Glacier National Park bumping frontcountry campground fee rates in 2024
TAYLOR INMAN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 months, 2 weeks AGO
A hiker walks down the Ptarmigan Trail in Many Glacier on Sunday, June 18. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Taylor Inman covers Glacier National Park, health care and local libraries for the Daily Inter Lake, and hosts the News Now podcast. Originally from Kentucky, Taylor started her career at the award-winning public radio newsroom at Murray State University. She worked as a general assignment reporter for WKMS, where her stories aired on National Public Radio, including the show “All Things Considered.” She can be reached at 406-758-4433 or at tinman@dailyinterlake.com. | December 2, 2023 11:00 PM
Frontcountry campgrounds like Avalanche and Two Medicine will see a $10 increase in their fee rates in 2024, Glacier National Park officials said Friday.
Fees at Apgar, Fish Creek, Many Glacier, Sprague Creek and St. Mary campgrounds will increase from $23 a night to $30. Campgrounds at Avalanche and Two Medicine will increase from $20 to $30. Campgrounds at Bowman and Kintla lakes that are first-come-first-serve will increase from $15 to $25, and first-come-first-serve sites at Rising Sun and St. Mary campgrounds will increase from $20 to $30.
Glacier National Park retains 80% of fees collected for use on projects aimed at enhancing the experience of park visitors and campers. Projects funded by recreation fees include trail and campground repairs and improvements, increasing accessibility and facility restoration, officials said in a press release.
Park officials said that the changes will help them offer and improve services benefitting visitors. In an August release regarding potential fee increases, they said the changes were necessary to be in closer alignment with nearby campgrounds outside the park that provide similar services.
The changes followed a civic engagement period that ran from Aug. 9 through Sept. 8. Of the 46 responses received, 43% expressed direct support for the fee rate changes in amenity fees for front country campsites and 23% opposed fee rate increases. The remaining 34% were neutral or did not specify whether they supported or opposed, but provided suggestions or comments.
Park officials listed the changes for the most popular campgrounds in their release. For a full table on rate changes, visit the National Park Service Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/GLACCampgroundFees and click into the document list.
According to a Park Service newsletter regarding the changes, Apgar Group sites will decrease from $65 to $45. The St. Mary off-season group site with a maximum capacity of 24 would decrease from $60 to $40. Those changes take effect in 2025, with the booking window permanently decreasing from one year to six months in November 2024.
Under the new fee schedule, Glacier will continue to offer half-priced camping for Interagency Senior pass holders and Interagency Lifetime Access pass holders.
Visitors make 2024 campground reservations starting Jan. 7 on Recreation.gov.
For more information regarding reservable and first-come, first-served campsites, visit the park’s website: nps.gov/glac.
Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4433 or by emailing tinman@dailyinterlake.com.