Get a heads-up on parking conditions in Glacier, such as at Logan Pass, before you get there/Rebecca Latson file

Visitors headed to Glacier National Park in Montana now can get immediate updates for parking and campground availability, as well as current weather conditions and area closures.

The Recreation Access Display (RAD), which works best in the Google Chrome web browser, gives visitors one more tool for planning a trip to some of the park’s most-visited areas.

Now live on the park’s website, the RAD updates approximately once a minute. The display provides a one-stop, color-coded graphic for quick reference, allowing visitors to see whether a campground has available sites or if a parking lot has open parking. The graphic shows what time park staff reported a campground or parking lot filled on the current day’s date as well as the previous day. 

The RAD also shows whether vehicles access is restricted at Many Glacier, North Fork, and Two Medicine. During the park’s peak season, these areas experience periodic extreme congestion that requires park staff to place temporary restrictions on vehicle access. By checking the RAD in advance, visitors can get current information useful for avoiding wait times and making alternate plans. 

“We’ve been working for a few years to get real-time information to our visitors,” said Glacier National Park Superintendent Jeff Mow. “Thanks to suggestions from the public and innovation from park staff, we’re pleased to roll out this new trip planning tool for the 2019 summer season.”

“This is a great complement to the park’s webcams, which provide an on-the-ground visual of park conditions,” Mow added.

Visitors can access the RAD and additional trip planning information through the park’s Current Conditions page, which has links to current road status, snow plow updates, webcams, trail status reports, and camping status page.