Glacier National Park
From Big Sky, travel to the northern border of Montana to visit one of the most well known and breathtaking national parks in the U.S. Glacier National Park is in a location out of reach for many, keeping it pristine and isolated.
Glacier National Park Listings: (add your listing)
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Back in the day the only inhabitants of the area were a few native tribes.
The Salish and Kootenai lived in western valleys and the Blackfeet made their
home the prairies in the east of what is now the national park. As settlers
explored this area of Montana from the east, these Indian tribes were forced to
live on reservations but many sites inside Glacier are still considered sacred
to them. In 1891 the Great Northern Railway was built making it easy for more
and more people to visit this area before it was established a forest preserve
in 1900 and eventually the tenth national park in 1910. The Going-to-the-Sun
Road was completed in 1932 as the first road running through the park, allowing
visitors to access areas formerly only accessible on foot or horseback. It runs
50 miles east to west from West Glacier to the Loop, passing treacherous cliffs
and spectacular views. 1932 was an important year for Glacier as U.S. and
Canadian governments decided to join Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Park of
Canada to make Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, the only park of its
type in the world.
The geological significance of Glacier National Park is worth explaining as its
name itself describes how the park was formed. Today there are 50 glaciers in
the park. Although these glaciers are currently shrinking, they are still
shaping the sedimentary rock of the park, but on a much smaller scale than
thousands of years ago. Try to picture the park filled completely with snow and
ice, only a few peaks poking their way through the surface. These ancient rivers
of ice eroded the rock below them leaving geological features that can be seen
today like hanging valleys, horns, cirques, aretes, and moraines. Chief
Mountain, located on the eastern edge of the park, a monolith, is an example of
isolated erosion, not to mention a magnificent view.
The diverse climates and wildlife of northern Montana create stunning
surroundings in Glacier National Park. The higher mountains, dividing the park
from north and south, have a warmer and moist climate making forests of spruce,
fir, and lodge pole pine dense. Hemlock and red cedar are common near Lake
McDonald. When wildflowers are blooming the valleys and mountain sides in
Glacier light up with color from flowers like heather, gentian, beargrass,
Indian paintbrush, lupine, glacier lily, aster, and shooting star. It is common
to see bighorn sheep, mountain goats, elk, black bear, whitetail and mule deer
while driving or hiking through the park. Beavers, marmots, bison, and bald
eagles also call Glacier home. And consider yourself lucky if you view a moose,
wolf, or grizzly during your visit.
Within its 1.4 million acres of wilderness, over 730 miles of maintained trails
allow hikers and backpackers to see some of Glacier's hidden beauty. In lower
elevations trails are usually dry and free of snow by mid-June. In higher
elevations trails do not dry until late July. Ask the national park visitor
center staff for specific trail information and for suggestions on both day and
overnight hikes. There are over 200 lakes and streams in the park making Glacier
an angler's paradise. Lakes and rivers are not stocked but fishing is permitted.
Check with park staff about dates of the fishing season and regulations. Visitor
facilities are open from late May to mid-September but Glacier National Park
remains open year round for those seeking adventure like cross-country skiing in
the winter. Glacier National Park in Montana has endless opportunities for
seeking adventure, experiencing the wilderness, and viewing diverse wildlife and
major geological features. The more time you can spend in Glacier, the better.
Kalispell, MT Weather
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Other pages you might find helpful:
Glacier National Park
Our All Glacier .com site is a great resource for planning your trip to Glacier National Park.
