National Bison Range finally reopens

After being closed for four months, federal officials have opened the National Bison Range.

The announcement was made on the Range’s Facebook page Aug. 11.

It said “We are excited to announce that on Monday, August 10, the National Bison Range began to make the refuge reaccessible to visitors! This will happen in phases, and the first phase will include reopening the auto tour. The Visitor Center will remain closed for now.”

It is in what the Forest Service termed the “Initial Phase.”

The Range is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the auto tour will be open to vehicle visitors. For those whom want to take the Red Sleep Mountain Drive, they must begin it no later than 4:30 p.m. The plan is to keep it open until early October 2020, as per normal operations.

The visitor center remains closed as do the day use area and trails inside the Range.

There will be portable toilets in the visitor center parking lot through the summer tourist season.

The eastern Mission Creek Fishing access will be open, but well signed for hazards such as potential grizzly bears and bison in the area.

Barricades will be used to close off (to the public) all facilities within the government quarters and maintenance areas of the Refuge.

Reaction on the Range’s Facebook page ranged from happiness to questioning why it was ever closed. But most were very pleased to be able to enter the Range for a chance to see its wide range of animals and birds, including elk, deer, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, bears, and bison.

The Range was closed April 9 after the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said operations were suspended “to ensure the health and safety of its visitors and employees in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic and the large increase in visitation experienced at the refuge in recent days that it said prevented effective social distancing.”

The Service posted information on the reopening on its website.

It indicated due to the Range being located entirely inside the boundaries of the Flathead Reservation, it was important to follow the same timeframe as the Tribes when increasing public access to the refuge.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it is following federal, tribal, state, and local public health authority guidance to implement a phased approach to increase public access to the National Bison Range.

In accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and in coordination with the Tribes, the Governor, and local public health authorities, when authorized the National Bison Range will follow the plan below in order to safely increase access.

Second Phase Additions

• Allow volunteers and interns to assist the visitor services maintenance program at the Range.
• Any donation collections will be done through the fee collection box in the visitor center parking lot.

Third Phase Additions

• Open the Visitor Center (with restricted access and hours) using the Visitor Services Manager and volunteers with social distancing still in place and limited contact with the visitors.
• Open the Day Use Area and associated trails.
• Fee Collection would resume following Secretary of Interior orders.

Visitors are asked to check local conditions on the Range website and call 406-644-2211 for current information.

Officials also requested visitors follow current CDC safe practices by maintaining social distancing, hand washing, avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth; covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, and most importantly, stay home when feeling sick.

For more information visit our FWS Coronavirus webpage.