Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park, the ‘Crown of the Continent,’ is one of the most spectacular wild landscapes in North America — over a million acres of jagged, ice-carved peaks, hanging valleys, alpine meadows, ancient forests and glacier-fed lakes straddling the Continental Divide in northwestern Montana, along the Canadian border. Together with Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park it forms the world’s first International Peace Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The park is famed for the Going-to-the-Sun Road, an engineering marvel that climbs over Logan Pass through the heart of the mountains; for more than 700 miles of trails through some of the finest hiking country in the world; and for its turquoise lakes, thundering waterfalls and abundant wildlife, including grizzly bears, mountain goats and bighorn sheep. Though its namesake glaciers are dwindling with a warming climate, Glacier remains a landscape of overwhelming grandeur and a treasured icon of Montana and the American wilderness.

Glacier National Park is a paradise for hikers, with more than 700 miles of trails ranging from easy lakeside strolls to the famous Highline Trail along the Garden Wall and strenuous climbs to glaciers, passes and lookouts. Beyond hiking, visitors drive the spectacular Going-to-the-Sun Road, take boat tours on the great lakes, paddle and kayak, fish, camp, ride horseback, watch wildlife, and in winter ski and snowshoe the quiet, snowbound park. Hiking the high country and driving the Sun Road are the signature experiences. The combination of jagged peaks, turquoise lakes and superb trails makes Glacier one of the premier outdoor destinations in the world.

Summer (July through early September) is the prime season, when the Going-to-the-Sun Road is fully open over Logan Pass, the high trails are clear of snow, the alpine meadows bloom, and all services run — though it is also the busiest and now requires vehicle reservations for parts of the park. Late June brings roaring waterfalls and wildflowers as the snow recedes; September offers thinning crowds and crisp air; and fall brings golden larch. Winter closes the high road and most services but offers profound solitude and snow travel. Summer for the full high-country experience is the highlight; come early in the day and reserve ahead.

The mountains of Glacier are the homeland of the Blackfeet, whose reservation borders the park on the east, and the Salish, Pend d’Oreille and Kootenai peoples to the west, for whom this is sacred ground. After the Great Northern Railway promoted the region and built grand chalets and lodges, Congress established Glacier National Park in 1910. The Going-to-the-Sun Road, a engineering triumph, was completed in 1933, and in 1932 Glacier joined Waterton Lakes to form the world’s first International Peace Park. Glacier National Park preserves this magnificent landscape and its deep Native heritage, a treasured icon of Montana.

Glacier’s dramatic peaks are built of some of the best-preserved ancient sedimentary rock in the world — layers of Belt Supergroup mudstone, limestone and argillite over a billion years old, bearing fossil stromatolites and ripple marks from primeval seas — that were thrust up and eastward along the great Lewis Overthrust fault. The Ice Age glaciers then carved this uplifted rock into the park’s signature landscape: horns, arêtes, cirques, U-shaped valleys and the basins that hold the turquoise lakes. The ancient rock, the overthrust and the relentless glacial sculpting created the spectacular ‘Crown of the Continent.’

Glacier shelters one of the most intact wildlife communities in the lower 48 — grizzly and black bears, gray wolves, wolverines, lynx, mountain lions, moose, elk and deer, and the iconic high-country species, mountain goats (a park symbol) and bighorn sheep, while marmots, pikas and ground squirrels animate the alpine, and golden eagles and a rich birdlife fill the skies. The park’s waters hold native trout. This is grizzly and goat country, world-renowned for wildlife watching; carry bear spray, keep your distance, and the high passes and meadows offer unforgettable encounters with the wildlife of the Northern Rockies.

Glacier protects a remarkably complete ecosystem spanning the Continental Divide, from dense western red cedar and hemlock rainforest in the wet western valleys, through montane forests of spruce, fir and larch, to subalpine meadows and the fragile alpine tundra of the peaks — where waters flow to three oceans (Pacific, Atlantic and Hudson Bay). The dwindling glaciers, the cold clear lakes and streams, and the wildflower meadows are vital parts of the system. Protecting this connected wilderness, its waters and its full range of habitats sustains both the ecology and the spectacular grandeur of the ‘Crown of the Continent.’

Glacier National Park holds a treasured place among America’s natural icons — the ‘Crown of the Continent,’ a symbol of the wild Northern Rockies, sacred to the Blackfeet, Salish, Pend d’Oreille and Kootenai peoples, and beloved by millions for its overwhelming beauty. Its grand railway-era lodges, the engineering legend of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and the world’s first International Peace Park all enrich its meaning. As both a wilderness sanctuary and a barometer of a changing climate, Glacier is a cherished icon of Montana and one of the most magnificent national parks in the world.

Glacier National Park is in northwestern Montana, with the west entrance at West Glacier (near Kalispell and its airport) on U.S. 2, and east-side entrances at St. Mary and Many Glacier along the Blackfeet Reservation. Amtrak’s Empire Builder stops at the park’s edge. An entrance fee applies, and timed vehicle reservations are required for the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor and other areas in peak season. The park offers lodges, campgrounds, visitor centers, boat tours and a shuttle along the Sun Road. Check the National Park Service for the road status, vehicle reservations, fees and conditions before visiting.

The National Park Service protects Glacier’s wilderness, wildlife and waters. Visitors help by carrying and knowing how to use bear spray, storing food properly, keeping a safe distance from all wildlife, staying on trails to protect the fragile alpine meadows, cleaning gear to prevent aquatic invasive species in the lakes, packing out everything, and following all regulations. The retreating glaciers make Glacier a powerful symbol of climate change. Protecting the connected ecosystem, its native species, its clear waters and its fragile high country sustains both the ecology and the spectacular grandeur of the ‘Crown of the Continent.’

Glacier is rugged, wild country — this is grizzly territory, so carry bear spray, make noise, hike in groups and never approach or feed wildlife. Mountain weather changes fast, with snow possible any month and severe storms at the passes; carry layers, water and the essentials. Trails can be steep, narrow and exposed, with snowfields lingering into summer; cold, swift streams and lakes are dangerous, and waterfalls and cliff edges are deadly. Tell someone your plans, watch the weather, mind children near water and edges, and respect the bears, the terrain and the swift, cold mountain waters.

An entrance fee applies, and timed vehicle reservations are required for the Going-to-the-Sun Road and certain areas in peak season — check requirements before arrival. Camp only in designated campgrounds or with a backcountry permit; store all food in bear-proof storage. Keep at least 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from other wildlife. Pets are restricted to roads, lots and campgrounds (not trails). Drones are prohibited. Clean watercraft to prevent invasive species. Pack out all trash. Check the National Park Service for reservations, permits, fees and current rules before visiting.

The towns of West Glacier, Whitefish, Kalispell and Columbia Falls, the Flathead Valley and Flathead Lake, the Blackfeet Reservation and the town of Browning to the east, and across the border Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park lie near the park. The peaks of the Continental Divide and the Flathead Valley define the region. Glacier anchors a spectacular region of northwestern Montana, a centerpiece of a Northern Rockies adventure of mountains, lakes and wildlife, easily combined with Whitefish, Flathead Lake and Waterton across the Canadian line.

Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road over Logan Pass for one of the great scenic drives in America (reserve a timed entry in peak season, or take the free park shuttle), and hike at least one high trail — the Highline along the Garden Wall, or the climbs to Hidden Lake, Grinnell Glacier or Iceberg Lake. Come in July or August for the full high country, start early to beat crowds and find parking, and carry bear spray, layers and plenty of water. Watch for goats and bighorn at Logan Pass, and base yourself in Whitefish or at one of the historic park lodges.