Visitation at Glacier National Park increased last month

KALISPELL, Mont. – Glacier National Park had more than 92,000 visitors last month, increasing by nearly 9 per cent after a wildfire led to closures in August and September.

The Flathead Beacon reports the park recorded a year-to-date visitation of 2.9 million, down by about 10.8 per cent to the nearly 3.3 million visitors recorded through the same period last year.

Visitation has been suppressed at times over the last two years as major wildfires have affected the west side of the park.

The Sprague Fire torched about 26.5 square miles (68.5 square kilometres) in August and September 2017, leading to the closure of a large area of the park.

The Howe Ridge Fire burned about 22.6 square miles (58.5 square kilometres) in August 2018, causing evacuations and road closures into September.

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Information from: Flathead Beacon, http://www.flatheadbeacon.com