Projected Impact of Visitor Limitations in Glacier National Park
Hartman G, Bigart EA, Sage JL. 2021. Projected Impact of Visitor Limitations in Glacier National Park. 429. University of Montana, Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research. Missoula, MT
With consistently increasing visitor numbers in Glacier National Park (GNP), park managers are working to come up with management solutions for transportation, visitation, visitor use, trails, and access within the Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR) corridor during peak season. The GTSR Corridor Management Plan Environmental Assessment was developed in September, 2019. The preferred alternative included in the assessment is an adaptive management approach to address visitation levels, which includes strategies such as expanding the shuttle system, adding hiking and biking trails, and some changes to parking availability in various areas. The objective of this study is to provide a review of various reservation systems used in other protected areas to address visitation levels, and gain an understanding of what the impact may be to areas around the park if a visitation cap or restricted access is enacted by GNP management.