For the next several weeks hikers and cyclists will pretty much have the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park in Montana to themselves, as wheeled vehicles are banned while plowing to open the entire 50-mile road continues.

Glacier's road crews have reached the Grizzly area, about 25 miles past the west entrance, but the road will remain closed to vehicles past Lake McDonald Lodge for several more weeks. There are still ice patches that need to melt out along the road before it is safe for vehicles to drive, and the parking area at Avalanche needs to be prepared for visitor parking.

It takes an average of ten weeks to prepare the entire road for vehicles, which includes plowing, repairing the winter damaged sections of the road, and installing hundreds of guard rails, the Park Service says. This year, road crews have found snow depths up to ten feet deep in avalanche chutes around the Loop.

The Camas Road and Grist Road are both open to vehicles. The Quarter Circle Bridge Road remains closed due to hazardous trees.

On the east side, the Going-to-the-Sun road is currently open for vehicles from St. Mary entrance to Rising Sun. The Many Glacier Road is currently closed to vehicles, and will not open until at least the third week of April by park policy to allow wildlife migration. Chief Mountain Road has been plowed but is currently closed at the park boundary due to ice patches that need to melt out.

Safety restrictions are now in place for people who want to hike and bike on the Going-to-the–Sun Road before the road opens to vehicles. This means that hikers and bikers are allowed to travel on the road as far as the hiker/biker restriction sign while crews are working Monday through Friday until 4:30 p.m. The hiker/biker restriction sign is currently located at Red Rock Point, about 17 miles up the road. On the weekends and after 4:30 p.m. when the crews have finished for the day, hikers and bikers may travel as far as conditions allow.

Currently, on the east side, hiker/biker access is allowed beyond Rising Sun with no restrictions. Hiker/biker restrictions are in place on the Many Glacier Road during the week until 4:30 p.m. while crews repair slumps and numerous potholes in the road. Although the Two Medicine Road is currently closed at the park boundary, visitors can hike or bike to Running Eagle Falls.

Visitors should always be alert for snowplows and other heavy equipment on park roads as well as areas of ice, slush, avalanche zones and fallen rock. Additionally, spring snowstorms can cause hazardous driving conditions and temporary road closures. Visitors are reminded to use caution when traveling as patches of ice and the danger of avalanches remain. Please be aware of wildlife on park roads and report any bear or mountain lion activity or sighting, regardless of the location, to a park ranger.

Visitors are advised to check the park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/glac/ for plowing status, current conditions and hiker-biker access restrictions, which change frequently this time of year. Visitors may also visit the park’s social media pages or call park headquarters at 406-888-7800 for current road and weather conditions.