ST. MARY — Heavy rain and flooding in Glacier National Park are disrupting travel plans and limiting access to some of the park’s most visited areas during the peak summer season.
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Glacier National Park announced multiple temporary closures June 29 after rising water levels and unstable ground conditions affected roads, trails and infrastructure.
The entire Many Glacier Valley is closed to the public, including Many Glacier Hotel, Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, Many Glacier Campground and all trails in the valley. Parks officials expect to reopen many of these areas Wednesday. Boat tours operated by Glacier Park Boat Company and horseback rides operated by Swan Mountain Outfitters in Many Glacier are also suspended for the duration of the closure.
Access along Going-to-the-Sun Road is also limited, although the road itself reopened Tuesday night. The park said the west side closure remains at Avalanche, while the east side closure has moved to Rising Sun. There is no hiker or biker access past any road closures.
For some visitors, the closures changed long-planned trips within hours.
Amy Dunbar and her family, visiting from St. Louis, Missouri, were staying at Swiftcurrent Motor Inn after traveling to other national parks, including Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Dunbar said her family had planned the Glacier trip for about two years and hoped to take a boat tour in Many Glacier and travel Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Their boat tour was canceled because of debris in the lake. Later that afternoon, Dunbar said staff knocked on their door and told them Swiftcurrent was being evacuated.
“So we had 20 minutes to pack up seven people’s worth of stuff and get out of there,” Dunbar said. “They handed us an evacuation notice, and it had a list of nearby hotels that we could try and call.”
Dunbar said her family was able to find a hotel in Browning and is adjusting the rest of the trip around the closures.
“We’re going to just pivot on our plans a little bit,” Dunbar said.
Shanda Elavsky of Kalispell was staying at Many Glacier Hotel when guests were told to leave. She said it took about an hour to get out of the area, and as evacuated visitors were leaving, she noticed other drivers still heading in.
“There was still people coming in,” Elavsky said. “So I really felt bad for them because they probably had no idea that we were being evacuated.”
Xanterra Travel Collection, which operates Glacier National Park Lodges, said guests affected by the evacuation have been redirected to properties outside the park and refunds are being automatically processed.
The company said Many Glacier Hotel and Swiftcurrent Motor Inn and Cabins are expected to reopen in the near future, depending on weather conditions. Xanterra and park officials are asking people not to travel into the Many Glacier Valley while entry gates and roads remain closed.
Glacier National Park said it will evaluate and reopen areas when conditions improve. Visitors are being asked to check current conditions before arriving and remain flexible as weather and access can change quickly.
Visitors can sign up for Glacier road status updates by texting GNPROADS to 333111.
