Road Construction and Infrastructure Project Work

Road reconstruction typically requires warmer weather. In this part of the country that means road construction overlaps with the primary visitor season of May through October. There will be minimal road construction occuring in 2026 that will impact travel times within Glacier National Park. However, a fall closure for the Two Medicine area will occur due to a utility project in the Two Medicine developed area and campground.

 

Two Medicine Fall Closure

In 2026, a fall closure will occur for the Two Medicine area due to a utility project and road rehabilitation project. The Two Medicine utility project will begin in May 2026. This project includes replacement of the full water distribution system in the Two Medicine developed area and campground. To facilitate construction, Two Medicine Road will be closed at the Running Eagle Falls Trailhead beginning September 8, 2026.

Closures in the Two Medicine developed area will occur outside of concession operating dates, May 29–September 7. Concessioner operated boat tours will run and the Two Medicine Campstore will remain open from May 29–September 7. The park will maintain access to hiking trails as feasible, but access to some trails may be limited. The Two Medicine Campground will be closed in 2026.

In fall 2025, Two Medicine Road was closed to facilitate replacement of a deep culvert. The culvert work was part of a large, multi-year Two Medicine Road Rehabilitation project which includes full rehabilitation of the Two Medicine Road from MT-49 intersection to the parking lot at Two Medicine Lake. The road rehabilitation includes ditch re-establishment, road repair, parking lot construction, replacement of entrance station buildings, and paving. This work is scheduled to resume this fall 2026 and be completed late 2027 but may continue into 2028. Closures outside of the park associated with this project have not been determined.

Camping at Two Medicine Campground will not be available in 2026 due to construction.

 

North Fork–Polebridge

Polebridge Ranger Station
Construction to replace the Polebridge Ranger Station area’s water supply system, water distribution system, and water tank is expected to begin August 2026. This work is expected to have minimal impact to visitors until October 4, 2026 when the water main and water tank installation work along the Inside North Fork Road is anticipated to start. This will require a full closure to all traffic traveling towards Logging Creek from the Polebridge Ranger Station. Trenching in front of the Polebridge Ranger Station is also expected in October 2026.

Public access to Bowman Lake and Kintla Lake will remain unaffected by construction. It is expected that all significant construction activities will be completed in November 2026. Heavy construction is not expected in the winter. Any remaining road restoration or area restoration work will be completed by summer 2027.

Kintla Lake
From late July to early October, trail and camping access in the Kintla Lake area will be impacted by a project to plug the historic Butte Oil Well. The oil well predates the establishment of the park, and was selected for plugging after leaking gases were detected.

The Kintla Lake Wilderness Campground will be closed from late July through late August during active construction. The Kintla Lake frontcountry campground will remain open. The Kintla-Boulder Pass Trail along Kintla Lake will close intermittentantly from late July to early August. Visitors should also expect increased construction traffic along the Inside North Fork Road between Polebridge and Kintla Lake and increased noise levels in the Kintla area.

For information about the project and history of the Butte Oil Well, visit the Plugging the Historic Butte Oil Well story map.

 

Timeframe of Road Work and Project Construction in Affected Location (project dates highlighted in yellow)		June	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov
North Fork
Inside North Fork Road	Beginning October 2026, a full closure will be in place to all traffic on the Inside North Fork Road from the Polebridge Ranger Station to Logging Creek.
Going-to-the-Sun Road
North Lake McDonald Road	Anticipated culvert work is planned for fall 2026.
St. Mary
St. Mary Campground and Visitor Center	Fall 2026–Spring 2027, a water distribution system replacement will occur in the St. Mary Campground, administrative area, and around the St. Mary Visitor Center. Partial closures in the St. Mary Campground are anticipated.
Two Medicine
Two Medicine Developed Area and Campground	In May 2026, a utility project will begin to replace the water distribution system in the Two Medicine developed area and campground. A fall closure will occur for the Two Medicine developed area. The Two Medicine Campground will be closed in 2026.
Two Medicine Road Closure	Begun fall of 2025, the multi-year Two Medicine Road Rehabilitation project, which includes full rehabilitation of the Two Medicine Road from MT-49 intersection to the parking lot at Two Medicine Lake, is scheduled to resume in the fall of 2026.