You could look upon the small card as the 2012 annual pass for Glacier National Park, but you also could look upon it as a work of art.

The card, which costs just $35 and gets you (and everyone in your car) into the park as many times as you want this year, features a mural that includes artwork from more than 700 visitors and park staff.  

The mural, titled Touched by Glacier, was created by park volunteer Sheryl Mink and painted by more than 700 park visitors and staff during the summer of 2011.  The project was located in the park’s 1913 Historic Ranger Station near St. Mary on the east side of the park.  Ms. Mink created the basic layout of the St. Mary Valley and others added layers of detail and color.   The original mural is located in the park’s St. Mary Visitor Center.  

The pass can be purchased from park headquarters 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from the west entrance station on weekends during the winter, or by calling 406-888-7800.   Without an annual park pass, the park’s seven-day winter entrance fee is $15 for vehicles and $10 for single entrants (hiker/bicyclist /motorcyclist), and during the summer the fees are $25 for vehicles and $12 for single entrants.  

Next year, the Glacier National Park Annual Pass for 2013 will include artwork from a local high school student.  The Glacier Association hosted an art contest this past fall and the winning art will be featured on next year’s pass, and on postcards that will be available throughout the park this summer.   The winning artists and their artwork will be announced in February. 

Glacier Association is an officially recognized part partner supporting the park’s educational, interpretive, cultural and scientific programming needs with aid generated by sales at bookstores in visitor centers and ranger stations throughout the park, as well as sales at their webstore.

Approximately 80 percent of the revenue from the passes sold at Glacier National Park is used to improve and enhance visitor recreation services at the park.