Glacier Park visitation numbers remain low

Visitation to Glacier National Park this July was nearly 24 percent lower than last year and was at its lowest level since 2003, when large wildfires were burning across the Park and areas of the Park were shut down entirely.

According to recently released National Park Service statistics, Glacier Park saw about 512,494 visits in July, compared to 673,359 last year. Year-to-date, the Park had about 921,321 visits, down 19 percent over last year.

"We had a slow start with weather conditions, but we're seeing a lot of activity now," Park spokesperson Denise Germann said. "Campgrounds are full."

Weather likely played a role. The Going-to-the-Sun Road's Logan Pass saw one of its latest openings - July 13. The only time it has opened later than that was in 1933 when the road opened entirely for the first time on July 15.

The Park reported lower numbers across the board. Overnight lodging was down 27 percent compared to last year, tent and RV stays were down about 14.5 percent, and backcountry camping was down 30 percent.