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VISITOR
INFORMATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
Inside
the Park
Outside
the Park
ACTIVITIES
PHOTOGRAPHS
Featured
Web Sites
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National Parks
Communities
near Glacier NP
Browning
Columbia Falls
East Glacier Park
Essex
Hungry Horse
Kalispell
West Glacier
Whitefish
More Northwest Montana
Bitterroot Valley
Blackfeet Indian Res.
Clark Fork River
Flathead Valley
Kootenai Valley
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Aerial photo from
helicopter tour by Jenie Woehler of
Historic Tamarack Lodge.
Glacier
National Park is a stunningly beautiful ice-carved terrain of
serrated ridges, jutting peaks, dramatic hanging valleys, 50 glaciers, more than 200
lakes, waterfalls and thick forests covering some 1.2-million acres. Deer are among the most commonly spotted
wildlife but elk, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, wolves, grizzly and
black bears roam its wild vastness and are often seen by visitors.
Goat Lick overlook,
for example, is a natural salt lick on cliffs overlooking the
southern border of the park. From a viewing platform just off US
Highway 2 east of
Essex you are sure to see mountain
goats or other animals at any time of day enjoying the lick.
Wild flowers,
too, are abundant and put on a lengthy show of color as they follow spring up the mountains all summer long.
The park is unique among US parks
in its relationship with the Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta,
Canada. The two parks meet at the border shared by the two
countries. Though administered by separate countries, the parks are
cooperatively managed in recognition that wild plants and animals ignore
political boundaries and claim the natural and cultural resources on both
sides of the border. In 1932, the parks were designated the first
International Peace Park in recognition of the bonds of peace and
friendship between the two nations. The two parks jointly share the
name The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Then, in 1995,
The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was designated for inclusion
as a World Heritage Site.
Visitor Centers
Glacier National Park is served by three
Visitor Centers; Apgar, Logan Pass and St. Marys. Ranger-guided-naturalist
activities are available throughout the park from mid-June through September. Call
406-888-5441 for details. You might like to enquire about having lunch on a
glacier! The park has more than 700 miles of trails ranging from day hikes to extended treks. Trailheads
for popular day hikes can be found near the visitors' centers
Going-to-the-Sun Road
The famed 52-mile Going-to-the-Sun Road climbs 3,000
feet to provide spectacular views across the Continental Divide from June to
October. It is closed the rest of the year due to heavy snows. Glacier Park Inc.
operates a daily shuttle service along this road, from July 1 to Labor Day Weekend in
September. The shuttle operates between Rising Sun Motor Inn and Lake McDonald
Lodge, a useful service for those who have oversized rigs not allowed on the road, and
others who would rather not drive the narrow mountain roads themselves.
History
Earlier this century, the
Great Northern Railway built chalets to market Glacier National Park as the
"Switzerland of America". Although many no longer exist, Granite Park
Chalet and Sperry Chalet are open to the public. Be warned that the former has no
running water. The most popular route to Granite Park Chalet is a 7-mile hike along
the Highline Trail from Logan Pass. Glacier Park Lodge, and Many Glacier Hotel also
accommodate guests.
See also the Go Northwest! guide to the Flathead Valley |
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Montana Raft Co. / Glacier Guides
Whitewater Rafting
Backpacking Flyfishing
Hiking Backcountry Chalet
Adventures
All Inside Glacier
National Park!
Serious Fun - Join us!
1-800-521-7238
E-mail
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So! You Want to See
Glaciers?
Mount Rainier
Visitor and Lodging Association
26 Named Year-round
Glaciers and the Longest in the Continental US.
www.mrva.us
Snowshoeing, climbing,
hiking, x-country skiing
1-877-617-9950
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Go Northwest!
Bookstore
Best selection of books on the
Northwest.
Click here!
Best Easy Day
Hikes: Glacier and Waterton Lakes by Erik Molvar.
Paperback, 2nd. Ed.; 03/01/2007; 112 pages.
Features concise descriptions and
easy-to-follow maps for twenty-eight short hikes through some of the
most spectacular scenery in this natural wonderland. Look inside for
Half-hour strolls to full-day adventures; Hikes for everyone, including
families; Hikes ranked from easiest to most challenging; and
GPS-compatible trail maps.
Order now...
Glacier
National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park: A Complete Recreation Guide
by Vicky Spring, Tom Kirkendall. March 1994, Mountaineers Book, 1st
edition, Paperback, 255 pages, (non-fiction).
Order now...
Moon
Glacier National Park (Moon Handbooks) by Becky Lomax. Paperback; 275 pages;
Avalon Travel Publishing; March 10, 2006; Written by a local hiking guide whose
love affair with the park spans decades. You�ll find where to smother your taste
buds with huckleberry pie, where to spot a glacier, where to spy grizzly bears,
where to swim with icebergs, and where to run your fingers over some of North
America�s oldest rock formations. Suggested travel strategies and lists of
must-see sights provide insights about where you
should go, stay, and eat. Becky's travel strategies include One Day in Glacier,
The Glacier Smorgasbord (an eight-day overview), Wildlife Watching, Getting Away
From it All, Wildflower Wonders, and Top Ten Day Hikes.
We appreciate your orders. They
help keep Go Northwest! online.
Northwest Books
from . . .

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