If you've ever headed to Logan Pass in Glacier National Park, more than likely the first stop you made was to the restrooms at the visitor center. If so, you're well aware of the updating they need. And so you'll appreciate the effort by park officials to improve that situation.
Logan Pass is one of the "must see" stops for anyone who visits Glacier. Why else is the pass so crowded during the summer months, when most of the park's visitation arrives? Not only do you have great views of the Garden Wall, glaciated valleys, snow-capped peaks, and dangling waterfalls, but there are mountain goats galore and some great, and easy, hikes.
And, naturally, there's wear and tear.
Under the Logan Pass Improvements Plan environmental assessment, Glacier officials are proposing to rehab, update, and expand the existing restroom facilities. Additionally, the park's preferred alternative recommends replacing the existing (and out-dated) generator power system with a more environmentally friendly propane generator system that would have the capacity and provide additional energy for radio, security, and the transit system. The preferred alternative also proposes a shuttle stop renovation near the northwest entrance to the parking lot.
You can find the EA online at this site, and leave your comments there, as well. Between now and March 13, park officials will be open to comments on their plans.
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Comments
Wow. It's about time! The facilities at Logan Pass are barely better than some of the backcountry pit toilets! (just kidding, of course... well, at least the backcountry toilets have views from their seats)...
Just found this site and really love it. Already bookmarked and will be making regular stops back.
Any idea how and when they plan on renovating it? Will the renovations be done before Logan Pass is open to visitors or will it be going on during tourist season?
~Perry
http://www.glacier-national-park-travel-guide.com
I've just scanned quickly through the EA for the project; it appears that they'll do what they can to minimize impacts on the main visitor season (including pre-assembling part of the structure off-site), but the very short time when this area is snow-free each year is a major limiting factor, and requires some work to go on all summer.
There's certainly a need for adequate restroom facilities at a major visitor use site such as Logan Pass - in the absence of such facilities, people will simply "improvise" with undesired results.
It was good to see that almost all of the proposed work is on previously disturbed areas. At this elevation, recovery of vegetation is a very slow process