"The data show where, when and how many people are hiking on the trails throughout the park," a website on the study notes. Overall, Glacier has seen a 40% increase in visitor use since 2012, the study notes. The longer, steeper trails, or those without views, are less popular. The popular trails have something in common: They're relatively short and have views of the peaks. She said next year researchers will try to quantify that data by interviewing people as they use the trails. She noted that, anecdotally, it appears social media and other mass media are driving the popularity of some trails. She was also a former Glacier interpretative ranger for several years. Jaclyn Rushing, a UM doctoral student, is working on the study. It uses infrared sensors to count people as they walk by. The study is being done by the University of Montana's School of Forestry. Mary, for example, dropped from an average of 19 people in 2012 to 17 in 2018. Still, that's an increase of 41%, the study found. The Bowman Lake Trail, for example, saw about 38 visitors a day in 2017. If visitors are willing to get off the proverbial beaten path, they'll find far fewer people. Glacier has about 730 miles of trails and many see far fewer people, however.
The averages are only for the months of July and August. The busiest trail in Glacier - the Hidden Lake Overlook Trail at Logan Pass - saw an average of 1,891 visitors daily in 2019. Avalanche is the second busiest trail in the park.
An ongoing study of trail use in Glacier National Park is putting hard numbers to the use of some of the park's most popular trails as another busy tourist season rapidly approaches.Ĭompared to data collected in 2012, visitation to Avalanche Lake increased about 80%, from 864 visitors a day in 2012 to 1,572 in 2019 - the last year Glacier was fully open.