Glacier National Park - West Glacier, Montana

Glacier National Park.  If you love the outdoors, spectacular scenery, cool mountain air and being in the heart of primeval nature at its grandest, then you should visit Glacier National Park, a nationally designated wilderness area that is the ideal vacation destination for people just like you.

Glacier National Park is a vast pristine ecosystem encompassing two mountain ranges. Take an unforgettable drive on Going-to-the-Sun Road (the main parkway traversing the park) and treat yourself to some of the most spectacular mountain scenery you will ever have the privilege to view.

The park has 131 named lakes, and 700 smaller ones, with Lake McDonald and St. Mary lakes being the largest. Towering mountain ranges, numerous waterfalls, thousands of plant species, and abundant wildlife, (among other species, the park is the home of bears, wolves, deer, squirrels, big horn sheep and mountain goats,) all combining to make Glacier National Park an unforgettable scenic paradise.

Although the park was named for the once more than 150 glaciers that covered vast areas of the park as recently as a century ago, less than 30 remain today. Glacier National Park borders the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Colombia and is located to the north of Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta and the Flathead Provincial Forest and Akamina –Kishinena Provencial Park in British Colombia. The north fork of the Flathead River forms the park’s western boundary. To the park’s south is the one million acre Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, one of the most remote and primitive forested areas in the continental United States, and the home of some of the largest populations of Grizzly bears in the country.

Athough the park is a campers and hikers paradise, with over 700 miles of hiking trails, as well as a region of great opportunity for fishing, canoeing, picture-taking and wild life observation, the weather can be fickle, and even dangerous to visitors at times, despite the fact that visitation is primarily during spring and summer months. Exceptionally heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures make winter visits impractical, but summer weather, although much more hospitable, and even refreshing – temperatures average in the 50’s and 60’s and occasionally much higher during the day, dependent upon elevation, and can drop into the low 40s or less during the evenings, again dependent upon elevation - can suddenly turn threatening, with thunderstorms accompanied by substantial downpours and even hail, not an unusual occurrence.

Visitors to the park who prefer a lodge or motor inn to a campsite will find numerous accommodations throughout the area, but park officials advise making reservations prior to arriving as these accommodations fill up fast during the summer.

Glacier National Park visitor information, including campground availability data, can be obtained by contacting:

Glacier National Park
PO Box 128
West Glacier, Montana 59936
Tel: 406-888-7800

Admission: $25/per vehicle – annual pass $35

Glacier National Park - Montana

Hike, Horseback Ride, and Relax at Glacier National Park

More than 2 million people each year visit Glacier National Park. From the forests, meadows, mountains, and lakes, as well as more than 700 miles of great hiking trails, there is always plenty to see and do. This is one of the best places in the world for those who love hiking, and those who want to get back to nature.

Most people who come to the park are planning on staying several days, and will likely end up camping or staying at one of the lodges. There is no shortage of places to stay in the park.

If you are only planning a daytrip, however, don’t worry. You can still get a good feel for the park, as well as see and learn plenty. Some of the things you might want to do if you are there for a single day are watch a presentation or take a walking excursion led by one of the park rangers, take a hike on your own, or visit the Discovery Cabin in Apgar Village. At the cabin, you can learn about the different plants and animals in the park, as well as how the park is maintained. Maybe take some time out for a picnic and then take a drive along the scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Should you have a week or so to spend at the Glacier National Park, you can do all of the above and so much more. You can learn a bit about the fascinating Blackfoot Indian culture or take a leisurely boat cruise and find out about the park’s history and the geology of the area. Another fun thing to do is explore the park on the back of a horse and with the aid of an experienced guide. It gives you the feeling of being a frontiersman on the edge of discovering something completely new.

For those who are willing, you can even take an extended, guided hike into the interior of the park. Here, you can experience one of the last true wild areas in the United States.

Make sure you always keep your camera handy as well. There is no shortage of photographic subjects.

There is always something new going on in Glacier National Park