Glacier National Park Things to Do

Wild Goose Island is one of the most photographed scenes in Glacier. The tiny island, rising only 14 feet (4 m) above the surface of St. Mary Lake, is surrounded by towering mountains. Views like this in the St. Mary Valley and many other areas in the park are evidence of ancient glaciation. Over the past two million years, the Ice Age, or Pleistocene Epoch, saw large ice sheets repeatedly advance and retreat throughout North America. During the ice advances, the lower-elevation valleys were filled with glaciers and only the very tops of the higher mountain peaks were visible. Rivers of ice would glide throughout the mountains, sculpting them into a variety of landforms including the U-shaped valleys and jagged peaks we see today. In the area that would become Glacier National Park, the Ice Age ended about 10,000 years ago, and ice retreated from the area. Glaciers are masses of ice so large they flow under their own weight. Like any other form of water, a glacier will follow the most direct course downhill, often flowing in areas previously filled by a river or stream. When a river erodes a valley into the mountains, it cuts a V-shaped profile. In contrast, a glacier scours valleys into a U-shape, broad at the base and sheer on the sides. Often, when the glacier retreats, it leaves behind a long, deep lake, like what you see as you gaze up the St. Mary Valley.

An upright tri-panel exhibit behind the Logan Pass Visitor Center. Two panels are about climate change and the third is a map of the area. The two climate panels are titled Causes & Consequences and Solutions & Benefits.

A Waning Winter The intense, snowy winters of Logan Pass are iconic. Deep snowpack that lasts well into summer has both aesthetic and ecological value in Glacier. The literal uphill battle of plowing snow off Going-to-the-Sun Road is a much-watched harbinger of spring here. In recent years, however, the struggle is not to resist winter, but to preserve it. Rising temperatures from a warming climate have meant falling snowpack. Over the past 80 years, western Montana and the Pacific Northwest have seen drastic declines in snowpack volume. Lower elevations especially have seen a decrease in snowpack since the 1950s. This trend is expected to continue unless climate change is swiftly addressed.

One Bubble at a Time Humans get a bad rap for altering the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. There are actually many living things that change the chemistry of the air. Plants photosynthesize, taking in carbon dioxide (CO2) and releasing oxygen (O2). Animals do the reverse: breathing in oxygen and releasing CO2. One organism you might not have heard of is responsible for the oxygen we breathe today: colonies of cyanobacteria (or blue-green algae) called stromatolites. Ancient fossils of stromatolites are found throughout the park, including at Logan Pass. Through photosynthesis, they produced the oxygen in our atmosphere today—one tiny bubble at a time. Burning fossil fuels, which releases many tons of CO2, has changed the composition of our atmosphere in under 200 years, while it took stromatolites over a billion. Last of the Little Ice Age Logan Pass is an excellent place to get an up-close look at geologic evidence of the Little Ice Age, a cold period that lasted from roughly 1300 to 1850. The park’s current glaciers reached their largest size during that period. The onset of a warming trend at the end of the 1800s melted many of this area’s smaller glaciers. Clements Glacier, shown here in 1914, was located near the modern-day trail to Hidden Lake Overlook. Clements Glacier largely melted away at the end of the Little Ice Age, without much influence from modern climate change. Other glaciers in the park endured after the end of the Little Ice Age, though significantly smaller. Some of the larger glaciers might have found equilibrium with the 21st century’s climate. Instead, human-caused climate change is melting them away. Next Ice Age Postponed? Imagine a cold snap that lasts ten thousand winters. When that happens, and more snow falls in the winters than can melt in the summers, you are probably in an ice age. For thousands of years this landscape has been shaped by the natural advance and retreat of colossal glaciers carving out the U-shaped valleys we admire today. If left to its own swings, our climate would be poised for another cold period soon (give or take a few thousand years) but human-caused climate change may have already postponed the next ice age.

Surrounded by carpets of wildflowers. In the summer, lunch creek flows down a natural rock staircase from the striking backdrop of Pollock mountain. It was named for its popularity as a lunch stop for early visitors to the park and remains a popular stop on the road today.

Native people boiled the peeled branches or inner bark of mountain ash to make teas for treating back pain, colds, headaches, sore chests and internal bleeding. Branches were boiled and the steam inhaled, to relieve headaches and sore chests.

The Many Glacier Hotel was the showpiece of the many hotels and chalets that the Great Northern Railway built in Glacier National Park.

