Next block release is March 1 for July dates! Check our website for the latest announcements on camping in the park and wilderness permits.

Glacier’s podcast released three episodes of it’s new season! “Becoming” is a nine-part history of how the park became what it is today. And there’s a bonus episode: in the prologue, we talk about time, landscape, and history with the artists who created the music and the cover art for this season. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Made possible by the @glacierconservancy Music by @frankwaln Cover art by @esccarlson Video description: A short clip that zooms in and out of the cover art for season three of the park’s podcast. There is large text that says, “Headwaters.” It is a complex illustration in a blue sketch style that shows a train, bison, wolves, and people, all melting out of a glacier.

2023 Construction Projects have been announced! Please check our construction page on our website for details and dates.

Are you interested in providing input on visitor use management for 2024? Now is your chance! The 2024 Visitor Use Management Strategy open comment period is your opportunity to be a part of this important process. Explore the project StoryMap, watch the virtual meeting, and provide your comments on the project website by September 30, 2023 at 11:59 PM MDT. The 2024 Visitor Use Management Strategy gives you a chance to share your thoughts and help shape 2024 operations. It's a great way to have your voice heard and make an impact. Don't miss your chance to participate! Head to the links in our bio section and provide your comments by September 30th at 11:59 PM MDT. Your input is invaluable!

If you've listened to the whitebark pine season of our podcast Headwaters, you know that whitebark are a critical piece of Glacier's high elevation ecosystems—and you know they're dying. This culturally significant tree species was added to the Endangered Species List last year. It's in the news again this week, after the National Park Service and American Forests signed an agreement to collaborate on whitebark pine restoration across the Western US. Glacier and other Rocky Mountain parks will benefit from $44 million in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. Learn more about whitebark on Season 2 of Headwaters, wherever you get your podcasts or at glacier.org/headwaters Learn more about the new partnership here: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/national-park-service-and-american-forests-partner-to-restore-threatened-whitebark-pine-as-part-of-president-biden-s-investing-in-america-agenda.htm

Do you have a passion for science? Fancy yourself a history buff? Join us to learn about both for Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park’s Annual Science and History Week. Parks Canada and the US National Park Service have hosted an annual Science and History event together since 2004, making this year its 20th anniversary! When: October 3 to 6 from 12-1 MDT Where: Teams Webinar Platform (aka anywhere you are!) What: Presentations from scientists and subject matter experts highlighting the latest natural and cultural research related to Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. This year's exciting lineup includes presentations on the evolution of grasslands, cultural adaptations to the Blackfeet buffalo program, the impact of wildfires on watersheds, and archaeology in Paahtómahksikimi (Waterton Lakes). Participants can register and learn more about each presentation on the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center website: https://nps.gov/rlc/crown/science_history_week.htm Hope to (virtually) see you next week!

It’s time for mom, dad, and the kids to say goodbye. Starting in mid-September, adult loons will begin to stage in small groups, gathering from their summer nesting locations at nearby lakes. Adults will fly to their wintering grounds, leaving their young behind to depart separately. Glacier’s loon chicks, now fully fledged at about 3-4 months old, will begin migrating to the coast later in the fall without ever having seen the route! Common Loons build nests in May and June immediately before laying eggs. Loons typically lay two eggs, and both adults incubate the eggs and share in the care of the young. Nests are often large, wet masses of plant material located on the ground. Sometimes, eggs are laid directly on sand or rock. Loons nest at the water’s edge on shorelines and islands. Small boats and kayaks near shore can flush loons from their nests. Adult loons take an equal role in raising, protecting, and feeding their chicks. They even offer their chicks piggyback rides until up to four weeks of age! Adult pairs communicate with hoots to each other, and parents will hoot to their chicks. The hoot is a soft, short call that is typically used for short-range communication between members of a loon family unit, enabling them to keep in touch on the whereabouts of each other. Trained citizen scientists in Glacier go into the field throughout the nesting season (May through August) to monitor loon presence at 47 of Glacier’s lakes. The Common Loon Citizen Science Project trains volunteers and staff to assess the population health of Common Loons in Glacier and to begin to identify factors affecting nesting success. This year, eleven chicks hatched in the park. To learn more about Common Loon ecology and the habitats they need for survival, visit the Crown of the Continent Research and Learning Center website and explore the StoryMap– Loons on the Edge. https://www.nps.gov/rlc/crown/storymaps.htm Have you ever taken a trip without knowing the route and made it to your destination? Photograph: NPS / Jeff Jones, Glacier Citizen Scientist

The 2023 Vehicle Reservation Pilot has ended for the season and traffic at the West Entrance has increased. Expect long delays, especially along HWY 2 at Glacier's West Entrance between the hours of 7 am and 12 pm. Vehicle congestion in the park is being monitored and management action will be taken as needed, including closures. Check our status page on our website for the latest update on park entrances. Link in bio. These photos were taken on 9/11/23, the day after vehicle reservations concluded for the season.

Hot take incoming: Hare Jam > Bear Jam Pros include: -Safer -Rarer -Cuter (not up for debate) Cons to report: -None come to mind Snowshoe hares live in the boreal forests of North America and are active year-round. Their namesake stems from their huge hind feet with stiff hairs that form a snowshoe to support their weight when on the surface of snow. Although small and docile, hares greatly influence the world around them, from browsing heavily on vegetation to playing an essential role in the ecosystem. Research by NPS biologists in Glacier National Park found that the success of many predators, such as lynx and golden eagles, cycles with the abundance of snowshoe hares. However, hares try their best to avoid capture through camouflage by their seasonal variation in fur color, from brown in summer to almost pure white in winter. What animal, besides Glacier’s snowshoe hare, has stopped you in your tracks? Video description: a small, brown hare nibbles on leafy vegetation alongside a forested trail.

For some, the arrival of fall means sweater weather and pumpkin spice. But here in Glacier, it means one thing... HawkWatch! Every fall, park biologists and volunteers count migrating raptors, especially golden eagles, that fly over the park. On October 14, join park staff at Lake McDonald Lodge from 11am to 3pm to count birds and learn about raptor migration and the threats they face. Educators from Montana Wild Wings Recovery Center will also be on site with live raptors from 12-2pm. If you’d like to learn more about the event or participation in HawkWatch, visit our website here: https://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/news/glacier-national-park-hosts-2023-mount-brown-hawk-watch.htm

Today & every day, we remember. On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, the U.S. came under attack when four commercial airliners were hijacked and used to strike targets on the ground. Nearly 3,000 people tragically lost their lives. The attack on the U.S. Capitol was thwarted because of the actions of the 40 passengers and crew aboard one of the planes: Flight 93. Read more with Flight 93 National Memorial @flight93_nps Image: A quiet forested and mountainous landscape behind a lake. A small pavilion with an American flag is right next to the lake.

Missed the open houses for the 2024 Visitor Use Management Strategy? We've got you covered! You can still participate by watching the virtual meeting, visiting the storymap for this project, exploring our new Visitor Use Management webpages, and providing your comments on the project website by September 30, 2023. Follow the Visitor Use Management link in our bio!