Crowds

[southernguy]

For those that have visited the park this year, how are the crowds under the reservation system?
Is it still hard to find a parking space?
Jim

[MISSY]

Thanks for asking... I had been wondering, too.
Hope someone posts an update.
Missy

[orin]

I can’t be of much help since I was there the last week of June through July 4th before GTSR opened. However, one morning at Two Medicine traffic was backed up from the boat dock past the Scenic Point trailhead. Rangers were directing traffic. Luckily for me I had found a spot in the campground early the previous morning and could walk where I needed to go.

[Ear Mountain]

I was in the Park the week of July 24-30, 2022.

The west side road construction closure keeps people from entering the west side until 6 am. That allows east siders easier access to Logan Pass. Get there before 7 and you're pretty sure of getting a parking spot without too much hassle.

Parking at places like Sunrift Gorge, Saint Mary Falls trailhead and Siyeh Bend were readily available until almost 8 am.

I saw very long lines at the Saint Mary shuttle loading area at 7:30 one morning. Don't know how long folks at the end of the line waited before getting a ride.

Entrance to Many Glacier closed between 10 and 11 most mornings and reopened around 4 pm due to no parking available. Note that there is still two miles of dusty gravel road just before the Many Glacier entrance kiosk. I never saw anyone collecting entrance fees.

[Ear Mountain]

I was in the Park the week of July 24-30, 2022.

The west side road construction closure keeps people from entering the west side until 6 am. That allows east siders easier access to Logan Pass. Get there before 7 and you're pretty sure of getting a parking spot without too much hassle.

Parking at places like Sunrift Gorge, Saint Mary Falls trailhead and Siyeh Bend were readily available until almost 8 am.

I saw very long lines at the Saint Mary shuttle loading area at 7:30 one morning. Don't know how long folks at the end of the line waited before getting a ride.

Entrance to Many Glacier closed between 10 and 11 most mornings and reopened around 4 pm due to no parking available. Note that there is still two miles of dusty gravel road just before the Many Glacier entrance kiosk. I never saw anyone collecting entrance fees.

[southernguy]

Thanks
It doesn't sound like it has made a significant difference.

[MarxMN]

I was in the park July 27 - Aug. 2. I would agree with Ear Mountain. We fouhnd plenty of parking spaces at Logan Pass at 6:45 on one day. At Sun Point parking was available at 9:15 (a fairly large parking lot). Other east side parking places along GTTS Road were filling up earlier.

[Sue Z]

My group of 6 hit Logan Pass for a casual hike around 2 pm on August 6th with 2 cars. We circled for 5 - 10 minutes before a space opened up that we were positioned to take. Our second car found a space in the first pullout to the west, and made the short walk back. Being mellow and having some extra time in your schedule is a big help.

If you're embarking on an all-day hike, however, you'll need to do the early morning thing.

[brindledog]

We visited the first week of August. Very crowded but less so than before the GTTS Road ticket requirement. Honestly, the crowds have gotten so bad in recent years that it's changed how we enjoy Glacier. We drive GTTS road but rarely try to stop at Logan Pass except for a quick break (while someone else drives the car in circles in the lot). I saw only about 4 people waiting for the 7 am shuttle from the Apgar Visitor's Center to Logan Pass one morning at about 6:45 am. Was kind of surprised at that.

You can get in the park before 6 am without a GTTS road ticket, so I saw lots of cars coming in the West Glacier entrance and heading toward Logan Pass before 6 am. (I got up at 5:30 and ran from Apgar through the campground, then up to GTTS road and back.)

Finally, this year the road from Apgar to Lake McDonald was closed for maintenance from 10 pm to 6 am. One lane had a trench dug to install pipes. I assume cars queued up early.

FINALLY, they are building an official entrance station at the Camas Creek Entrance (from Polebridge). Prior to this year, there was only a sign indicating entrance into the park. I'm guessing people were coming in from Columbia Falls without paying entrance fee or showing GTTS reservation.

Hope that's helpful.

[paul]

I was in the park starting 08/31 and ending 09/08. Most of it was backpacking. From what I saw it did not seem crowded. The entrance stations were not manned at Two Medicine or Many Glacier. Two medicine did not seem very crowded the morning and evening I was there. The back country seemed kind of less crowded than usual. We were the only campers at Lake Francis and Mokawanis Lake. I saw 3 other hikers on my hike over stoney indian pass to Waterton river (which was 14 miles).

[Jay w]

The crowds are a big reason we stopped our annual visit, although we did get there last year. I checked the webcams this morning, and Logan Pass was about 1/2 full at 7:45 am. Here's a shot from MG. The next refresh, the spider was gone.



Jay

[Jay w]

Jay

[paul]

Jay,

Did you notice in your webcam pictures that the same two vehicles (blue car and grey truck) are parked in the same place 9 days later. That's sort of strange unless they are park service employees who use the spot frequently.

Paul

[Jay w]

Paul, I didn't look at the cars, but I noticed the blue car was in both photos. I assume it (they) are owned but employees who live in the buildings. So I'm also assuming someone lives in those buildings. (One it storage and one a residence? Vague memory.)

I started to look closer, and to my eye, it appears the gray pickup has moved between the two photos and the blue car has not. (There's a slight angle difference between the two vehicles.)

All that said, I like the light in the second photo. It makes me want to drive out and camp. (It sounds like MG is now in primitive status until Oct 31.) The problem is, I remember being out there at this time of year and having sustained 25 mph winds and high temps in the 40s. I also have seen light winds, partly cloudy and highs of almost 70s. High winds and cool temps makes hiking tough, even if there's a camper for retreat. Temps near 70 was great. It was strange to see everything had turned yellow and the days were short.

Jay

[teapot57]

Jay (or anyone else in the know),

Do you know what “primitive” means for MG? Are any of the bathrooms open? The one pit toilet seemed to be closed every time I was there this summer. I just might make it down there myself one more time this season, since the campground is open until October 31.