Montana Tacomas

https://www.kpax.com/news/local-new...ow-travel-going-to-the-sun-road-to-logan-pass

Going-to-the-Sun Road is now open all the way over Logan Pass to hikers and bicyclists, when the road crew is not working!
When the road crew is working, the area between Bird Woman Falls Overlook and Lunch Creek may be closed. Any closures will be clearly marked and signed. The Road Crew Closure is typically in place Monday-Thursday until 4 pm.
Conditions can change quickly, and the road may close again (temporarily) to hikers and bikers for safety reasons. Follow all posted signage. Violators are putting their safety and the safety of our park rangers at risk and could face up to a $5,000 fine and up to 6 months in jail.
The alpine section of Going-to-the-Sun Road remains closed to vehicles.

 

By Daily Inter Lake
| June 22, 2024 6:00 AM
The full length of Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park opened Saturday morning for the summer season.

The road may now be accessed by motorized vehicles over Logan Pass from both the West Glacier and St. Mary entrances.

Park officials said plow crews battled avalanches and deep snow levels above 5,500 feet this year, and facilities staff worked against freezing temperatures to get the water system operational. As of Thursday, staff were busy shoveling walkways and access into the visitor center.

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Services at Logan Pass include restroom facilities, but potable water is currently not yet available. Visitors should plan to bring their own drinking water.

Visitor information services will be provided at the Logan Pass Visitor Center from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily starting Saturday. The Glacier National Park Conservancy bookstore will be operating inside of the Logan Pass Visitor Center.

With Going-to-the-Sun Road fully open, the number of vehicle reservations available will be increased. For the remainder of the season, this increase will be executed through the next-day reservations available at 7 p.m. MDT each day. Vehicle reservations are exclusively available on Recreation.gov and not available at the park.

Vehicle reservations are required to enter Going-to-the-Sun Road from the west side of the park past Apgar. Reservations will be required for those traveling by vehicle or motorcycle from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day through Sept. 8.

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 this summer.

Vehicle reservations are also currently required for the North Fork, and starting July 1, reservations will be required at Many Glacier.

Visitors with lodging, camping, or commercial activity reservations (e.g., boat tours and horseback rides) do not need a vehicle reservation and can use their confirmation email to access the portion of the park for which their activity is booked.

Service reservations originating east of Logan Pass cannot be used instead of a vehicle reservation for access past the Apgar Check Point heading east on Going-to-the-Sun Road.

The park is open 24/7 and visitors may enter the park before 6 a.m. or after 3 p.m. without a vehicle reservation.

Additional vehicle reservation information and frequently asked questions are available on the park’s Vehicle Reservation page.

With the opening of the road, the weekend hiker/biker shuttle will no longer be operating. 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.

Parking at Logan Pass, Apgar Village, and other areas may be congested or temporarily unavailable. After the daily shuttles begin operating on July 1, 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.

While driving along the road, particularly through the Rim Rock area (approximately 1 mile west of Logan Pass) visitors should be aware of potential rockfall and should not slow down or stop in this section. Rocks and other debris continue to fall throughout the summer, requiring daily clean up. With the level of snow at Logan Pass, visitors should use extreme caution and refrain from crossing snowfields or standing under snow overhangs.

Vehicles and vehicle combinations longer than 21 feet, and/or wider than 8 feet, are prohibited on Going-to-the-Sun Road between Avalanche Campground and Rising Sun. Vehicles over 10 feet in height may have difficulty driving west from Logan Pass due to narrow lanes and projecting rock overhangs.

The Highline Trail and a portion of Grinnell Glacier Trail remain closed due to hazardous snow conditions and emerging vegetation. For up-to-date information on trail conditions and clearing activities, visit the park’s trail status webpage. Hidden Lake Trail will be closed June 15 to Aug. 7 from the overlook to Hidden Lake due to bear activity near the lake outlet while fish are spawning.

Based on observed traffic patterns during previous vehicle reservation pilot seasons, vehicular traffic is expected to increase every day at 3 p.m. when vehicle reservations are no longer required for the day. For safety purposes, Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed to bicycle use (both directions) through Sept. 8 between 3 p.m. and p.m. from Apgar to Logan Pass.

Visitors are encouraged to limit vehicle idling to no more than two minutes in parking lots, at scenic viewpoints and trailheads, and while stopped in traffic lines and road construction to benefit the health of both the public and the park resources.

Visitors should not throw food waste, including apple cores, orange peels, sunflower seeds, unwanted drinks (coffee, tea, soda) etc., out car windows while waiting in lines. This attracts wildlife to the roadways which increases wildlife fatalities. Discard garbage in bear-proof garbage cans.

 

On our way!

 

Made it to Saint Mary yesterday afternoon. KOA is a nice little campground. Went for a ride into the park. Saw some rams. Woke up today and hiked to Virginia Falls and another small falls just before St Mary Falls parking area. Tried to hike to Avalanche Lake but couldn’t get a spot. Gonna relax and make dinner. Get some ice cream after we make dinner. Packing up in the morning to go stay in Kalispell for a couple days. Gonna hike to Avalanche Lake first on the way to Polebridge and Bowman Lake when we leave in the morning.

 

Glad it opened in time for you. Enjoy!

 

Read lastnight a 26yo female from PA drowned at St Mary Falls Sunday. Too close and slipped into the water. Sad to hear that. I was relatively cautious when we were up there.

 

I had to triple check what day that was as I thought of you. Hope you had a blast visiting our neck of the woods.

 

Yeah we don’t stray from the trails. We could see a lot of people do though. Sad we didn’t make it to Many Glacier. North Fork and Bowman Lake were gorgeous though.

 

It’s incredible. We will def be coming back. So much to see and we’re kinda limited on time. Sitting at a tire shop now. Woke up to a flat and missing a valve cap. We suspect someone let the air out of it

 

Bowman is amazing. Did you get a huckleberry bear claw in Polebridge?
It will take years to explore the park. Come back next year too.

 

I got 2 bear claws. And their deli sandwiches are pretty good also. We do plan to come back. We didn’t get to explore in the northern part of the park. Maybe in 2 years. Next year we’re thinking of Yosemite and Sequoia.

 

Those two are epic. Make sure you also hit the PCH and Monterrey Aquarium while you’re at it.

 

https://www.ktvq.com/news/montana-news/ranger-injured-in-shooting-at-yellowstone-national-park

 

We likely wont stay in Kalispell if we come back. Had an issue with someone letting the air out of one of my tires because I parked in their spot in front of the apt complex

 

Well that’s not very nice of them.

 

Just an inconvenience. I found it strange that my valve cap was missing. Aired it up and it was fine. Nice little town though aside from that.

 

Well sweet grass county did it. They closed the road to independence and blue lake.

 

Nooo. Never made it all the way. Can you take an atv or bike? Or hike it at the very least?

 

Nope. They closed it pretty far down with a big gate looks like.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9IlzB6S1gq/?igsh=MTBkNHhqeGtnZThscg==

I'm sure that fight isn't over but they don't have the money to repair all the bridges.