WEST GLACIER, Mont. — Officials with Glacier National Park have announced that due to limited parking during construction in the Swiftcurrent area, the park will restrict personal vehicle access into Many Glacier and provide a temporary shuttle service for hikers to access Many Glacier and Swiftcurrent from July 1 to Sept. 21.

The project will replace the water system, most of which was originally installed in the 1960s, at the Swiftcurrent developed area, according to a press release from the National Parks Service. Construction began in the fall of 2024 and will continue through mid-May 2026. 

The project will also rehabilitate the road, including pavement and drainage improvements, between the Many Glacier Hotel intersection and the Swiftcurrent developed area, and address parking concerns and pedestrian safety. 

The construction area is closed to vehicles, bikes and foot traffic. As a result of the construction, about half of the parking in the Many Glacier Valley will not be available.

“We chose to keep Many Glacier open during construction, with mitigations, after taking public comment on this project in July 2023,” said Glacier National Park Superintendent Dave Roemer. “There was a lot of support for keeping the valley open and available for hiking, despite the limited parking capacity. The hiker shuttle service will be available to around 120 groups per day, limited by parking, and only available to reserve on short notice, either one week before or the night before at 7 p.m.”

This temporary hiker shuttle service, accessed through a ticket purchased on Recreation.gov, is not part of the vehicle reservation system that the park has been piloting since 2021, but it is a temporary solution for day hikers to access Many Glacier Valley during construction, the press release said.

“We are providing this shuttle option to maximize opportunities for hikers, within the parking constraints, while we complete the construction projects,” Roemer said. “2025 will not be an ideal year to plan a visit to the Many Glacier Valley, but we will have those projects complete, with new formalized parking, in 2026.”

There will be no general public entrance into Many Glacier between July 1 and Sept. 21 without a shuttle ticket or commercial service or lodging reservation. A gate will be in use at the fee booth to restrict overnight access and limit parking in the valley to reservation holders.

The Many Glacier Hotel, Swan Mountain Outfitters and Glacier Park Boat Company will operate as usual. 

Visitors with a lodging reservation will be provided access details with their lodging reservation confirmation. Visitors with horseback and boating reservations can drive into the valley by showing their reservation confirmation at the park entrance during hours when the entrance is staffed. The only parking available during the closure will be at Many Glacier Hotel, and will be set aside for visitors with lodging, horseback riding and boating reservations between July 1 and Sept. 21.

To use the hiker shuttle service, hikers will need to obtain one shuttle ticket from Recreation.gov for their party to board the shuttle. Hikers with a shuttle ticket will park at one of several designated pull-outs, which will serve as temporary parking lots, along the Many Glacier Road. Hikers will board the shuttle from their parking location for a 15 to 30-minute ride to Many Glacier Hotel.

A valid park entry pass is also required for each party boarding the shuttle.

Access to all trails will begin at the Many Glacier Hotel upper parking lot, with maps and signs indicating detours around the construction zone. Hikers should be aware that detours may add up to an extra mile each way to hiking distances.

Shuttle tickets will be available seven days in advance each morning at 8 a.m., starting June 24, and at 7 p.m. the night before entry, starting June 30. Tickets will be limited and determined by shuttle and parking capacity. Time blocks for shuttle boarding and details on the daily shuttle service will be announced in late spring.

With no available general parking, hiking and biking will not be allowed on the Many Glacier Road between July 1 and Sept. 21.

Pursuant to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, tribal members will have access to enter Many Glacier Valley during all hours when the entrance is staffed.

For more information, see the park’s website. More operational details will be included in a spring press release.