A second summer of hiker-biker shuttles is about to kickoff in Glacier National Park/NPS, Jacob W. Frank

Beginning on May 13 in Glacier National Park in Montana the spring hiker-biker shuttle that began last year will once again be available on the west side of the park. The shuttle will run on the weekends (and Memorial Day) and will stop at the Apgar Visitor Center, Lake McDonald Lodge, and Avalanche Creek (once the Going-to-the-Sun Road is open to Avalanche Creek).

The hiker-biker shuttle will operate every 30 minutes, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Apgar Visitor Center. The last shuttle of the day will depart Avalanche Creek at 5:15 p.m. It will operate until the Going-to-the-Sun Road opens fully to vehicles.

Last year was the first year of the hiker-biker shuttle. The park continues to evaluate this pilot program, including monitoring shuttle ridership and shuttle impacts on reducing parking congestion.

On sunny spring weekend days, it is not uncommon for parking lots to completely fill with people hiking and biking up the portion of the Going-to-the-Sun Road closed to vehicle traffic.

The hiker-biker shuttle is made possible in part through donations from the Glacier National Park Conservancy. A portion of those funds came from last year’s Glacier Ride – a six-day fundraising bike ride in the park organized by Climate Ride. These funds will support shuttle operations and bicycle trailer acquisition. This year, the park purchased one additional bike trailer, and each trailer will be enabled to carry up to two tandem or recumbent bicycles. Additional bike racks will also be purchased this year.

Hikers and bikers may travel as far as conditions allow on weekends when plow crews are not working. During weekdays, hiker-biker restrictions are in place to allow road crews to work safely. For updated hiker-biker restrictions, please visit this page.

Visitors hiking or biking beyond closed gates should be alert for snowplows and other heavy equipment on park roads as well as areas of ice, slush, avalanche zones and falling rock. On the weekends, it’s possible to travel many miles beyond the closed gates, and well beyond cellular service. The nearest public phone with emergency dialing capabilities is located outside of the Lake McDonald Lodge.

Visitors should prepare and take similar precautions as they would when undertaking a backcountry hiking trip. Please be aware of wildlife on park roads and report any bear or mountain lion activity or sightings, regardless of the location, to a park ranger.

Volunteer bike patrols will be riding the roads during core weekend hours, providing information and visitor services. The volunteers will have the ability to call for help in the event of an emergency.

This year, the park is continuing research work with the University of Montana to monitor bicycle use within the park during the shoulder and summer seasons via bicycle traffic counters. The research is being funded by the Glacier National Park Conservancy, and will help the park better understand and prepare for this emerging activity.