| The most visited place in Montana, Glacier National | | | | Canada's adjoining Waterton Lakes National Park the |
| Park is a crown jewel in America's National Park | | | | Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. The |
| System. The park derived its name from the more | | | | re-naming of the parks also honored the character of |
| than 50 perennial ice fields within its 1600 square miles | | | | this massive wilderness and the cooperation and |
| of pristine wilderness that spans the Continental Divide. | | | | shared stewardship required to protect and maintain |
| The park has over 200 alpine lakes, 700 miles of | | | | the park system. |
| maintained hiking trails and almost 1000 miles of creeks, | | | | Prior to the white man's invasion of the American |
| rivers and waterfalls. | | | | West, the Kootenai, Salish and Blackfeet Indian Tribes |
| Mystical, primal forests, rugged majestic mountains and | | | | lived and hunted in this majestic wilderness. The entire |
| wildflower blanketed alpine meadows are all part of | | | | region holds great spiritual significance for Native |
| one of the largest, bio-diverse and intact ecosystems | | | | Americans who held its secrets sacred. |
| to be found in the lower 48 states. In 1979, the United | | | | When their freedom was shackled and the tribes |
| Nations designated Waterton - Glacier International | | | | were forced onto reservations, the Kootenai and |
| Peace Park as the world's first International Biosphere | | | | Salish were relocated southwest of Glacier. The |
| Reserve. Further honors were bestowed upon the | | | | Blackfeet Reservation adjoins the east side of the |
| park in 1995 when UNESCO honored the park's | | | | park. On Chief Mountain at the northwest boundary of |
| international significance by designating it a World | | | | the park, Plains Indian Tribes continue to hold prayer |
| Heritage Site. | | | | ceremonies and vision quests. |
| For over 20,000 years glaciers have crafted and | | | | In 1806, the Lewis and Clark Expedition journeyed |
| carved this majestic landscape. A glacier is a slowly | | | | within 80 miles of the area that is now Glacier Park. In |
| moving mass of snow and ice formed when more | | | | 1815, a fur trapper for the Hudson Bay Company of |
| snow falls each winter than melts in the following | | | | Canada, Hugh Monroe, (called "Rising Wolf' by the |
| summer. The heavy snowfall accumulates and the | | | | Blackfeet Indians), was the first white man to enter the |
| weight creates pressure and forms the lower layers | | | | area. Soon other trappers followed in search of the |
| into solid ice. The bottom layer is flexible, allowing the | | | | beaver pelts so much in demand in Europe. |
| glacier to progress. As glaciers move they pick up | | | | Fueled by the discovery of gold, settlement of the |
| boulders, rocks and gravel which sculpts and scrapes | | | | west was expanding. When the Great Northern |
| the land it travels across. Over thousands of years, | | | | Railroad completed construction of the railway over |
| glacial movement forged the magnificent sharp | | | | Marias Pass in 1891, homesteaders settled into the lush |
| mountain peaks, deep valleys and lakes that make up | | | | valleys and small towns sprang up. |
| the extraordinary landscape of the park. | | | | The United States government, under extreme |
| The dense forests of this vast pristine ecosystem are | | | | pressure from settlers and miners, acquired the |
| inhabited by more than 70 species of mammals | | | | mountains east of the Continental Divide from the |
| including grizzly bears, wolves, cougars, big horn sheep, | | | | Blackfeet Tribe in 1895. The treasure hunter's dreams |
| mountain goats, elk, deer, moose, beavers and | | | | were dashed when they failed to find a bonanza. |
| wolverine. More than 260 species of birds ride the | | | | Although some gold and copper was found, the mining |
| winds. | | | | boom only lasted a few brief years. Abandoned mine |
| Exquisite wildflowers flourish in alpine meadows and | | | | shafts and tailing piles are still found in several locations |
| prairie grasslands; over 1400 species of wildflowers | | | | within the park. |
| bloom in the park. 28 of these are varieties that are | | | | By the turn of the century, the public started to view |
| found nowhere else but within Glacier National Park. | | | | and value the land for its incredible, breathtaking |
| Icy, sparkling clear, clean water; in Glacier Park there is | | | | beauty. Rather than just judging the land for its |
| water everywhere. Water covers over 2000 acres of | | | | potential for financial exploitation, many factions moved |
| the park. Glorious chains of waterfalls, hundreds of | | | | to preserve the fragile ecosystem. |
| lakes and over 550 creeks and rivers. Sacred Dancing | | | | Many people, such as George Bird Grinnell, an early |
| Cascades is a series of waterfalls that are favorites | | | | explorer of Montana, lobbied for the creation of a |
| of all who visit. | | | | national park. The area became a Forest Preserve in |
| Many people consider the Going-To-The-Sun Road, a | | | | 1900, but remained open to homesteading and mining. |
| spectacular 52 mile stretch of tarmac that divides | | | | Grinnell and other dedicated conservationists petitioned |
| north and south Glacier National Park, to be one of the | | | | for the added protection a national park would offer. In |
| most scenic roadways in America. Traversing the | | | | 1910, George Grinnell was delighted when all the hard |
| park from east to west, the "Sun Road" is considered | | | | work paid off. President Taft signed legislation making |
| an engineering miracle. The construction of this | | | | Glacier the nation's 10th National Park. |
| incredible roadway took over 11 years and tens of | | | | Like glaciers all over the world, the glaciers of Glacier |
| thousands of man hours to complete. The final | | | | National Park are melting. Inch by inch, warming |
| segment of the Going-To-The-Sun Road, over Logan | | | | temperatures are consuming the ice masses. The |
| Pass, was finished in 1932 and today is a National | | | | change is not dramatic unless you compare today's |
| Historic Landmark. The road allowed visitors by car to | | | | glaciers with those of 50 years ago. There are almost |
| access the park and enjoy areas that previously had | | | | 100 less glaciers today than there were five decades |
| taken several days of horseback riding to reach. | | | | ago. Scientists predict that if global warming is not |
| Glacier National Park is actually half of the world's first | | | | curtailed, there may not be a single glacier left by 2030. |
| International Park. In 1932, to honor the friendly relations | | | | If you haven't seen Glacier Park go soon and take the |
| and neighborly bond between the two countries, the | | | | grandchildren, the glaciers of the park may soon be |
| United States and Canada named Glacier and | | | | only a memory. |