In the early years, guests arrived at the hotel on horseback using established trails or in touring cars via dirt roads. Upon arrival, they entered an eclectically decorated lobby. Blackfeet pictographs paid homage to the first caretakers of the land and their history in the valley. Animal pelts and skulls hung from balconies, giving the hotel a hunting lodge feel. Oriental lanterns and afternoon tea service reminded guests the Great Northern could also deliver them to Japan via luxury steam ships. And just to be sure guests didn’t forget where they were, picture windows on every wall made the outdoors almost close enough to touch. The hotel is designed as a series of interconnected buildings that span nearly a quarter mile of lakeshore. Stand in the lobby and face the front desk. The long hallway to the left (north) leads to the Swiss Lounge and Ptarmigan Dining Room, the northernmost building in the design. To the right, a peaceful breezeway leads to the southernmost building, known as the annex. The annex was added in 1917. It completed Hill’s vision for his “Alps of America” experience in the Many Glacier Valley.

Super Sleeper (Marmot) Did You Know? Marmots are super sleepers. At the end of August, they go into a special type of sleep called hibernation. From September through May, they snooze underground. Would you like to sleep through the whole school year? To survive that long without eating, they need lots of fat, so they spend the summer gorging themselves on plants. Marmots spend their whole lives in the alpine. They live in boulder fields, called talus, or in rocky meadows. They are skilled burrowers that spend most of their lives (80%) underground. During the summer, marmots use their burrows to raise their young, and to escape from predators. In winter, the deep snow that piles up over their burrows is important because it’s like a white blanket, keeping the ground warmer when the air temperatures above the snow get super cold. A low snow year means a “thinner blanket” for keeping the marmot’s burrow from freezing. Every super power has a weakness, and for the marmot it is being able to put on enough fat during the short summers to survive their long hibernation. Young marmots can lose half of their body weight during hibernation! Not to mention that while they are sound asleep underground in winter, they can become easy prey to a hungry, super-exploring wolverine. The adventures of this super sleeper will continue to be played out here in Glacier National Park. Super Reaper (Pika) Did You Know? Pikas cut and gather grass and wildflowers all summer. These small-but-mighty super reapers store grass and flowers in large piles, to eat during the long winter. One 5-ounce pika can reap 30 pounds of food each summer. That’s 100 times its body weight! If you had a super-reaping power, which food would you store up? These super reapers require a cold climate. Pikas have difficulty keeping their bodies from over-heating if it gets too warm outside. Temperatures can reach higher than 90 degrees where they live in their alpine habitats. As their climate gets warmer each year, it may become too warm for them, and they may disappear. Glacier National Park researchers and citizen scientists monitor these super reapers to help understand more about how they survive as climate changes the way they live.

Upper McDonald Creek (seen here) and lower McDonald Creek (by Apgar) make up the longest creek system in Glacier at around 25 miles. This observation platform at McDonald Creek Overlook allows visitors to get an up close look at this beautiful and powerful force of nature.

From this turnout, visitors have great access to Lake Mcdonald's shoreline, and an excellent glimpse into the areas fire history throughout the early 2000's. Howe Ridge (seen from here as the ridge on the opposite side of the lake) burned in the 2003 Roberts fire, and once again in the 2018 Howe Ridge Fire. You can learn more at fire exhibits located at this turnout, and see for yourself how the forest has changed since.

The last bend in the road when approaching Logan Pass from the West Side, this viewpoint is a great place to see mountain goats and other subalpine wildlife.

Also called Saskatoon, serviceberry provided an important food source of the Blackfeet. The dark purple fruit contains about ten seeds and is plump and juicy. Eaten fresh, dried, or mashed in cakes, it’s most common use was in pemmican, a mixture of animal fat, dried meat, and the crushed berries. Serviceberries contain more than three times the amount of iron and copper in the same weight of raisins. The leaves can be dried for tea and the wood of a serviceberry shrub is quite hard and can be used to make various tools.

Most native groups ate these common berries. Thimbleberries are difficult to pick and because they do not keep well, they are usually eaten fresh.

This member of the carrot family is common in moist hollows along intermittent streams. Young leaves are delicious in salads or cooked, but as they age the taste becomes too strong. The cooked roots are said to taste like rutabagas. The young stems can be peeled and eaten raw but are best cooked. Great care should be taken when identifying this plant as it resembles poisonous water hemlock.

