Tourism in northwest Montana heavily relies on Glacier National Park. The ongoing government shutdown is significantly affecting the local economy, according to business owners. Although the summer tourist season has ended, Glacier Park’s limited operations due to the shutdown are causing travelers to cancel plans, impacting businesses in nearby towns like Whitefish.
Glacier National Park remains accessible, but some visitors are unaware and cancel reservations, shared Rhonda Fitzgerald, owner of the Garden Wall Inn. Even informed tourists hesitate, fearing a complete park closure similar to past shutdowns. “People’s vacation time is so valuable, and so they just don’t want to take the risk,” Fitzgerald noted.
Zak Anderson of Explore Whitefish mentioned that specific visitor impact statistics from the shutdown won’t be available until next month. However, there’s anecdotal evidence of reduced hotel bookings due to uncertainty. In 2024, Glacier National Park attracted 3.2 million visitors, generating over $656 million for the region and supporting 5,190 jobs.
During previous shutdowns in 1995 and 2013, national parks closed to protect resources, following the NPS mandate to “conserve… unimpaired.” Recent policies have kept parks open but with limited services, drawing criticism for endangering wildlife and resources. The effects are evident in parks like California’s Joshua Tree, where reduced sanitation leads to trash buildup and overflowing toilets. Yosemite National Park has seen illegal base-jumping incidents.
Glacier Park has reported minimal issues during the shutdown, apart from oversized vehicles on Going-to-the-Sun Road. October, growing in popularity for park visits, might see reduced numbers, affecting local tourism. October visits increased by 19% last year, the highest recorded. Despite the shutdown, Anderson remains concerned about long-term impacts of administrative cuts on the National Park Service and Glacier Park in particular.
Over 4,000 NPS staff members have left since Trump assumed office due to early retirements and layoffs, with a nine-month hiring freeze exacerbating the staffing issue. Plans to cut 2,000 more positions, including 200 at the Park Service, threaten operations. Sarah Lundstrum from NPCA reports Glacier’s staff reduction by 25%, affecting critical scientific roles crucial for park management.
Despite staffing challenges, visitor services remain mostly unchanged according to major parks this summer. Former Glacier Superintendent Jeff Mow expressed concern over the potential for a strained visitor experience next summer due to ongoing administrative cuts. He and other superintendents have urged for park closures during shutdowns to prevent vandalism.
Amidst these operational challenges, park employees face uncertainty without pay while managing increased workloads due to staffing cuts. “None of this has been great for morale, and I’d say it’s at a low point for a lot of folks,” Mow commented. Lundstrum encourages outreach to Montana’s delegation to oppose further cuts to the National Park Service, urging visitors to bring garbage bags if visiting during the shutdown to mitigate the effects of reduced services.
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