Thursday, July 30, 2015

Glacier National Park Wildfire Now 63% Contained

The following are some key updates on the Reynolds Creek Fire in Glacier National Park. The information comes from the Inciweb website, which was updated last night. Here are a few items:

 * The Reynolds Creek Fire is burning along the north shore of Saint Mary Lake, in rocky, rugged terrain and burning in timber, brush, and grass. Due to the return of seasonal drier and warmer conditions, fire fighters are expecting interior fire behavior to increase. It is believed at this time that the fire was human caused.

* There are currently 670 personnel fighting the fire at this time.

* The official size of the fire is now estimated to be 3170 acres. The fire is now 63% contained.

* The Going-to-the-Sun Road remains closed between the St. Mary entrance on the east side and Logan Pass. At this time visitors can reach Logan Pass from the west side. Visitors are encouraged to take the park shuttle due to extremely limited parking. You should expect delays and congestion. If the road becomes too congested, rangers may turn vehicles around at Big Bend or Avalanche Creek for public safety.

* The St. Mary Visitor Center is now open to the public. Hours are from 8 am to 6 pm. The St. Mary Campground, the Rising Sun Motor Inn, and the Rising Sun Campground remain closed.

* The Sperry Trail is open from Lake McDonald Lodge to Sperry Chalet and Gunsight Pass. Travel beyond the pass is closed due to the fire. Lake Ellen Wilson Backcountry site is open. The Loop Trail to Granite Park Chalet is also open.

* Also, the Red Eagle Drainage is open for hiking access to Red Eagle Lake, Triple Divide and the Beaver Ponds. St. Mary Lake Trail will remain closed.

Although the fire continues to burn in the St. Mary Valley, the rest of the park is still open, with tons of outstanding hiking opportunities available. Remember, the park is more than one million acres in size. The Two Medicine, Many Glacier, Belly River, Bowman Lake and Lake McDonald areas all provide hikes that offer epic Glacier National Park scenery. For more information on many of the hikes in these areas, please click here.



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com

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