Glacier will do ticketed entry

Motor travelers on Going-to-the-Sun Road across Glacier National Park will need to reserve a ticket this summer.

The park is using the $2 tickets to manage a record number of visitors in recent years and heavy traffic on the scenic roadway. Details about tickets are available here on the National Park Service website.

“We’re not trying to not be busy,” said Gina Kerzman, public affairs officer for Glacier. “We’re going to be busy. A ticket doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get a parking space either.”

Tickets are good for seven days at a time and required from May 28 through September 6, 2021. Visitors will need tickets if they’re getting on Going-to-the-Sun Road from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tickets aren’t needed in other areas of the park.

Kerzman said if the park didn’t start a ticketed system, people might hit the entrances on a busy day only to be turned around. A ticket will help alleviate that frustration, she said, especially after people drive through construction such as the work planned on U.S. Highway 2.

Starting April 29, people can hop on www.recreation.gov and buy a ticket for $2. A park pass also is required to get into Glacier.

Roughly two-thirds of the tickets will be available up to 60 days in advance, and one-third will be available a couple of days in advance to accommodate locals or more spontaneous travelers.

People walking or biking into the park won’t need a ticket. Kerzman said the tickets will help even out traffic and flatten spikes on warm sunny days before a long weekend such as the Fourth of July.

“We’re just trying to shave off those peaks, the tops of those peaks,” Kerzman said.

People who have other reservations in the park, such as at one of the campgrounds, lodges or chalets won’t need a separate ticket; their ticket for the day is included in their reservation, and proof of reservation will serve as the entry ticket. A photo ID also is required.