Glacier National Park’s, Going-to-the-Sun Road successfully opened on June 25th, and preliminary data shows a 41% increase in the number of vehicles over opening day in 2019.
The seasonal opening also marked the beginning of a new phase for the ticketed entry system, which is designed to reduce vehicle congestion on the road, allowing the park to fill close to maximum capacity without reaching the point of severe congestion and gridlock.
The ticketed entry system has also kept park officials from having to close the West Entrance closure in order to relieve severe congestion. Recent data suggests that without the ticketed entry system, congestion and gridlock would have required the West Entrance to temporarily close at least 15 times from Memorial Day weekend through the end of June.
With Going-to-the-Sun road open, the number of 48-hour in advance ticketed entry reservations on Recreation.Gov has increased. Tickets for the end of August are still available and are not required before 6 am or after 5 pm.
Tickets are also not required for other areas of Glacier National Park.
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