In their quest for the Pacific, Lewis and Clark failed to find a route through these mighty glacier peaks that form the backdrop of today’s park, with its 750 miles of maintained hiking trails. On the western slope are cedar forests, and grasslands on the eastern side, and in between lay the glacier-carved peaks and valleys with lush alpine meadows.
Going-to-the-Sun Road
To experience the park’s dramatic scenery from the roadway that follows along ancient routes used for centuries by native hunters is thrilling and a great road trip. The Going-to-the-Sun-Road, a spectacular world-famous route, is listed as one of the best scenic drives in the US. It traverses the heart of Glacier National Park with 55 miles of scenic parkway winding its way up and over the Continental Divide from Lake McDonald to St. Mary.
The road itself is an engineering miracle and also prized as one of America’s National Historic Landmarks. Hiking is superb and the high alpine terrain is accessible to almost everyone from the Going-to-the-Sun Road, which is open only in summer and early fall. Mountains seem to pierce the sky, and the peaks dazzle like a thousand jewels in the sunlight. Indian Chief Mountain is the mightiest of the great glaciers. Clouds follow the contours of the peaks, gliding down like milky meringue. Approaching Logan’s Pass, the highest summit, frozen fog might suddenly descend and the way ahead becomes a drive into a white sparkling mist.
Glaciers are Remnants of the Ice Age 10,000 Years Ago
The view from the top of Logan’s Pass is spectacular. Obviously known for its glaciers, the park also encompasses several large lakes. Continuing down the other side brings you to St. Mary Lake where a hike and a picnic will give respite to a day’s touring. Climb through the woods to the edge of the lake with its astonishing view of Goose Island. There’s an excellent visitor’s center at St Mary’s. The map will show the visitor that Canada is not far away and a drive through acres of crooked yellow aspens and pine trees, will bring you easily to Waterton Lake where the famous Prince of Wales Hotel sits perched on the edge of the water.
River Rafting and Mountain Hiking Trails
Back at West Glacier, there is a wonderful hotel called the Belton Chalet established in 1910. It features old-style accommodation and a gourmet menu for the hungry hiker. Visitors can also stay nearby in one of the log cabins organized by the Glacier River Raft Company. On offer are river raft tours and guided hikes. An easy trail for families is the Avalanche Trail up to Avalanche Lake. Occasional chipmunks skip along the rocky shoreline and along decaying, bleached tree trunks crisscrossed at the lake shore’s edge. The lake water is low and somewhat dwarfed against the background of giant trees and stone-faced mountains, but the silence of the surrounding forest is serene.
Trail of the Great Bear
There are bears in the Glacier National Park. Grizzly Bear and Black Bear, but the rangers keep the visitors well informed of any sightings. Yet, trekking through the park it is easy to imagine the trail of the Great Bear. Curley Bear Wagner, an Native American Indian wrote that according to the Blackfeet Native People, the Great Bear serves as the overarching symbol of the most powerful image of indigenous human experience in relation to nature. ‘Going back 5.000 years ago now’, he said, ‘you’ve got to understand that the American Indian and the bear walked the same path. We fished the same streams. We dug the same Camus root. We picked the same berries in the same berry patch. And we as people observed the Bear learn how to survive.’ Known as ‘The Backbone of the World’ by the Native Americans, Glacier National Park joined with Canada’s Waterton Lake National Park and became the world’s first international park. The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is a World Heritage Site. The parks are stunning in their scenery and fiercely beautiful and best experienced by hiking the trails and driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road.