The Blackfeet called it the Land of Shining Mountains. Lewis and Clark in their quest for the Pacific, failed to find a route through these formidable peaks.
Yet for centuries native hunters followed ancient routes to hunting grounds on both sides of the continental divide.
Today you can experience Glacier National Parks visual drama from the scenic roadways that follow these ancient routes. Visitors marvel at the stunning change in scenery between the western slopes cedar forests and the prairie grasslands on the eastern side. In Between stand the glacier-carved peaks and lush alpine meadows of the Rocky Mountains.
Year-round access is granted by Highway 2, which follows the parks southern boundary over Marisa Pass. The famous Going to the Sun Road is a spectacular summer only route that travels through the heart of the park. This 55 mile scenic parkway winds its way up and over the Continental Divide. From Lake McDonald to St Mary, Going to the Sun Road reveals the glory of Glacier National Parks high alpine terrain to all that find them way to this magnificent landscape.
In 1932, Glacier National Park in Montana and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta were formally joined to form Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, the worlds first. A Rotary International initiative, the designation celebrates the peace and friendship that exists between Canada and the US. It highlights the fact that nature knows no political boundaries.
It was George Bird Grinnell, the father of Glacier National Park who coined the phrase, Crown of the Continent. Today it is the formal name of the ecosystem that encompasses Glacier and Waterton parks. The bio-diversity found here is one of the highest in North America.
This is the Crown, the birthplace of the great rivers of the continent, their waters flow into three different oceans. The climate creates its own ecological conditions which result in the presence of flora and fauna unique in the world. Outstanding natural features remain habitat for abundant and spectacular wildlife, from the mighty grizzly bear to rare species of butterflies.
The Going to the Sun Road is the highlight of the park. Driving on this road is what all the tourists do. Or if you do not want to drive you can take a tour bus and let them do the driving for you. There are a couple companies that offer the tour. The most popular is the one with the red tour buses of a forgotten era. If you like mountain scenery, take the tour. If you drive you will be too buy keeping you eyes on the road. And that is not what you want to look at.
There are not too many places to stay around the park. You might just want to stay in the park itself. There are a few nice hotels in the park. All the surrounding areas, especially on the east and south are run by the Blackfeet tribe. Their reservation borders the park on the east.
Watch the video related to Glacier National Park
Board a historic Red Bus in this Glacier National Park DVD bonus feature available on location and from www.finleyholiday.com. Filmed in high definition. Glacier’s famed Red Bus Tours take you over Going to the Sun Road and throughout Glacier National Park. Operated by Glacier Park, Inc., these historic open-air busses can take you to any of four great historic lodges in Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, including the Great Lodges of Glacier Tour. Visit www.glacierparkinc.com for …
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Jammer Joe is the best!
I've been to Glacier before and plan to visit the park again in early July. I'm starting my trip in Yellowstone and will spend a few nights at Rising Sun in Glacier before continuing on to the Canadian Rockies. If you haven’t been to Glacier before, I suggest you get a book on Glacier NP trails. I recently picked up a paperback titled Best Easy Day Hikes in Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks by Erik Molvar ($8.95). I use the book to select trails then search the web for more detailed information on each trail. You can usually find good descriptions of trails posted by people who have hiked them but you have to know the name of the trail first; hence the book.
I used to be a backpacker but I'm getting on in years now and pretty much just do day hikes within my abilities. I don't know what your physical condition is but you have to decide for yourself what your limits are. I live near sea level so for me a mile high hike is literally breath taking; at least until I get acclimated to the elevation. Glacier is a mountain park so you'll be hiking at higher elevations and you have to consider elevation changes as well. I use topographic maps to review trails that I'm planning to hike. The topo map tells me what kind of grades I'll be tackling.
One of the more popular trails in Glacier and perhaps the most scenic is the Highline. The Highline starts at the Logan Pass Visitor Center and ends at the Loop on the Going to the Sun Road. There is a shuttle service that you can use to get back to your car at Logan Pass. The trail is 11.5 miles long and is mostly downhill once you reach Granite Park Chalet. I would love to hike this trail when I'm there this July but my recent experience on the downhill segments of the Panorama Trail in Yosemite tells me that my knees may not stand up to the pounding they will take during the descent from Granite Park Chalet to the Loop. I am considering doing the upper segment of the Highline as an out and back hike.
