Whitefish, Montana, is located just outside of Glacier National Park, an area known to be a hotspot for grizzly bears. The state of Montana has the largest grizzly population in the lower 48 states, with an estimated 300 animals living in the Glacier area. It’s not all that surprising to learn that the grizzly population creates certain restrictions in and around Whitefish, but it is surprising to learn that a ski resort is forced to close part of its mountain early every year due to the wildlife.
Whitefish Mountain Resort is partially located on the Flathead National Forest, operating under a special use permit through the USDA-Forest Service. On April 1 every year, the National Forest requires that the resort closes the Hellroaring Basin zone, Chair 8, and further backcountry zone to the west. The reason? Grizzly bears.
While grizzly bears spend most of the winter in hibernation due to the seasonal shortage of food, they begin to leave their dens in March and April. They’ll immediately seek out food to make up for the 15 to 30 percent of their body weight they lost during denning. Skiers, snowboarders, and other backcountry users in known grizzly areas can lead to risks for both the animals and the people, so the Flathead National Forest shuts down the zone.
In addition to the Hellroaring Basin zone closure for skiers and snowboarders, snowmobilers are limited to the Canyon Creek trail for access to the summit of the mountain and the Summit House.
Whitefish Mountain Resort is set to close out the winter season this Sunday, April 6.