Glacier National Park, located in northwest Montana, will soon celebrate its 100th year anniversary in 2010. The centennial celebration is currently keeping prospective visitors and park visitors of the past updated with a website, blog, and events calendar dedicated solely to the upcoming centennial. According to the Glacier National Park Centennial website, the celebration calls for a time of “celebration, inspiration, and engagement” all while becoming informed on the rich history the Montana national park has to offer.
While the park may be celebrating its 100th official year, archaeologists have evidence of use of the national park as much as 10,000 years ago. Several Native American tribes, including the Salish, Kootenai, and Blackfeet, inhabited the area when the first European settlers first explored this area. During the 1800s, settlers found value in the land because it could be mined for minerals. However, people also began to take note of the stunning scenery and value it had as a natural place of beauty as well. George Bird Grinnell, one of the early explorers of the area, worked to establish the creation of a national park. On May 11, 1910, President William Taft established Glacier National Park, making it the 10th national park in the country.
Several park visitors began coming to Glacier National Park, creating the need for trails, roadways, hotels, and lodges. The Going-to-the-Sun Road, one of the most popular scenic roadways, was established as a result of the demand for means to travel throughout the park. This road is now considered a National Historic Landmark as well as a National Engineering Landmark. Those looking to share individual stories about Glacier National Park can do so by sending their story to the Glacier National Park staff on the centennial website. A collective timeline is being constructed for all to view online.
The team who will bring Glacier National Park’s centennial celebration to life encourages visitor involvement. Becoming an advocate and telling friends and family about the celebration is one simple participation suggestion. Interested parties can also sign up to host an event or program and apply to use the Glacier National Park centennial logo in other publications or websites. Donations to the national park are always appreciated as well.
Glacier National Park offers an array of adventures for the outdoor enthusiast. Park visitors have many activities to choose from. Those who venture to Glacier National Park can choose adventures including backpacking and hiking, horseback riding, camping, fishing, golfing, or relaxing and staying at a resort or lodge. Visitors may also wish to enjoy a boat tour, bus tour, or ranger-led walk. While Glacier National Park is open every day of the year, winter weather does tend to affect whether a visitor facility stays open. In general, most facilities are open from May until early September. Glacier National Park covers about 1.4 million acres of wildlife preserves. The Glacier National Park Centennial is simply one reason to celebrate the park’s rich history, beautiful scenery and exquisite sights.
Watch the video related to Glacier National Park
Grizzly Bears, Bighorn Sheep, spectacular sunsets and more….. Part 3 of the recently shot Glacier DVD. This 20 min. film recently was nominated for best new nature documentary in the music category as well received an award for photography from the Wildlife Film Festival held in May of 2008. All funds for this project are being donated to the Glacier National Park Fund. For more info: www.glaciernationalparkfund.org Your comments are welcome!
Help answer the question aboutGlacier National Park
What type of Animals are in Glacier National Park???Its for a project and I need to find out what type of animals are in Glacier National Park to be able to pass this class. All I know is that there are lots of them and I need a list of about half of them! So ither a web site or just some animals you know of there would be a lot of help!! Thanks!!!
i was just there for a 5 day hike and it was awsome!!
Il be here in 24 hours!! IM SO EXCITED!
Glacier National Park is one of the most beautiful places on earth.I am from Colombia,descendant of the Chibcha Indians. My ties to mother earth were awaken here.Being in contact with the black feet nation and share the beauty and wisdom of Glacier was a honor.Thank you for this video!
your welcome
I love GNP. Thanks for uploading this!
me too
awsome place ; so sacred to me ; i know why thee blackfeet cherish & respect this place; cant wait to go back 4 my 4th time
Fish Creek is a beautiful site!
I'd go with a 4X4 or a mid-size SUV.
http://www.travelocity.com/Cars
I, too, am heading to Glacier in August, and have checked out a few guide books from our local library. It's a great way to orient yourself. Also, there is a ton of information on the NPS website, including photos and videos in a format they call eTours and eHikes.
We'll be hanging out mostly along the Going-to-the-Sun road, but we also plan trips to Many Glacier and Two Medicine Lakes… we're hoping to find it a little less crowded at Two Medicine Lakes, but the scenery still looks just as incredible.
Have a great trip!
Probably should stop off to at least Yellowstone
Glaciers form a number of characteristic features when they begin to lose energy and volume. You often find features with combined water and ice action. For example
- Kames
- Kame deltas
- Eskers
- Drumlins
- Moraines (lateral, terminal, medial, recessional, push)
- Kettle holes (block of ice left behind, then melts)
- Outwash plains (sediment from rivers)
Basically, you'll see a landscape which is full of small hills and depressions. Of course, the glacier also makes a characteristic U-shaped valley too.
There are a lot of depositional features, often with sediment being unsorted (random sizes – in contrast to sorted sediment of rivers). The sediment that forms the features comes from rocks that are broken off by weathering and swept up by the glacier further up the valley, and those rocks are broken down. It also takes up rocks and sediment off the ground.
http://www.nps.gov/glac/naturescience/mammalchecklist.htm
Long list.
Start by reading these two articles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacier_National_Park_(Canada)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacier_National_Park_(U.S.)
Then these:
http://www.sierraclub.org/energy/articles/glacier.asp
http://www.nrmsc.usgs.gov/research/glacier_retreat.htm
http://www.nrmsc.usgs.gov/research/glacier_model.htm
Driving directions to Glacier National Park
2,431 mi – about 1 day 15 hours
It's quite a drive. The round trip will be about 4,862 miles, 3 days 6 hours. The distance doesn't vary much on long trips, just short ones, like within one city. See the source for map and directions.
1,584 mi² (4,101 km²)