Glacier Park announces fall hours

Operating hours for many visitor services in Glacier National Park including campgrounds, concessions, boat inspections and backcountry permits, will be changing as the fall season approaches.    

The free shuttle transportation service accessing Logan Pass and locations along the Going-to-the-Sun Road will operate through Sunday, Sept. 7.

Rehabilitation work on the Sun Road on the east side between Rising Sun and Siyeh Bend will continue with 30-minute maximum day-time delays. Visitors are encouraged to use caution when traveling this 9-mile stretch of roadway as it has a rough, gravel surface.

To allow accelerated fall season rehabilitation work on the Sun Road, the last day to access Logan Pass by vehicle from the east side will be Sunday, Sept. 21. The road will be gated near the St. Mary Campground beginning Monday, Sept. 22.

There is no road work on the west side of the road this fall. Vehicle access to Logan Pass will be available from the west side through Sunday, Oct. 19, weather permitting.

Visitors to the Many Glacier area should be aware that replacement of the Swiftcurrent Bridge will begin at the end of Sept. and continue into Nov. The replacement of the bridge will begin shortly after the Many Glacier Hotel closes for the season on Sept. 21. Visitors can expect short delays beginning Sept. 26. As of Sept. 29, there will be no vehicle or pedestrian traffic as the bridge is replaced.

Access to Cracker Lake and the Piegan Trail will be through the Grinell Picnic Area, at the Grinell Trailhead. The Swiftcurrent Bridge is located at the foot of Swiftcurrent Lake and provides vehicle and pedestrian access to the Many Glacier Hotel Historic District, and the Many Glacier Hotel.

The Logan Pass Visitor Center will be open through Sept. 21, the Apgar Visitor Center and the St. Mary Visitor Center will be open through Oct. 5, the Many Glacier and Two Medicine Ranger Stations will be open through Sept. 19.

Campground closing dates are as follows:

• Apgar, Oct. 12, primitive camping in picnic area Oct. 13-31

• Avalanche, Sept. 7, no primitive camping

• Bowman Lake, Sept. 14, primitive camping Sept. 15 through Oct. 31

• Cut Bank, Sept. 28, operated in primitive status all season

• Kintla Lake, Sept. 14, primitive camping Sept. 15 through Oct. 31

• Logging Creek, Sept. 21, operated in primitive status all season, closes noon Sept. 21

• Many Glacier, Sept. 28, primitive camping Sept. 29 through Oct. 31

• Quartz Creek, Oct. 30, operated in primitive status all season, closes noon Oct. 31

• Rising Sun, Sept. 14, no primitive camping

• Sprague Creek, Sept. 14, no primitive camping

• St. Mary, Sept. 21, primitive camping Sept. 22 through Oct. 31

• Two Medicine, Sept. 28, primitive camping from Sept. 29 through Oct. 31 

Campgrounds in primitive status have pit toilets available, no potable or drinking water, limited number of sites, and fees are reduced to $10 per night. Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead and reminded that any water taken from streams or lakes requires treatment before use. Current campground status is available at http,//home.nps.gov/applications/glac/cgstatus/cgstatus.cfm.

The Apgar backcountry permit office is open through Sept. 28 from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and then through Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

West-side boat inspections will be available from Sept. 7 – Oct. 31 in the Apgar backcountry office from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from Nov. 1 – May 1 at the Park Headquarters Office from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. East-side boat inspections from Sept. 22 through late May will be available at the St. Mary Visitor Center from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For current time and inspection locations, call 406-888-7800.

Many concessioner services will begin closing mid-Sept. including lodging, transportation, food service, retail shops, and boat rentals,

• Granite Park Chalet and Sperry Chalet will close Sept. 7

• Boat tours will close at Lake McDonald on Sept. 21, at Many Glacier on Sept. 14 and at Two Medicine on Sept. 7.

• Lake McDonald Lodge and Camp Store will close Sept. 28

• Jammer Joe’s Restaurant will close Sept. 14

• Many Glacier Hotel will close Sept. 21

• Rising Sun Motor Inn and Camp Store will close Sept. 14

• Swiftcurrent Motor Inn will close Sept. 15

• Swiftcurrent Campstore will close Sept. 15

• Two Medicine Camp Store will close Sept. 7

• Village Inn will close Sept. 15

• For Red Bus tours, contact Glacier National Park Lodges/Xanterra at 855-733-4522 or http://www.glaciernationalparklodges.com

• Glacier Guides Inc. will close in October

• Sun Tours will close Oct. 15

• Swan Mountain Outfitters will close at Lake McDonald on Sept. 28 and at Many Glacier on Sept. 14

• Waterton Inter-Nation Shoreline Cruises will close Waterton Lake boat tours to Goat Haunt Landing on Sept. 21

For additional Glacier Park information, visit online at www.nps.gov/glac or call 406-888-7800.