Like many businesses in the Flathead Valley, Glacier National Park is not immune to staff shortages. The park typically employs about 16 seasonal staffers to operate and oversee its frontcountry campgrounds.

This year, it has half that, park spokeswoman Brandy Burke confirmed.

As such, some popular campgrounds in Glacier will not open this season, including the Avalanche Creek campground and the remote and oftentimes quiet Cut Bank campground.

Glacier has also gone to a reservation system for some campgrounds. Apgar and Fish Creek campgrounds are reservations during the busiest summer months, though Apgar is open all year with no reservations in the fall, winter and most of the spring.

In Many Glacier, it’s half reservations and half first-come first serve, while St. Mary is all reservations.

St. Mary is typically open all year and after late August, it reverts back to first-come first serve.

The Bowman Lake campground and Two Medicine campgrounds are first-come first serve.

This year, Bowman visitation has been light, as the park implemented a reservation system to get into the Polebridge Entrance. However, if a visitor informs the park they want to camp at Bowman and a site is available, they can get one at the entrance.

Bowman is a primitive campground served by pit toilets.

On the east side, Two Medicine is also a first-come, first serve campground. It has yet to sell out this season, Burke noted.

A portion of the Rising Sun campground was expected to open soon. It has been closed to date, Burke noted.

For up to date conditions on motor campgrounds in Glacier, visit: https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/camping.htm

Glacier has also implemented a new system whereby conditions for campgrounds, trails and roads will be updated directly to a person’s phone via text message.

For trail postings and closures text GNPTRAILS to 333111

For campground fill notices text GNPCGS to 333111

For road openings and closures text GNPROADS to 333111