East Entrances To Glacier National Park Closed For 2020 Season

On Thursday, the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council voted the to keep entrances on the east side of Glacier National Park closed until the end of the 2020 visitor season.

The closure will prohibit access to Many Glacier, St. Mary's, Cut Bank, Two Medicine, and Chief Mountain. The decision by the council was made to limit the spread of COVID-19 to members and residents of the Blackfeet Reservation.

Below is a statement provided by the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council.

Based on the spike in COVID-19 cases in Montana and the health and safety risk to the residents of the Blackfeet Reservation who have high numbers of health disparities, the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council hereby desires to close the eastern border of Glacier National Park for the protection of the residents of the Blackfeet Reservation for the rest of the 2020 tourism season.

In response to the decision, Glacier National Park officials issued the following statement.

We understand the Blackfeet Tribe’s concerns regarding COVID-19 and its potential impacts to the residents of the reservation and their culture. While we were already preparing to operate with only west side access for an interim period into July, we need time to digest and understand all the impacts and ramifications of the council’s resolution. We are in the process of determining what this means to park operations and what facilities on the east side will be available by accessing from the west entrance. The Park will be getting information out as soon as it is available regarding our next steps.

Get the latest information here.