The Loop is the only switchback along the western side of Going-to-the-Sun Road, and marks the beginning of the narrow, carved-into-the-mountainside portion of the road. It features a restroom, a shuttle stop, and limited parking available for hikers using The Loop Trail. Starting here, The Loop Trail climbs 4.2 miles and 2600 feet to reach the Granite Park Chalet, and join with the Highline Trail.

Super Hiders (Ptarmigan) Did You Know? Ptarmigan have a super hiding power. It’s almost like they can be invisible. They get two sets of feathers every year: a brown set for summer and a white set for winter. That way, they can be camouflaged year-round. The super hiding power of their feathers helps to keep them from being eaten by predators. With their super hiding powers, you may hear ptarmigan before you see them. One of this super power’s weaknesses is that it can be very talkative when it’s with ptarmigan friends. They blow their own cover! Ptarmigan change color when they sense the shorter days and colder temperatures of winter coming. The ptarmigan’s invisibility cloak of white feathers won’t help it if it rains in winter instead of snows. The ground will be brown and the ptarmigan will have turned white. That makes it easy for one of their arch enemy predators to find them! Like the super reaper pika, ptarmigan have lived so long in the cold that their bodies can’t get rid of heat when it gets too hot. Ptarmigan need snow banks to keep cool by and little trickles of water nearby throughout the summer. Protected places like Glacier National Park are providing clues to the ability of animals like the super hider ptarmigan to change with a changing climate. Super Seekers (Weasel) Did You Know? Weasels are super seekers. Their fur changes from brown in the summer to white in the winter, so they blend in with the background all year long. Their long, sleek bodies are low to the ground, allowing them to sneak up on prey long before being seen. Small mammals and birds need to be on the alert to avoid these super seekers. This super power’s weakness, like the ptarmigan’s, may be to change color and be white when it hasn’t yet snowed. Then they would also be more visible to other predators looking to eat them. That would be a good thing for the other predator! For the weasel, their super seeking power wouldn’t work as well if they weren’t camouflaged. It would be a lot harder to sneak up on its prey.

With a mountainous backdrop and St Mary Lake just a short walk away. This stop on Going-to-the-Sun road offers breathtaking scenery as well as many services and activities. The Rising Sun Motor Inn offers gifts, groceries, and lodging, and nearby there's access to the rising sun campground, boat tours, and the trailhead for a hike to Otokomi Lake.

Built in 1940, Rising Sun Motor Inn and Cabins sits adjacent to spectacular St. Mary Lake inside Glacier National Park and is surrounded by soaring mountain peaks. In addition to 72 cabins and motor inn rooms, you will find the Two Dog Flats Grill, campstore, and gift shop.

Explore native plants and their traditional uses along this trail. People have lived in this area for centuries, long before it became a park. Understanding how to use native plants made life more enjoyable; plants served as food, fuel, and other valuable resources.

The Running Eagle Falls Trailhead is in the Two Medicine area of the park, past the entrance station. This area offers restrooms and accesible hiking opportunities to the Running Eagle Falls and along the Running Eagle Falls Nature Trail.

Head Bangers (Bighorn Sheep) Did You Know? Bighorn rams have a super head-banging power. Their huge, curved horns grow bigger each year and can weigh over 30 pounds. They also have extra-thick skulls. It’s like they wear super-protective helmets. They use their power each fall during contests for females. The strongest head-banger wins. Bighorn sheep need wide, open spaces, unobstructed by trees. They want to be able to see long distances so they have lots of time to get away from their predators. As the climate warms, and the alpine meadows in Glacier National Park are filled with trees, sheep will have less open space. Sheep populations can also be weakened by disease. They are social animals, so when a disease strikes one, it strikes them all. Protected places like Glacier National Park provide important year round habitat for these super head bangers. Cliff Hangers (Mountain Goat) Did You Know? Mountain goats have super climbing powers. They have split hooves with two toes that spread wide to help them balance. They also have a rough concave pad on the bottom of each tow that helps them grip steep cliffs. Although they are super climbers, the steep areas they live in are also places with lots of avalanches. When those huge slabs of snow slide down the mountainside, mountain goats can be caught in their destructive paths. Also, in order to live in these high peaks, goats have warm thick coats to survive the cold temperatures in the winter. They shed these coats in summer but still need snowfields and shaded places to stay cool in as summer temperatures heat up. Glacier National Park researchers and citizen scientists are keeping tabs on these super climbers to help understand more about them.

