Lake McDonald Lodge Parking Project

Inadequate parking for visitors, concession employees, and the Red Buses has long been an issue at the Lake McDonald Lodge developed area. The park's Final Commercial Services Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement of 2004 identified additional parking as one of several improvements within the vicinity of the lodge. The plan divided the surrounding developed area into Areas 1 and 2 on either side of the boulevard, and called for new parking within Area 1. But the plan did not identify a specific location. Park staff have since identified two locations south of Snyder Creek, at previously disturbed sites within Area 1.
Two parking areas at former dormitory sites would be redesigned to accommodate more vehicles. One would be west of the Lake McDonald Lodge Loop Road and would provide 24 passenger car spaces; the other would be east of the loop road and would provide 47-49 spaces for passenger cars and 7 spaces for Red Buses. Red Buses and passenger cars would have separate designated parking.
The NPS does not find it necessary to do an environmental assessment for the project since the actions fall within the scope identified by the Commercial Services Plan, and because the affected area was analyzed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement and the floodplain Statement of Findings. The impact determinations have not changed as a result of the project design, and no new information has been identified that would warrant further environmental analysis. The park is nonetheless conducting public scoping to determine if there are any new resource concerns that have not been considered.

Document Content:

Public Scoping Newsletter - Lake McDonald Lodge Parking Project   (1.4 MB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.