut down the water supply to the entire area,” according to the project proposal. “The risk to the system is increasing, as the existing districution system is very old and significantly degraded after decades of use.”

Glacier Park has developed a story map describing the proposal, available for review and comment online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/water-wastewater-improvements. Comments can also be sent to Superintendent, Glacier National Park, Attn: Water/Wastewater Improvement Proposal, PO Box 128, West Glacier, MT 59936. The park will host a virtual public meeting on March 17; the virtual meeting can be accessed from https://parkplanning.nps.gov/water-wastewater-improvements. Comments are due by April 7, 2025.

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