Located at a prominent bend on Going-to-the-Sun road, Siyeh Bend is a popular stop for hikers, serving as the starting point for the Siyeh Pass and Piegan Pass Trails. It's also a transition point between higher-elevation subalpine vegetation and the forests of the east side.

You will find the chalet on the west side of Gunsight mountain. Situated on an alpine ledge overlooking Lake McDonald and the Whitefish Range. Surrounded by craggy peaks, cascading waterfalls and up and down vistas it is an area full of alpine nooks and crannies waiting to be explored by those who like to relax and enjoy "away from it all".

St. Mary Falls is an iconic double waterfall of clear blue water just above St. Mary Lake. Fires burned through the forest in this area in 2015. That means the trail has little shade. Because there are a variety of ways to reach St. Mary Falls, please consult a map before setting out. These are the three main ways to hike to St. Mary Falls: Trailhead: St. Mary Falls Shuttle Stop 0.8 mi (1.3 km), one way Elevation loss: 260 ft (79 m) Trailhead: St. Mary Falls Trailhead 1.2 mi (1.9 km), one way Elevation loss: 260 ft (79 m) Trailhead: Using concession operated tour boat from Rising Sun, tour fees apply 1.6 mi (2.5 km), one way Elevation gain: 140 ft (42.5 m)

The hike to St. Mary and Virginia Falls—family-friendly hikes with world-class scenery—is one of the most popular day hikes on the east side of Going-to-the-Sun Road. This trailhead is a great place to start the hike, but parking is limited and fills quickly during the busy months. The nearby St. Mary Falls shuttle stop is an excellent alternative for visitors using the shuttle service. Hikers who are willing to walk a little farther can begin the trail from Sun Point, a few miles east of here.

The St Mary Visitor Center is the Eastern Gateway to Glacier National Park and is a main orientation point for many visitors, with rangers on duty throughout the summer, providing trip planning and other information about the park. If you find yourself on the east side of the park and you have a question about something you've seen or heard while you were here, this is the place to stop and find the answer.

Situated amid Montana’s prairieland, the plains surrounding the St. Mary Visitor Center are a stark difference between the mountains behind it. The abrupt change is evidence of dramatic folding and faulting that crumpled and deformed the earth’s crust to uplift the mountains we see today. Much of this activity took place from about 150 million years ago to about 60 million years ago. The many-colored rocks you see in the park’s mountains today formed as sediments, slowly building up on an ancient sea floor. These rocks are almost 1.5 billion years old! Tectonic forces pushed and uplifted this thick stack of rock up and over much younger rocks that are only 70 million years old. They would slide 50 miles (80 km) eastward to their present location along a fault called the Lewis overthrust. Where you see the dramatic change from prairie to mountains along the park’s eastern boundary is roughly the outline of that once-active fault. The St. Mary Visitor Center is the eastern gateway to the mountains of Glacier National Park. Rangers staff the visitor center throughout the summer, providing trip planning and other information about the park. While you’re here, make sure to stop by the bathroom, fill up your water bottles, and grab your souvenirs from the Glacier National Park Conservancy’s gift shop.

This site high above the lake was once home to the Going to the Sun Chalets, built in 1915 by the Great Northern Railway as part of a network of hotels, chalets and tent camps. Today it's a great viewpoint over St. Mary Lake, as well as a shuttle stop, parking area, and starting point for the Baring Falls, St. Mary Falls, and Virginia Falls trails.

A short, 200 foot trail leads to an overlook where Baring Creek makes exits a magnificent 800-foot long, 80-foot deep gorge. This is also an alternate starting point on the Siyeh Pass Trail, although thanks to it's higher elevation starting point, the most popular place to start this hike is from Siyeh Bend.

Sunrift Gorge is a glimpse into the powerful forces of water and erosion. Carved by Baring Creek’s relentless flow, visitors can view this 800-foot-long (244 m) and 80-foot-deep (24 m) gorge from an overlook and follow the stream of water before it flows into St. Mary Lake. If you take the short walk up a few stairs and a few hundred feet to the overlook, take a look upstream. Do you notice the unusually straight flow of the creek here? Sunrift Gorge formed along a pre-existing fracture, or joint, in the bedrock here. Water found its way into this weakness and carved the gorge you see today. Water is a powerful force in shaping Glacier’s landscape. Throughout the park, rushing spring snowmelt or powerful summer thunderstorms all contribute to the movement of dirt and rock material. The landscape that might look static in a postcard is actually changing every day. Weather events, geologic activity, and time all transform the park in ways we can’t always predict. Please use caution as you appreciate Glacier’s streams, rivers, and waterfalls. Water temperatures are very cold, and rocks and logs can be incredibly slippery. Drowning is the leading cause of death in the park.

