Backcountry permits for Glacier National Park are moving to recreation.gov/NPS file of Cracker Lake campsite, Jacob W. Frank

Beginning in mid-March, permits for wilderness camping in Glacier National Park in Montana will be available via Recreation.gov.

Park staff say the move was necessitated because they could no longer provide the required maintenance for the currently used Pay.gov system.

On March 15 at 8 a.m. MDT, wilderness campsites will be released for advance reservations on Recreation.gov. Until then, backpackers can familiarize themselves with Glacier National Park Wilderness Permits webpage on Recreation.gov.  

A Recreation.gov account is necessary to make reservations. Each wilderness camping permit will cost $10, payable on Recreation.gov. In addition, there will be a $7 per person per night camping fee, also payable on Recreation.gov. The $10 permit fee would be shared between the park and Recreation.gov, according to park documents.

Backpackers are encouraged to secure a reservation early because of high demand. Reservations will be able to be made on Recreation.gov and by contacting the Recreation.gov call center at 877-444-6777.  

The new online reservation system will only accommodate groups of 1-4 campers per permit. To make advance reservations for groups larger than four on Recreation.gov, backpackers need to be aware of the following permitting requirements:  

• Groups of 5-8 campers will require two separate permits and two separate group leaders.  

• Groups of 9-12 campers will require three separate permits and three separate group leaders.  

To provide an alternative way of obtaining a permit for groups larger than four, the park will retain the use of the Pay.gov site for a one-day application period for mid-size and large group permits. The application period for permits via Pay.gov will occur on March 1 from 12:01 am MST and close at 11:59 pm MST.  

Group applications submitted to Pay.gov will be placed into a lottery and reservations for successful applicants will be booked on Recreation.gov by park staff. Camping reservations will be awarded to 30 groups of 5-8 campers and 5 groups of 9-12 campers. Successful applicants will be notified via email by park staff and will have five days to submit their payment. 

The application period for permits via Pay.gov will occur before advance reservations are available on Recreation.gov. Therefore, visitors planning wilderness camping trips for groups larger than four can first apply for permits using the one-day Pay.gov opportunity, followed by the Recreation.gov site if unsuccessful at Pay.gov.  

Because of the high demand for campsites, backpackers are encouraged to discuss plans with members of their party before booking a reservation and be prepared with three or four different trip itineraries in the event your preferred itinerary is not available.  

Seventy percent of wilderness campsites park-wide will be available for advance reservations, leaving 30 percent available for walk-up permits the day before or the day of a desired trip start date. Permit offices are located in Polebridge, Apgar, Two Medicine, St. Mary, and Many Glacier. A valid wilderness camping advance reservation from Recreation.gov serves as a vehicle reservation the day before or day of a trip starting date.  

Glacier National Park is a popular wilderness backpacking destination with a high demand for campsites. Over the last few years, applications for advance wilderness camping permits have tripled.   

The park conducted civic engagement with the public, with a comment period from February 3-17. In response to public input, the park’s wilderness camping website will describe the refund policy and include a tutorial video, and the elevation gain from trailheads has been added to campsite descriptions on Recreation.gov. To view the planning documents, visit this site. A list of public comments made during the engagement period was not immediately available.

For complete details, visit the Wilderness Camping Advance Reservations page on the park website.