Glacier National Park
Between the border of Canada and the United States
The Glacier National Park is a great national park in the American State of Montana. The grounds of the National Park cover almost one million acres of land which makes it one of the largest in the world today. However, this does cover the sub ranges of the Rocky Mountains; and there are at least one hundred and thirty known lakes – all of which have been named. The park is the home of hundreds of different species of wild life as well as more than a thousand different species of plant life also.
The Glacier National Park is certainly one of the most loved national parks today. This park has a huge and almost pristine ecosystem which is some achievement; it is certainly the centre piece of the park. It can also be known as the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem. This is a huge piece of land of the park which covers almost sixteen thousand miles of land.
What Visitors Can Do In the Park?
Glacier National Park is in fact quite a distance from many major cities. The park does still receive many visitors as it’s not in fact that difficult to find the park or get to the park either. However, there is a nearby airport – Kalispell airport in Montana; and in fact this park is only a few miles southwest of the park. However, visitors can also use the Amtrak trains which stop at the West and East Glacier and Essex also.
For the visitors, they will be able to use the 1930’s Red Jammers coaches, from the White Motor Company which have been restored, and can use these to tour around the park. This can include the main roads of the park; and the coaches were rebuilt in 2001 by Ford. The coaches were rebuilt because the bodies were actually removed for their chassis which were outdated and old; instead they were rebuilt on Ford E series chassis which are modern. They can also run on propane which helps to prevent CO2 emissions.
Visitors can also be taken across some of the larger lakes in the park. There are very old wooden boats which date back to around 1920 which are used to take groups on a tour across the lakes. These boats are quite big as they can hold up around 80 tourists on one sitting. Though, hiking is very popular throughout the park.
Throughout the year, there are more than a million visitors which like to hike through the parks almost seven hundred miles of various trails. Many of the trails can be closed down during parts of the year because of snow. The National Park service take every precautions when it comes to keeping the park preserved as well as the visitors safe from accidents.
For any visitors, they are not permitted to bring any dogs into the park’s trails. This is because that there are large animals such as bears throughout the trails, so for safety dogs aren’t permitted on the trails. However, dogs can go to the campsites. The campsites are free from any sort of large mammals and it is considered safe for the family pet also. All campsites can be accessible via the paved roads though a vehicle is necessary to have when visiting the campsite.
For any Canadian visitors coming to visit the park across the border, they do need to have their passport. Though any visitor coming from Canada or America will be able to enjoy the park. Day hikes are certainly a very popular attraction the park has to offer; and there are plenty of back country trails to camp out at.
Some of the back country is not going to be accessible for hikers from the early part of the year because of snow which is usually found at the winter and spring months. Though in early June, some of the back country will be accessible but for higher altitude trails, the snow can stay to around July. This is because there is a higher risk of avalanches when there is an accumulation of snow.
There is a variety of campgrounds which offer vehicle access and many of the campgrounds are found the larger lakes. This offers perfect views for all visitors to sit and enjoy. Two campgrounds will be open all year including Apgar and St Mary but some of the conditions will be closed off such as no running water and restroom facilities are closed during the colder months.
Most campgrounds are going to be opened from around the month of June to around the middle of September. Though there will be a lot of shuttle and guided tours available for those who don’t have vehicle access to the park’s campgrounds.
Visitors can also take up fishing as this is a very popular pastime in the park. A lot of visitors head here to come fly fishing as this is one of the popular attractions the park has. There are not permits required when it comes to fishing but those who wish to fish in the park and its boundaries will need to follow the rules and regulations while fishing.
For any fishermen or women catching the bull trout, it absolutely must be released into the back immediately once caught – the bull trout is endangered and the park doesn’t want anyone catching these fish. During the winter, activities are going to be very limited. There is no snow mobiles allowed in any parts of the park and cross country skiing has to be limited also. Skiers also need to stay firmly away from the avalanche zones also.
Some of the perfect areas to visit while in the Glacier National Park
Wild Goose Island
Saint Mary Lake
Triple Pass Divide
Bowman Lake
Lake McDonald
Kintla Peak
Hidden Lake
The Big Drift
Going To The Sun Road
Iceberg Lake
Grinnell Glacier
Pass Logan
Chief Mountain
These are just a few of the most popular areas of Glacier National.