Glacier National Park Announces Apgar Bike Path Reroute

Glacier National Park announces a temporary reroute of the bike path between West Glacier and Apgar.

The Apgar bike path reroute is planned to begin early September and last approximately two weeks. Visitors are encouraged to check the Current Conditions page on the park’s website. The reroute will temporarily close the section of the bike path that goes through the administrative area of Glacier National Park’s Headquarters. The reroute will require pedestrians to utilize Going-to-the-Sun Road from West Glacier to the bike path intersection just after the West Entrance Station, approximately 0.2 miles. The reroute is necessary to facilitate road rehabilitation and paving on Mather Drive and Grinnell Drive as part of the larger headquarters paving project that began in fall 2024.

This is the final phase of the headquarters paving project and is planned for completion by mid-September.



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Glacier National Park preserves more than a million acres of some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth. With more than 740 miles of trails meandering throughout this vast park, how will you find and choose the most scenic and rewarding hikes?

Exploring Glacier National Park takes all the guesswork out by focusing on the most amazing hikes, and provides you with handpicked recommendations that will allow you to make the most of your trip to Glacier:

Biologists to begin 2025 grizzly bear captures for research purposes in Yellowstone National Park

As part of ongoing monitoring efforts to document recovery of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Geological Survey, in conjunction with Yellowstone National Park, is working to inform the public that pre-baiting and scientific capture operations are once again about to begin within Yellowstone National Park. Agency biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) will begin the field captures Sept. 1 and continue through Oct. 15. Capture operations can include a variety of activities, but all areas where work is being conducted will have major access points marked with warning signs. It is critical that all members of the public heed these signs.

Monitoring of the grizzly bear population is vital to ongoing research and management of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. To attract bears, biologists use natural food sources such as recently road-killed deer and elk. Potential capture sites are baited with these natural foods and if indications are that grizzly bears are in the area, culvert traps or foot snares are used to capture bears. Once captured, bears are handled in accordance with strict safety and animal care protocols developed by the IGBST and approved by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Whenever bear capture activities are being conducted for scientific purposes, the area around the site will be posted with bright warning signs to inform the public of the activities occurring. These signs are posted along the major access points to the capture site. It is important that the public heed these signs and do not venture into an area that has been posted. For more information regarding grizzly bear capture efforts call the IGBST trapping hotline at 406-994-6675. Information about the grizzly bear research and monitoring is available from the IGBST website.



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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Grand Teton National Park seeks input on proposed Taggart Lake improvements

Grand Teton National Park is moving forward with a project to enhance visitor access and improve facilities at the popular Taggart Lake Trail area and would like public input about the proposed improvements. The project is aimed at meeting growing visitor demand while improving safety, accessibility, and the overall visitor experience.

The Environmental Assessment (EA) for the project is now available for public review. A 35-day public comment period will run through September 23, 2025, and will include a virtual public meeting to provide additional information and answer questions.

Key elements of the proposed project include:

* A larger parking lot to reduce congestion and enhance safety.

* New toilets and a potable water station at the trailhead.

* A redesigned, accessible trailhead area and improved multiuse pathway connections.

* Upgrades to the Taggart Lake Trail, including reconstruction to meet accessibility standards up to the trail’s first bridge.

* Shoreline improvements at Taggart Lake to better define access points and protect natural resources.

* Accessibility and facility improvements to the Cottonwood Creek Picnic area.

How to participate:

* Visit the NPS Planning, Environment & Public Comment (PEPC) website through September 23 to review the EA and submit comments.

* The park will host a virtual public meeting during the comment period. Details will be announced on the PEPC website and the park’s social media channels.

The estimated construction cost for the project is $14.6 million, with about $10.5 million in philanthropic funding through the generous support of the Grand Teton National Park Foundation. Construction and associated closures should begin in 2026.

Visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/taggartlakeexperience-ea for project information.



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Rising more than 7000 feet above Jackson Hole, the majestic mountains of Grand Teton National Park provide one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. With more than 240 miles of trails meandering throughout this park, how will you find and choose the most scenic and rewarding hikes?

Exploring Grand Teton National Park takes all the guesswork out by focusing on the most amazing hikes, and provides you with handpicked recommendations that will allow you to make the most of your trip to Grand Teton:

Star Party at Logan Pass this Friday

Glacier National Park posted this on their social media yesterday:

Have you ever wanted to experience a dark night sky in the heart of Glacier National Park? Join us for our Logan Pass Star Party on Friday, August 22!

Tickets are required ($5 per vehicle) and will go on sale Thursday, August 21 at both the St. Mary Visitor Center and the Apgar Visitor Center, beginning at 8 am. You do not need a vehicle reservation to access either of those locations. Tickets are limited.