I'm definitely going to hike the Iceberg Lake Trail. This is a 9 mile (roundtrip) out and back trail with an elevation gain of approximately 1,200 feet. The highest elevation is 6,400 feet. Allow 5 to 8 hours to complete this hike.
A mellower hike is the Avalanche Lake Trail on the western side of the park. This is a 4.6 mile (RT) out and back hike with an elevation gain of 505 feet. Time required is 2 to 4 hours.
A definite must do is the Hidden Lake Trail. This trail is another out and back with a length of 3 miles (RT) to Hidden Lake Pass and 6 miles (RT) to Hidden Lake. You should at the very least hike to the pass, then decide if you want to continue to the lake. The view from the pass is simply awesome. This trail has an elevation gain of 550 feet to the pass and a 675 feet loss to the lake. The highest elevation is approximately 7,140 feet. Allow 1.5 to 2.5 hours to the pass and 3 to 5 hours to the lake.
There are numerous other day hikes in Glacier and you should get yourself a book to check them out. I can definitely tell you that you are about to experience one of the most beautiful parks, if not the most beautiful, in the U.S. National Park System.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Glacier is grizzly country and you should also be mindful of the mountain lions. There have been attacks by both bears and mountain lions in the past so keep this in mind while hiking. I will definitely be carrying bear spray while hiking in Glacier, especially on the Iceberg Lake Trail which is known for grizzly activity. Some prefer to use bangers but having no experience with these devices I’ll continue to carry bear spray.
The weather is something else you need to be mindful of. The day might start off with clear skies but that can quickly go downhill. If you’re hiking on the east side of the continental divide the mountains will block your view of storms approaching from the west and before you know it you could be in a really bad way. Consider carrying warm clothing and a rain jacket or poncho in your backpack. Basically, pack as if you were day hiking in Alaska. Carry lots of water to prevent dehydration. For a trail like Iceberg Lake you should be carrying at least 2 liters of water per person. Some can do with less, others need more.
Have a good trip. I know you’ll love Glacier.
I recently visited Glacier National Park for the second time. It is in my opinion one of the most beautiful national parks anywhere. I would describe the scenery as drop-dead gorgeous. I hope you're a hiker because that is the activity of choice in Glacier. One of the short must do trails is Hidden Lake Pass. Another good one is Avalanche Lake. For longer hikes I highly recommend the Highline and Iceberg Lake trails.
I thought Waterton was a bit of a let down after seeing Glacier. For my second trip I chose to head north to Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The Lake Agnes and the Beehives trail above Lake Louise is a must do and if you're up to it you can combine that trail with the Plain of Six Glaciers trail to make a long loop. Do Johnston Canyon early in the morning (before 9 AM) before the crowds get there. The Paradise and Larch Valleys also have some great trails but you are required to hike in a tight group of 4 people minimum because of bears. I carried bear spray in Glacier and Banff as did many other hikers I met on the trail.
Even if you're not much of a hiker I highly recommend you visit Glacier for the scenery. The Going to the Sun Road in itself is worth the trip. Have fun!
Well, for sure, don't miss the Goin' to the Sun Highway that is on the east side of the park. It is high and awesome. If you are up to it you could hike or backpack. I'm headed up there this fall.
I was there several years ago and loved it. There are numerous hiking trails that lead to waterfalls or lakes. On one of the hikes I did, we saw a good number of mountain goats. That was the hike to "Hidden Lake" which starts behind the Logan Pass Visitor Center, on the Going-to-the-Sun road. If you're planning on doing lots of hiking there, I recommend a book called: "Glacier Day Hikes" by Alan Leftridge. I used it when I was there and it had lots of good hikes. Have fun
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They went on vacation to Yellowstone.
I'm just trying to give them a suggestion, other than saying natural cycle or solar activity or some other drivel.