Between 1926 and 1927, laborers constructed this tunnel on the west side of Going-to-the-Sun road. It is an engineering marvel, taking vehicles through a steep cliff, while featuring two observation windows to view Heavens Peak and McDonald Creek.

A product of Going-to-the-Sun Road's construction, the Weeping Wall is a series of waterfalls that delights early season visitors. West-bound travelers sometimes drive right through its spray, opening windows to douse passengers with cool snowmelt. By the end of the summer the waterfalls typically slow to a trickle.

Trail of the Cedars is a peaceful boardwalk nature trail along Avalanche Creek. Follow the boardwalk through old growth cedars, listen to the American dippers, see the powerful force of water carving the Avalanche Gorge.

Triple Arches is one of the most recognized features along Going-to-the-Sun Road. Built to span several large gaps in the mountainside, designers came up with an elegant solution by constructing a series of three arches to span the gaps.

Triple Divide Peak is found along North America’s Continental Divide, which separates the continent’s river systems and runs largely through the Rocky Mountains. A raindrop that falls on the east side of the Continental Divide will flow toward the Atlantic Ocean, while a raindrop that falls on the west side of the divide will flow toward the Pacific Ocean. Glacier is home to a unique point along this divide—a triple divide. Seen in the distance across the lake, Triple Divide Peak marks this rare hydrologic feature. From its summit, water flows to the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and into the Gulf of Mexico, into the Columbia River drainage and the Pacific Ocean, as well as into the Saskatchewan River and eventually Hudson Bay, making Glacier the headwaters for three major North American watersheds. Water that falls within Glacier’s mountains supports life alongside streams, rivers, and lakes both here and across the continent. From here, it’s also easy to see the range in elevations within the park. The variations in elevation between the park’s high peaks and valley bottoms contribute to diverse habitats supporting thousands of plants and animals, including rare and threatened species. Glacier’s mountains create a haven for animals that thrive in an alpine ecosystem, while meltwater from glaciers and snowfields provides water to the wildflowers coloring the park in the spring and summer. These mountains support life over the park’s million acres of land and beyond.

Alder is common along stream banks at lower elevation, seldom reaching 15 feet in height. When burned, the wood does not throw sparks or make much ash, making it an excellent fuel for smoking fish, meat, and hides. The twigs and inner bark produce a useful red dye. In addition to their human uses, Alders are an important colonizing species providing critical habitat for songbirds like the yellowrumped warbler.

Along Glacier's eastern boundary, the praries meet the mountains. Few places show that boundary better than Two Dog Flats. It's a great destination for folks looking for wildlife, especially in the early mornings.

The Two Medicine Road closes to vehicles in winter but remains open to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing and visitors can park their car at the gate closure.

For 13,000 years, the valley before you has held significance for many groups of people. To the Blackfeet, this valley is the birthplace of creation as well as a place for gathering and ceremony. To the miners at the turn of the century, this was a place to strike a claim and attempt to glean a living from copper found in the rocks. For some, this was a place to showcase to others. In 1910, the Great Northern Railway and others successfully lobbied Congress and President Taft to establish Glacier National Park. The park would need visitor accommodations, roads, and trails. The Great Northern Railway was the park’s partner and funder of this massive project. Railway president, Louis Hill, saw this valley as one important site in his vision of developing the “Alps of America” into a tourist destination and enticing American tourists to “See America First.” No vision is made reality without challenges and the Many Glacier Hotel was no exception. Learn more by listening to the Many Glacier Hotel History Audio Tour.

Built in 1956, the Village Inn at Apgar is located on the shores of Lake McDonald. This quaint 36 room motor inn offers stunning views from every room of Lake McDonald and the mountain panorama forming the Crown of the Continent.

The view of Saint Mary Lake at Wild Goose Island Overlook is perhaps one of the most recognizable scenes in all of Glacier. Surrounded by towering mountains, the tiny island rises only 14 feet from the surface of St. Mary Lake. Available parking and an accessible viewing area make this a frequent stop along the road.

Visit the Forest and Fire Nature Trail to learn about the history and future of wildland fire in Glacier National Park.

Learn how climate change is affecting fires in Glacier and across the Northern Rockies.