There will be an introduction to the night sky, constellation tours, Blackfeet star stories, and telescope viewing! All participants must arrive at the Logan Pass Parking lot no later than 9:30 pm and plan on staying until midnight. The Star Party will officially begin at 10 pm.

In the event that bad weather forces a cancellation of the Star Party, we will post that message on our social media, at visitor centers, and on our website by 2 pm Friday.

Happy stargazing!

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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Bridger-Teton National Forest Implements Improvements at Nelson Drive Trailhead on Jackson District

Bridger-Teton National Forest is excited to implement parking lot and sign improvements at Nelson Drive Trailhead. The trailhead area and adjacent trails will be closed temporarily for approximately two weeks to reconstruct the existing parking area into a more efficient and sustainable design that better accommodates visitors and protects soil, plant, and water resources. The project includes regrading the existing native surface road to address chronic erosion and drainage issues. The trailhead will be closed from Monday, August 25th through Friday, September 5th.

Nelson Knoll Loop, Water Tank Road, Lower Putt Putt, Woods Canyon, and Crystal Lite trails will be temporarily closed during construction. Putt Putt, Woods Canyon, and Crystal Butte trails can still be accessed above the closure area from Cache Creek Trailhead.

While the trailhead is closed during the reconstruction project, technicians will gather geo-technical information adjacent to the existing Forest Service housing units that will inform future Forest Service housing plans.

During the Nelson Trailhead reconstruction project, local pedestrian neighborhood access to Putt Putt and Woods Canyon Trails may occur from the Henley Access Trail off Nelson Drive. Trail users planning to park should use Cache Creek Trailhead.

GNP Invites Volunteers to 2025 Annual Hawk Watch Training

Glacier National Park will host volunteer training for its annual Hawk Watch Program on August 26 and September 22.

The training session on August 26 will run from 9 am to 1 pm in West Glacier in the Community Building. Trainings will provide an in-depth introduction to raptor ecology, identification, migration and teach volunteers how to conduct migration counts at both the Lake McDonald and Mount Brown Hawk Watch sites during the months of September and October.

Once trained, volunteers can hike to an observation point and count migrating raptors just below Mount Brown Lookout, alongside trained raptor migration counters. This is a hike of about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) one-way (about 9 miles (14.5 km) roundtrip) with an elevation gain of over 4,000 feet (1,220 m).

The September 22 training will be an in-the-field training day for volunteers interested in participating in the Lake McDonald Lodge Hawk Watch during the end of September through October. This field training will take place from noon to 4 pm in Jammer Joe’s parking lot adjacent to Lake McDonald Lodge.

To join the Hawk Watch Team, participants will learn from park biologists on how to identify and count migrating raptors. Park biologists will answer questions and share information about the integral role of raptors in our ecosystems, risks they face, and why Glacier started the Mount Brown Hawk Watch Program.

Volunteers interested in registering for either or both training days should email the Glacier Citizen Science Office, GLAC_citizen_science@nps.gov, for additional details.

Each year in the fall, golden eagles migrate from northern breeding grounds to warmer climates. One of the most important North American golden eagle migration routes passes directly through Glacier National Park. Large numbers of other raptors also use this migration corridor during the fall and spring months.

In the mid-1990s biologists documented nearly 2,000 golden eagles migrating past Mount Brown annually. Recent data from outside Glacier National Park indicate significant declines in golden eagle numbers. Due to this concern, the park initiated a Raptor Migration Project in 2011 to investigate possible locations for a Hawk Watch site.

Hawk Watch sites are part of an international effort to track long-term raptor population trends using systematic migrating raptor counts. Observers also record data on sex, age, color morph and behavior of raptors, as well as weather and environmental conditions. To see a map of Hawk Watch sites around the world go to www.hawkcount.org.

Funding for the Mount Brown Hawk Watch program is provided by the National Park Service, Glacier National Park Volunteer Associates, and Glacier National Park Conservancy. The Northwest Montana Lookout Association assisted with Mount Brown lookout refurbishments. The Hawk Watch Program is a collaborative project between the Citizen Science office and the Wildlife Department. For more information about the Mount Brown Hawk Watch program, contact park staff via email at GLAC_citizen_science@nps.gov or call (406) 888-7986.

Big news at Jenny Lake Campground!

Grand Teton National Park posted this on thie social media the other day:

We’ve wrapped up a series of renovations designed to make the camping experience safer, more accessible, and more enjoyable. Here’s what’s new:

✔️ 13 new accessible water spigots (plus new water lines)

🐻 48 new elevated bear-resistant food storage boxes (with support from the @grandtetonfoundation )

🚴‍♀️ Widened pavement and a short bicycle route connector lane to ease vehicle/bike interactions

🛣️ Road repairs and fresh paving

🔢 Reflective campsite number signs (easier to spot after dark!)

