Visitors Numbers Tallied for Seeley Lake

SEELEY LAKE - The numbers have been tallied by Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitor Center staff for people coming through the barn door in June and July.

June Visitation

We counted 317 (252 last year) visitors, accounting for about 1875 (2142) visitor-days. The overall average length of stay was about six days. About 40 percent of the travelers were just passing through or staying overnight.

About 40 percent of the people were from Montana, the majority of which were locals or from Missoula. Washington and Minnesota each were about 10 percent of the use, with a smattering from 30 (23) other states. Last year California (seven percent) and Colorado (six percent) were the leaders.

The vast majority had Seeley Lake as their destination, with about 10 percent bound for Glacier. It was the first visit for 40 (53) percent of them and another 40 (30) percent had been to Seeley three or more times.

The main reason for stopping here was to visit the museum and get maps or local directions. A bunch just needed a potty stop.

Main area attractions were hiking, camping, sightseeing, boating and biking. A little less than 10 percent inquired about lodging or eateries. Friends and family, or having a cabin or condo each caused about a third (45 percent) of them to come. Monday and Friday seemed to be the lightest days for visits. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday all had near the same amount of stops.

Note: Numbers in (parenthesis) are last year’s comparisons for June.

July Visitation

The amount of visitors in the Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitor Center during July was similar to the month of June. However, the use patterns changed a little.

The average length of stay was about the same, accounting for about 1600 visitor days (compared to 1875 in June) in the community. More people stayed longer (more than five days) than in June. Fewer (30 percent down from 40 percent in June) of the travelers were just passing through or staying overnight.

Montanans continued to be about half of our visitors. Half of which are from Missoula County. Washington, Minnesota and California were almost a quarter of the out-of-staters. Visitors from 27 other states made an appearance, plus four foreign countries.

Slightly over 90 percent had Seeley Lake as their destination. The bulk of the others were headed to Glacier National Park. A few were headed south to Yellowstone. This was the first visit for 40 percent of the travelers and almost that many had been here more than twice.

The museum, maps and potty break continue to be the main reason for stopping. Seeking hiking and travel info were the most popular purposes.

Chamber business (mostly July 4th related), community events and lodging info were the next most reasons for coming in. Restaurant, camping and local directions were less frequent requests.

Friends and family or having a cabin or condo brought about 40 percent each of them to come. Sunday and Monday were the lightest days for visits, likely because of limited hours open those days.

Overall, July use was similar to last year in the barn. A higher proportion were from Montana (perhaps a reflection of fuel prices.) Last year more people seemed to be headed for Yellowstone but still only half as many as were headed to Glacier.

A substantial number of our visitors got their first impression of the area. However, the mainstays of July continue to be friends, family and part-time residents. Traffic count on Highway 83 is one of the heaviest State highways in Montana.

 

Reader Comments(0)