Furs, fossils, and more! Located in Apgar Village, the Apgar Nature Center provides fun activities designed specifically for families, including hand-on exhibits, youth-based activities, and ranger-led programs. Whether ou want to touch a grizzly bear's claw, feel a wolf's pelt, hold a fossil, or discover other park treasures, the Apgar Nature Center offers something special for all ages. Open daily in the summer months.

Huckleberries are found in diverse habitat and common from the foothills into the high mountains. There are six different species of huckleberry in the park. The berries are quite sweet and were used widely by the Blackfeet and other tribes. Traditional uses include drying the berries by the fire and using them as raisins. They were often kept for winter storage. Huckleberries make an excellent jam and they are delicious in pancakes, bread, and muffins. Huckleberries are an important food source for bears, songbirds and small mammals.

The fermented juice of the berries made a tonic. An extract was made by boiling the flowers in water. Applied externally, it allayed fevers and soothed sprains and bruises. Taken internally, the tonic eased lung and stomach trouble.

The Apgar Campground in Glacier Naitonal Park.

Apgar Village is named for Milo Apgar, an early settler who came to Lake McDonald in the 1890s with the intention of farming. In time, Apgar and other homesteaders realized tourism made for better business, and began catering to visiting tourists. Today, Apgar Village remains an important and busy stop along Going-to-the-Sun Road—home to the wilderness permit office, the Apgar Nature Center and a boat launch, along with boat and bike rentals, various gift stores, and a convenience store / restaurant. The foot of Lake McDonald, where Apgar Village sits, is an important place for indigenous communities like the Kootenai, and has been for thousands of years.

Located just inside the west entrance, the Apgar Visitor Center is open daily throughout the summer. Here, you’ll find park staff and volunteers who can answer questions about your visit, a gift store operated by the Glacier National Park Conservancy, and publicly available Wi-Fi. Park your car here to catch a free shuttle, or — if you’ve signed up in advance — board a private tour bus: as both Red Bus Tours and Sun Tours depart from here as well.

Black cottonwood is recognized by the deep, roughly furrowed gray bark on mature trees. The large, broad ovate leaf is characteristic of the poplar family. Many tribes ate the sweet inner bark in the spring, when the sap was running. After the thick outer bark had been removed, the inner bark (cambium) could be scraped off. The wood was said to be ideal for tipi fires, because it did not crackle and produced clean smoke.

Home to two of the Glacier's iconic trails, the Avalanche Creek area is one of the most popular and crowded spots in the park. The old growth cedars and hemlock trees are unlike anywhere else in the Glacier. Enjoy the picnic area, a short boardwalk trail, or a moderate hike to Avalanche Lake.During the summer, Avalanche is a transfer point on the park's shuttle stystem.

The Avalanche Lake Trail begins in the same place as the Trail of the Cedars and the Avalanche Campground. The trail climbs steadily through an old growth forest to an alpine like with outstanding waterfalls. Avalanche Lake 2.3 mi (3.7 km), one way Elevation gain: 500 ft (152 m) Trailhead: Avalanche Picnic Area

In the summer, Beaver Pond Loop is a nice, relatively flat trail for hikers. In the winter, this route offers skiing and snowshoeing through aspen, meadows, and mixed conifer stands in the rolling hills east of St. Mary Lake.

Big Bend is a wide sweeping curve just past halfway between the Loop and Logan Pass. Dramatic vistas of the Lake McDonald Valley, and the high peaks of Mount Canon, Oberlin, and Heaven's Peak make this a great place to stop and take a break from driving.

This overlook grants a view of Bird Woman Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in Glacier. Across the Valley, it falls 492 feet, beginning between Mount Oberlin on the left and Mount Cannon on the right.

Parking at the Camas Road Gate is only allowed during the winter months. From here, skiers and snowshoers can access a variety of trails.

This 408-foot tunnel was one of the most difficult challenges in the entire construction of Going-to-the-Sun Road, carving through Piegan mountain.

Learn the history of fire in Glacier over the past century.

Examine a map of Glacier's fire history over the last 100+ years.

Explore a piece of fire history in Glacier on this short nature trail, through a forest that has burned 3 times in the last 100 years.

Learn about the Forest and Fire Nature Trail and the fire ecology that is found along the trail.

The Going to the Sun Road closes to vehicle traffic in the winter just past Lake McDonald Lodge. Though this section of the road is closed in the winter to vehicles, the road remains open to hikers and skiers.