Huge thanks to everyone who helped make this project happen. The park and @grandtetonlodgeco are excited to welcome visitors back to a refreshed Jenny Lake Campground!

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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Have you stayed at Jackson Lake Lodge this summer? Please read.

Grand Teton National Park posted this blurb on their website yesterday. Please read if you think you may have been exposed to a bat while staying at the Jackson Lake Lodge this summer:

A suspected bat colony was recently discovered in an attic space above guest rooms 516, 518, 520, 522, 524, 526, 528 and 530 at the Jackson Lake Lodge. There is no immediate threat to the public. Wyoming Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are leading the effort to coordinate with the affected guests' local public health officials, who will conduct rabies risk assessments. State public health officials are reaching out to these guests directly to assess if they had exposure to a bat while staying in any of these rooms and determine if they meet the risk criteria for receiving rabies preventive treatment. Individuals who meet the risk criteria for a rabies exposure will be connected with the appropriate provider in their home state for preventive treatment.

Since June 2, Grand Teton Lodge Company has received eight reports involving overnight guests who may have been exposed to bats in Jackson Lake Lodge rooms. As a precaution, the affected rooms are closed while public health professionals conduct further assessments and provide recommendations for mitigation.

What to do if you stayed at Jackson Lake Lodge this season and think you might have been exposed to a bat:

Contact Grand Teton Lodge Company at RoomsGTLC@vailresorts.com or 307-543-3044 to determine if you stayed in one of the potentially affected rooms where bats were found. They will put you in touch with a public health official, who will help you assess risks associated with your stay.

Teton Interagency News Release: Fire Danger Elevated to Very High for Teton Interagency Area

Teton Interagency Fire managers have elevated the fire danger rating to “very high” for Grand Teton National Park, the Bridger-Teton National Forest, and the National Elk Refuge. Conditions in the Teton Interagency Dispatch area are drying rapidly, and a fire may start easily, spread rapidly and burn intensely. Everyone is asked to practice heightened fire safety at all times.

Fire managers use a variety of factors to determine fire danger ratings including the moisture content of fuels (how dry grasses, shrubs and trees are); projected weather conditions (including temperatures and possible wind events); the ability of fire to spread after ignition; and the availability of firefighting resources nationwide.

So far this year, Teton Interagency Fire personnel have extinguished 75 unattended or abandoned campfires. Abandoned campfires can quickly escalate into wildfires, and if your campfire sparks a wildfire, you can be held responsible for the cost of putting it out.

Celebrate Great American Outdoors Day with free entrance to all national parks on August 4

In celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), all National Park Service (NPS) entrance fees will be waved on Monday, August 4. GAOA’s National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) is making a significant impact by funding $6.65 billion in critical maintenance and repair needs in national parks across the country.

GAOA, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump in 2020, is making transformative investments in national park infrastructure, such as roads, trails, campgrounds, visitor centers, staff housing, and utility systems, that enhance park facilities, increase recreational access, and improve the visitor experience. Between 2021 and 2025, GAOA LRF provided up to $1.3 billion per year to the NPS for repair projects to keep parks operational and accessible for public enjoyment and inspiration. The funding is provided by royalties from offshore oil and gas leases and not taxpayer dollars.

GAOA LRF funding has touched national parks in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and multiple U.S territories. It is supporting more than 180 large-scale infrastructure projects, including extensive improvements to iconic roads in Yellowstone, Shenandoah, Glacier, Theodore Roosevelt, Great Smoky Mountains, and Grand Teton national parks. It has renovated campgrounds in Yosemite, Zion, Mount Rainier, Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks and upgraded vital safe and functional water and wastewater, HVAC, and electrical systems in Rocky Mountain, Acadia, and Grand Canyon national parks.

It is also funding more than 400 smaller scale historic preservation activities managed by NPS in-house Maintenance Action Teams (MAT). MAT staff are skilled in a variety of traditional trades and deployed across regions to perform specialized maintenance and repair tasks. Many projects involve volunteer groups and Youth Service Corps, inspiring and training the next generation of maintenance professionals. These teams are helping preserve places that tell our nation’s stories, including Pearl Harbor National Memorial, Saratoga National Historical Park, Antietam National Battlefield, and Andersonville National Cemetery. GAOA funding is helping many historic sites prepare for the upcoming celebration of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026.

These projects are just a small sample of GAOA's lasting legacy which is making sites safer for visitors, restoring important historical locations, and creating recreational opportunities.



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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com