GLACIER NATIONAL PARK - Montana's Western District representative, Republican Ryan Zinke, has made his opinions of Glacier National Park's reservation system very clear on social media.
During a visit to the park on Friday, July 7, 2023, he discussed possible changes that could make Glacier more accessible for everyone.
In a tweet last month, Zinke wrote he'd like to see Glacier's reservation system dropped, pared back, or supplemented by a reliable shuttle. This comes as Glacier National Park experiences a record number of visitors, but locals complain about not being able to secure tickets in time for a day trip to the park.
Zinke was joined by several U.S. officials who looked at some of the current construction projects and at how well the vehicle reservation system is working. Following Friday's visit a public transportation system emerged as a main idea.
"We're working together. And at the end of the day, we want to protect the experience of the park and the legacy of what the park is. Well, we don't want to lock out the locals either. So we're going to look at transportation systems, you know, long term and not what we are going to do tomorrow but what we're going to do in the future as well. Because what we want to do is we're going to share the experience. We also want to protect the experience that we all share." - Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT)
Another topic of interest for Zinke during the visit was the need for employee housing with Glacier National Park Superintendent Dave Roemer noting that it's difficult to find places for workers to live.
Officials are looking into the possibility of using U.S. Forest Service land to build future housing.
