Glacier National Park is once again fine-tuning its summer vehicle reservation system to reduce congestion along the Going-to-the-Sun Road and the North Fork region of the park. Since 2021, the park has experimented with different types of reservation systems to handle the increasing crowds. In 2024, more than 3 million people visited Glacier during the first nine months of the year, a nearly 9% increase over 2023.During the summer, visitors are required to purchase a $2 reservation via Recreation.gov to visit certain parts of the park during the busiest times of the day. The tickets are available either four months in advance or 24 hours in advance. The reservation system was initially used only on the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor but was later expanded to the Many Glacier, Two Medicine and North Fork regions. Last year, it was only used on the west side of the Sun Road, the Polebrdige area and the Many Glacier Valley. Another change last year was that people were able to access the Apgar Village area on the west side of the park and reservations were only required beyond the foot of Lake McDonald. In 2025, reservations will be required for the west side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road and the North Fork. Also new next year will be the implantation of a timed-entry system, meaning visitors will have to arrive at a specific time between  7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Outside of those hours, a reservation will not be required.In a press release, Superintendent Dave Roemer said the timed entry system has worked well in other parks. “In 2025 we are continuing successful measures from the 2024 season, including access to Apgar Village, Two Medicine and the East Entrance to Going-to-the-Sun Road outside of the vehicle reservation system. Within that successful framework we are going to try timed entry to see if we can minimize congestion, optimize visitor arrival and improve visitor experiences,” Roemer said. Tickets will be required for the west entrance and the North Fork from June 13 until Sept. 28. As in previous years, visitors who have lodging, camping, transportation or commercial reservations on the west side of the Sun Road will not need a reservation to enter. The Park Service said it was still “researching” what access to the Many Glacier Valley would look like in 2025. Next year, parking in that area is expected to be extremely limited by the closure of the Swiftcurrent area due to construction. NPS officials anticipate making an announcement about that area in the coming months. In-depth, independent reporting on the stories impacting your community from reporters who know your town. LATEST STORIES New district map helps Montana Democrats to legislative gains Tuesday’s election, the first held with Montana’s newly drawn legislative district map, saw Democrats pick up House and Senate seats even as the party’s candidates were soundly rebuffed in statewide elections. by Eric Dietrich and Zeke Lloyd 11.07.202411.07.2024 Flathead shelter to reopen after judge issues preliminary injunction In the decision, Judge Dana Christensen wrote that Kalispell had used a “subjective, nebulous, and thus a meaningless basis” for rescinding the permit. The injunction will allow the warming center to operate until there is a final decision on the case. by Justin Franz 11.07.202411.07.2024 Proposed map adds homes to floodplain in Missoula County Missoula will send postcards to residents affected by the floodplain mapping update. The final map won’t be approved by the federal government until 2026 or 2027, but Missoula County may adopt it as early as 2025. by Lillian Poulsen 11.07.202411.07.2024 The post Glacier National Park to introduce timed entry in 2025 appeared first on Montana Free Press.