WEST GLACIER — Glacier National Park was once again a very popular destination in 2023. Nearly 3 million people visited last year making it the sixth busiest year in the history of Glacier National Park.
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Additionally, Glacier was in the top 15 most visited national parks in 2023.
There were 2,933,616 recreation visits for the year, an increase of 0.9% over 2022, according to a news release.
Monthly records were set for May and September.
Glacier National Park has seen around 3 million visitors each year for the last 5 years, except for 2020 when COVID pandemic closures were in effect.
- 2023: 2,933,616
- 2022: 2,908,458
- 2021: 3,081,656
- 2020: 1,698,864 (Park closed March 24 to June 8, east side of the park remained closed)
- 2019: 3,049,839
The table below shows recreation visits by park entrance for peak season, June through August, over the last several years.
| Location | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||
| West Entrance | 869,026 | 821,332 | 916,491 | 876,320 | 1,011,136 | ||
| Saint Mary | 435,710 | 388,686 | 349,071 | Closed | 481,298 | ||
| Many Glacier | 223,275 | 262,469 | 261,284 | Closed | 256,191 | ||
| Two Medicine | 141,570 | 179,716 | 193,288 | Closed | 145,885 | ||
| Camas | 65,347 | 70,326 | 87,120 | 110,627 | 89,205 | ||
| Polebridge | 42,918 | 53,607 | 70,765 | 72,569 | 59,030 | ||
| Goat Lick/ Walton | 60,856 | 119,837 | 137,702 | 56,277 | 113,916 |
*2023 was the first time there were vehicle reservations for Many Glacier and Two Medicine.
"While Glacier remains one of the most visited parks in the nation, park officials confirm the past three years of the vehicle reservation pilot program have successfully spread visitation throughout the day during peak hours on Going-to-the-Sun Road resulting in fewer closures, better traffic management, and a more enjoyable park experience during peak season," the release states.
Additional information about park visitation, visitor statistics and detailed information about reporting, history and policy is available on the NPS Stats website.
