Greetings, Beacon nation! My arrival in the Flathead Valley in 2010 coincided with Glacier National Park’s centennial celebration. I vividly remember when a local business leader, in an effort to orient me to the region’s tourism tempo, likened the annual summer opening of the Going-to-the-Sun Road to the abrupt act of turning on a garden spigot at full force, nourishing the region’s economic sectors with a sustained three-month blast of visitation. According to that logic, the earlier the valve opened, the better for business. So, I was alarmed the following year when “an exceptional snowpack” and “continued winter weather through June” delayed the full length of the road’s opening until July 13, the latest opening date since the alpine highway’s dedication (pictured below) in 1933 (the record would eventually be tied in 2022 when an “exceptional avalanche year and continued winter weather through late June” again held motorized alpinism at bay until mid-July).

Those were simpler times, to be sure. By 2016, Glacier had added more than 1 million people to its annual visitation roles, while 2020’s “summer like no other” delivered the blunt impact of peak-pandemic overcrowding with such an unapologetic force that it forced the tourism industry to reconsider its strategies for marketing and promotion. Meanwhile, in Glacier, park officials launched a reservation system to manage intensifying vehicle congestion. The garden-spigot analogy no longer conveyed the pressure of what for many locals felt like waterboarding.

Today, with the region several years removed from the last tourism boom, the sociopolitical dynamics we confronted five years ago have grown even more complex, and a lot of locals are wondering what this summer will look like. Although Canadian visitors once accounted for a sizable chunk of the valley’s nonresident-visitor pie, tourism experts predict a drop in travel demand as U.S.-Canada border crossings (and with them Canadian spending) decline amid international tensions and tariffs. Glacier National Park is entering the fifth consecutive summer of its vehicle reservation pilot, and while park administrators intended to complete their long-range visitor-use management and transportation plan by next year, those high-level planning initiatives have been scuttled as administrators have increasingly slid into triage mode to slow the bleeding from cuts to the federal workforce, as well as to gird itself against a federal reconciliation bill that threatens to slash additional funding. Add to that equation a fifth consecutive summer of drought and a grim wildland fire season forecast, and the cumulative confluence of five-alarm factors starts to paint a stark picture.

But even if the past five years has felt like an exercise in crisis management, one central through-line that remains unbeholden to seasonal indicators, early-warning systems or emergency declarations is the Flathead Valley’s ability to coalesce around community. Our default response is to drag our neighbors out of ditches, not through them, and to ask about their wellbeing before speculating about their political affiliations. If we’re about to enter another “summer like no other,” let’s make it the best summer since the last one.

I’m Tristan Scott, here to water your garden with some details about the 2025 opening of the Going-to-the-Sun Road.

You heard it here first: the Going-to-the-Sun Road is now fully open for the 2025 season. Visitors can drive the entire 50-mile length of the scenic alpine highway, accessing Logan Pass atop the Continental Divide from both the West Glacier and St. Mary Entrances.

As a reminder, timed entry vehicle reservations are required to enter Going-to-the-Sun Road via the West Entrance, past Apgar Campground and the North Fork of the park for those traveling by vehicle or motorcycle from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 28. As in 2024, timed entry vehicle reservations will not be required to enter Going-to-the-Sun Road from the east side of the park at the St. Mary Entrance.

At Logan Pass, visitors will discover lingering winter snow (pictured above last month), and should be prepared for cold temperatures, wind, and icy conditions. The Highline Trail from Logan Pass is closed due to snow, but visitors can check the Trail Status Reports page for the latest trail status.

Daily shuttle service along Going-to-the-Sun Road will begin operating July 1, on a first-come, first-served basis at the Apgar and St. Mary Visitor Centers with stops along Going-to-the-Sun Road. Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of the free shuttle for hiker access to Logan Pass although waits for shuttles may be long depending on the time and location. Check the park website for additional information on shuttle stops.

Curious about the months of work that clearing the Going-to-the-Sun Road of snow entails? Read about the labor-intensive tradition here.

Now, let’s take a look at today’s top stories.

What You Can Buy for About $850,000: In Romy Caro’s latest real estate roundup, she features a beautifully updated home in Lakeside with a heated pool; a 2-acre property in Lakeside with Swan Range views; and a unique Victorian farmhouse in Rollins. See all the listings here.