Apgar, Fish Creek, Sprague, and St. Mary Campgrounds will operate under a reservation system beginning May 27 for most of the summer. Campsites at Apgar (group sites), Fish Creek, and St. Mary sites can be reserved on recreation.gov. Reservations for the rest of Apgar and Sprague Creek will be available beginning April 20. Reservations are only available online. Other park campgrounds not listed below are expected to open in June. Frontcountry campgrounds scheduled to open in April and May include:

• Apgar Campground will open fully April 25 on a first come-first serve basis and is currently open for primitive camping. Beginning May 27 advance reservations will be required.

• Bowman Lake Campground opens May 17 on a first come-first serve basis.

• Fish Creek Campground opens May 27 and will require an advance reservation.

• Kintla Lake Campground opens May 27 on a first come-first serve basis.

• Sprague Creek Campground opens May 10 on a first come-first serve basis. Beginning May 27 advance reservations will be required.

• St. Mary Campground is currently open for primitive camping on a first come-first serve basis and will switch over to non-primitive on May 14. Beginning May 27 advance reservations will be required.

• Two Medicine Campground opens May 27 on a first come-first serve basis.

Campgrounds in primitive status have vault toilets available and fees are reduced. No campground reservations are issued at primitive campgrounds and all camping is first-come, first-served. Visit the park’s campground page for additional camping information.

Backcountry Permits:

All wilderness campgrounds (formerly referred to as backcountry campgrounds) except in the Goat Haunt area will be available in 2022 as conditions allow and require a permit year-round. Almost 4,000 requests for advance reservations were submitted on March 15, 2022. The wilderness permit office will begin processing the requests for advance reservations April 17. The remaining 30% of wilderness camping permits will be available for walk-in campers the day before or day of the trip start date. The Apgar Backcountry Permit Center will open May 1 while stations at Two Medicine, St. Mary, and Many Glacier will open May 28, and the station at Polebridge will open May 27. Visitors can go straight to the other permit offices where no vehicle reservations are required if they do not have a Going-to-the-Sun Road reservation, which will be required to access the office in Apgar after May 27.

Boat Inspections:

Private boating will begin on May 8 for Lake McDonald, Bowman Lake, and Kintla Lake with the opening of the Apgar and North Fork AIS (Aquatic Invasive Species) inspection stations. Inspections for North Fork-bound watercraft will still be available at the Apgar inspection station. Many Glacier, St. Mary, and Two-Medicine AIS inspections begin May 28.

Concession Operations:

All park concessions are expected to operate this summer. Some concessioner services will open up throughout May including lodging, tours, food service, and retail shops. Visitors can find links to each concessioner service through our Lodging, Restaurants, and Services webpage.

Visitor Centers:

The Apgar Visitor Center will be staffed on weekends through May 14, when daily operations begin. The St. Mary Visitor Center will be open daily starting May 28.

Visitors should follow the most up to date CDC guidance for fluctuating COVID-19 mitigations.

Much of the park is still snow-covered this time of year and travelers should be prepared for changing conditions. Avalanches are still active on trails and along Going-to-the-Sun Road. Higher elevation trails can be dangerous and snow-covered until late June. Bears are emerging from their dens hungry, and visitors should take steps to travel safely in bear country. Extensive up-to-date park information is available via the Glacier National Park website.

The park is still in its hiring season and is experiencing the same hiring challenges as businesses throughout the country. This may affect some operations. If you are interested in working for Glacier National Park this summer, contact the park's administrative officer, Emily Keil, for information about latest job openings. Emily can be contacted at [email protected] or 406-888-7880.