Experience unequaled back country hospitality in one of Glacier National Park's most panoramic and pristine wilderness environments.

Meadow Excavator (Grizzly bear) Did You Know? Grizzly bears have super digging powers. In the summer, grizzlies are often seen churning up meadows, looking for food like glacier lily bulbs and ground squirrels. Bears are omnivores, which means they eat both plans and meat. You might be surprised to learn that in Glacier National Park, most of a grizzly bear’s diet is plants, especially berries. During the winter months, when food is nearly nonexistent, bears will hibernate, living off fat reserves. Grizzly bears depend on high energy foods to get them through their long hibernation in winter. The meadows the grizzly bears depend on to find their yummy plants and roots are being filled in with trees. It seems that the warmer the climate gets, the more trees that can move into the meadows. Also, foods like whitebark pine nuts help the bears to build up enough fat to hibernate through the winter. These pine nuts have all but disappeared in Glacier because of a disease called white pine blister rust that is killing the whitebark pine trees. Bears have to find other foods to replace the nutritious pine nuts they used to depend on. Protected places like Glacier National Park provide a diversity of food sources for these super excavators. Mountain Explorer (Wolverine) Did You Know? Wolverines are super explorers. They routinely travel hundreds of miles a week through some of the most remote regions of the park. As they explore their territory and look for food, even the high peaks like Mt. Cleveland are no obstacle. One male wolverine climbed 5,000 feet in 90 minutes on his way up and over the summer. Researchers in Glacier National Park have found that the deep snow covers up their burrows where they have their babies in the middle of winter. The air trapped in the snow makes it act like a blanket over the cold ground, keeping their burrows cozy for their young. Wolverines may suffer if they cannot find enough places with deep snow that they can burrow underground into to have shelter for their families. Right now, protected places like Glacier National Park provide important strongholds for these super explorers.

Jackson Glacier Overlook is home to the best view of a glacier along Going-to-the-Sun Road, telling one of the park's most important stories. In 1966, Jackson Glacier measured 316 acres. By 2015, it measured 187 acres. You can see Jackson Glacier from the parking area, or hike towards it along the trail to Gunsight Lake, which begins at Jackson Glacier Overlook.

Jackson Glacier Overlook gives an uninterrupted view (weather permitting) of one of the park’s namesakes. Nestled in the saddle between Mount Jackson and Blackfoot Mountain, Jackson Glacier is an example of a mountain glacier at work. Since a glacier is constantly moving, mountain glaciers sculpt mountains by eroding the landscape as they move downslope. By picking up and depositing pieces of rock as they move, glaciers can leave quite a mark on the land. Jackson Glacier is nestled high within a cirque left behind by larger glaciers that flowed down these valleys during the last Ice Age. A cirque is a round, steep-sided bowl carved by the head of a glacier—it looks a little like an ice cream scoop has carved a chunk out of a mountain, leaving behind a rounded amphitheater. If you’re continuing your drive over Going-to-the-Sun Road, another classic view of a cirque can be seen at Bird Woman Falls overlook, where the falls flows out of a cirque below Oberlin Mountain. U-shaped valleys, hanging valleys, arêtes, horns, moraines, paternoster lakes, cirques, and tarns are all evidence of a glaciated landscape. Although the glaciers that remain today aren't as colossal as the ones from the ice age, they contribute to changes in the park that will continue as time goes on.

Lake McDonald Lodge sits on the shore of Lake McDonald and has been welcoming guests since 1914. Built in a Swiss style of architecture it retains a "hunting lodge" feel as guests enter the lobby surrounded by animal mounts and rustic log banisters. It remains the primary lodging facility on the west side of the park.

Built in 1933, Swiftcurrent Motor Inn is located one mile from Many Glacier Hotel and is a hiker's paradise with trailheads for many of Glacier's most spectacular hikes right outside its doors. In addition to 95 cabins and motor inn rooms, you will find 'Nell's restaurant, fully stocked campstore/gift shop, and numerous activities at this picturesque location.

Looking at the hotel today, the challenges it has faced over the past century may not be readily apparent. However, it has stood the test of time against fires, floods, winds, extreme weather, and wildlife encounters. By the late 1990s, the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed it, along with other historic structures in Glacier National Park, on its annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Soon after, in 2001, Congress appropriated money for the National Park Service to embark upon a 17-year, 42-million dollar, rehabilitation project. This multi-phased project, completed in 2018, addressed life-safety issues like wiring and plumbing and restored historic features like the honeycomb roof pattern and exterior paint scheme. Thanks to the vision of preservation specialists and the hard work by many, the Many Glacier Hotel will continue long into the future as a visitor accommodation, a symbol of our national history, and a reminder of what vision and hard work can accomplish.

