Glacier National Park officials said in a press release on Monday that the St. Mary Campground, located on the east side of the park, is temporarily restricted to hard-sided camping only due to bear activity.
The hiker/biker sites will also be temporarily unavailable at this campground due to the change.
Park officials explained that in late summer and into the fall, bears enter hyperphagia, which is a period of excessive eating and drinking to prepare for winter. This results in more active feeding and searching for food.
The campground typically sees an abundance of berries in late summer. The last time the campground was moved to hard-sided only status due to bear activity was in late August of 2017, and before then, late August 2015.
No significant incidents between humans and bears have been reported in the campground year to date.
RVs, motorhomes, trailers, and hard-sided pop-ups are currently allowed in St. Mary Campground. Camper vehicles such as VW buses and pickup trucks with small canvas pop-ups are allowed as long as the canvas is not exposed.
Campground managers will contact campers with upcoming reservations to reassign them to another campground in the park, space permitting, if they do not have a hard-sided shelter.
Glacier National Park is home to black and grizzly bears; people are urged to keep campground and developed areas clean and free of food and trash. Regulations require that all edibles, food containers, and cookware be stored in a hard-sided vehicle or food locker when not in use, day or night. Place all trash in bear-proof containers. All bear sightings should be reported to a park ranger as soon as possible.
For more information about camping or hiking in bear country while recreating in Glacier National Park, visit the bear information page on the Glacier National Park website , or call the park at 406-888-7800.
