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Glacier National Park's St. Mary Campground Restricted To Hard-Sided Campers For Immediate Future

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Published Date

August 31, 2017

Fall, a season when a bear's mind turns to ramping up its calorie intake, has prompted Glacier National Park officials to restrict camping in the St. Mary Campground to hard-sided campers for the immediate future.

The hiker/biker sites at the campground, located on the east side of the park, will also be temporarily unavailable at this campground due to the change, a park release said.

In late summer and 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. Environmental conditions this summer are more stressful than average as extremely dry conditions persist.

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 2015.

No incidents between humans and bears have been reported in the campground this year.

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 if they do not have a hard-sided shelter.

Glacier National Park is home to black and grizzly bears. Campers are reminded 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.

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