OUTDOORS: Time to safely enjoy Beaver Creek Park

The weather certainly has taken a turn for the better in recent days. And, at the same time, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock's stay-at-home order came to an end as well, as Montana enters Phase I of his plan to re-open amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The combination of those two things together means outdoor recreation in Beaver Creek Park is sure to pick up.

And, the park is most definitely open to all types of outdoor recreation, including overnight camping.

According to the Beaver Creek Park Facebook page, which was updated last week, camping has remained open in the park, with the exception of overnight camping at Bear Paw Lake fishing access.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, which manages Bear Paw Lake, said it will open to overnight camping Friday, with social distancing required.

Other changes within the park still include the park office at Camp Kiwanis still being closed per a message at the office Wednesday afternoon. No time line has been given for when the park office may re-open to the public, but park officials also want to remind people to continue to practice social distancing. As camping continues to open up, other reminders include a recommendation that camping still should be done with only members of your household, and that, under Phase I of Bullock's plan, gatherings of more than 10 people are not permitted.

Beyond those guidelines, it's certainly time for everybody to get out and enjoy all that Beaver Creek Park has to offer.

However, other areas of Montana that so many people love to enjoy are not ready yet. Both Yellowstone and Glacier National Park have given no timelines on when they might re-open, however, two clues were dropped earlier this week.

First, the Montana Office of Tourism wants people in other places to keep the Treasure State in mind for future vacations. So Monday, Visit Montana, the state's website for marketing to out-of-state travelers, released a video with a message that "Montana is worth the wait."

"Now is not the time to welcome visitors back to Montana, but when the time is right we want visitors to keep us in mind," Montana Department of Commerce Director Tara Rice said in a statement accompanying the video. "There's no better way to inspire future visitors than by showing off all Montana has to offer."

Montana averages about 3.6 billion dollars in earnings from tourism each year, and there's no doubt, Yellowstone and Glacier contribute a big slice of that pie.

Another hint that it may be some time before the two national parks open this week came from their main concessionaire this week. Xanterra Travel Collection, which operates many of Yellowstone and Glacier's iconic lodges and motels within the parks, announced that they extended the closing of those properties until June 15.

The vendor says it is working closely with the National Park Service and state authorities in Wyoming and Montana to begin welcoming guests in a limited manner.

"The re-opening of lodging and other services in Yellowstone National Park will follow guidelines of the CDC, respective states and NPS," the concessionaire said in a statement on Monday. "Specific details on new protocols and procedures will be announced over the next few weeks and posted online. As the summer and fall seasons progress, food and beverage outlets and availability of accommodations may expand based on the ability to maintain a safe environment for visitors and employees as well as NPS staff."

Though neither park has announced a firm date of re-opening, or a plan to do so, both parks have commenced preparations to open, just as they do every spring, including plowing the great Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier Park. The plowing began April 1, and the park has released several updates. The park had also said, even before the closing due to the pandemic, that, for the second straight year, the GTTSR would not open before June 22, no matter how well the plowing went.