Park visitation cut in half for October
Hungry Horse News | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 years, 4 months AGO
With a government shutdown blocking tourists from entering Glacier National Park for half the month, visitation at the Park was down sharply in October. The government shutdown closed the Park from Oct. 1 to Oct. 16.
According to National Park Service statistics, visitation for October was down 52 percent overall. About 26,000 people turned the gates this past October, compared to 54,000 last year.
Even with the shutdown, visitation for the year was 1.4 percent higher than last year. Through October, the Park saw 2.164 million visitors, compared to 2.136 million last year.
The Park’s east side saw the greatest drop in visitors. Reconstruction work on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, coupled with the shutdown, limited access to much of the area, and only 2,492 visitors entered at St. Mary in October.
Many Glacier and Two Medicine also saw sharp drops, as snow in both of those of those valleys in late October.
MORE IMPORTED STORIES
ARTICLES BY HUNGRY HORSE NEWS
Canyon bike trail meeting May 16
Supporters for construction of a new bike and pedestrian trail from Coram to West Glacier will meet at the Heavens Peak Lodge and Resort, 12130 U.S. 2, in West Glacier, on Monday, May 16, at 6:30 p.m.
Bill requires verification before issuing driver's licenses
A bill requiring the state to electronically verify that all foreign nationals are in the U.S. legally before issuing a Montana driver’s license or ID card was signed into law by Gov. Brian Schweitzer on April 18.
Uphill skiers need to be aware of avalanches on Big Mtn.
Whitefish Mountain Resort’s post-season uphill policy expired last week, but with significant snowfall and changing weather conditions, the resort reminds skier and hikers that avalanche hazards in the ski area’s permitted boundaries do exist.