Date: August 28, 2008
Contact: Norma Sosa, 406 888-7895

WEST GLACIER, MONT. - Glacier National Park officials said today that a section of the Inside North Fork Road that had been temporarily closed for repairs has reopened. According to officials, motorized vehicles now have full access to the road segment between the Polebridge Ranger Station south to the Howe Lakes Trailhead, a distance of about 20 miles.

This segment of road had been closed temporarily for portions of both the 2007 and 2008 season, when heavy rains caused a change in the natural migration of Anaconda Creek, enabling it to flow down the road. Park road crews recently completed temporary repairs to the road just north of Anaconda Creek, enabling this section to open.

However, the total length of the Inside North Fork Road is still not open. Just south of the Howe Lakes Trailhead, the road remains closed because of the partial loss of the roadway due to a mass slump. Funding to repair this slump has been approved, and the park is working with the Federal Highway Administration on a preferred design for the permanent repair work, currently slated for 2009.

The 1.5-mile segment of the Inside North Fork Road from the Fish Creek Campground north to the Howe Ridge Trailhead, has also opened, enabling motorized access to all trailheads along the Inside North Fork Road.

The Inside North Fork Road is a 28-mile narrow, bumpy gravel road between the Fish Creek Campground and Polebridge. Use of recreational, towed, and low-clearance vehicles is strongly discouraged on the road. In ideal conditions, at least two hours are needed to travel the entire length of the Inside North Fork Road. Visitors are advised to prepare for travelling this road by carrying plenty of water and food as well as a hand saw or ax in order to get beyond downed trees.

- NPS -