Logan Pass is the highest elevation point on the road, and the place where it crosses the continental divide. Home to the Logan Pass Visitor Center, the area offers restrooms, shuttle service to both sides of the park, and hiking opportunities to Hidden Lake Overlook and the Highline.

Rangers recommend Glacier's podcast, Headwaters: a podcast about how Glacier is connected to everything else!

Red foxes are found throughout the northern hemisphere. In Glacier, they are adapted to a wide range of habitats, from open grasslands to dense forests. Most abundant in riparian areas and along the edges of forests, they are the smallest of the canids found in the park. Red foxes occur in several color phases, but they usually have reddish-yellow coats that are somewhat darker on the back and shoulders, black "socks" on their lower legs, and a white-tipped tail.

Bighorn sheep live in a variety of habitats throughout the year. During the summer, they can be found in meadows, fellfields, and on mid-elevation slopes bordered by cliffs and ledges. In the winter, sheep frequent windswept and south-facing valleys and ridges where forage is blown free of snow. Bighorn sheep can often be seen in the parking lot of Logan Pass licking antifreeze from the pavement, which is the most easily accessible source of salt in their diet.

The subspecies of gray wolves (Canis lupus) found in Glacier is called the northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf (C. l. irremotus). There are three color variants: gray, white, and black. Wolves are secretive and elusive creatures, with sightings primarily being of lone wolves or pairs.

Glacier provides a summer range for a significant number of elk, while most winter at lower elevations outside the park. The subspecies occuring in Glacier is the Rocky Mountain elk (C. c. nelsoni). They feed on grasses, sedges, other herbs and shrubs, bark of aspen trees, conifer needles, burned bark, and aquatic plants.

A mid-sized carnivore in the weasel family, the wolverine is active throughout the year in cold, snowy environments to which it is well-adapted. Wolverines are rarely seen and inhabit remote terrain. They are also known as one of the rarest and most elusive carnivores on the planet.

Two types of deer are commonly seen thorughout Glacier: the northwestern white-tailed deer (O. v. ochrourus) and the Rocky Mountain mule deer (O. h. hemionus). Both will flee when in danger. Males grow antlers from April or May through August or September and then shed them in the spring.

Glacier provides a wonderful opportunity to birdwatch, with plenty of spaces for birders of all ages to sit, listen, and observe the sights and sounds of nature. With 279 documented species including raptors, songbirds, shorebirds, and waterfowl, the park’s variation in elevation and habitat types contribute to a high diversity of bird life.

The white-tailed ptarmigan is a medium to large chicken-like member of the grouse family. They are completely white in winter and barred grayish-brown in summer with white wings and tails and feathered feet. Breeding males will have a broad band of black markings across the chest and have red eye combs. Like chickens, they make clucking noises.

The mountain bluebird is a small bird with a round head and a straight, thin bill. Adult males are bright sky-blue, somewhat paler underneath. Adult females have duller blue wings and tails with gray breasts, crowns, throats, and backs. Their call sounds similar to a thin “tew” while their song is a warbled high “chur chur.”

The Clark’s nutcracker has a pale- gray body, black wings with large white patches along the trailing edges, and a black tail with broad white stripes on either side. These birds typically travel in small flocks and call back and forth to communicate. They have a long, harsh, rising call that sounds similar to “shraaaaaaa.”

One-quarter of Montana’s harlequin duck broods are born in Glacier National Park. These birds have a low reproductive rate and are very susceptible to habitat loss and degradation. Because of these characteristics, they are listed as a Species of Concern in the state of Montana.

A large bird with a slim body, the osprey has long, narrow wings that have a sharp bend in flight resembling the letter “M.” Ospreys have dark-brown feathers on their back and are white underneath. They also have a notable dark mark at the “wrist” of their wing. An osprey’s call is high-pitched with a series of short, slightly wavering screeches that sound like “too-too-too-tee-tee-tee-tee-too-too.”

One-fifth of Montana’s nesting loons are in Glacier National Park. Because of their limited range, small population, sensitivity to human disturbance, and loss of breeding habitats outside of the park, they are listed as a Species of Special Concern in Montana. Human disturbance along shores or getting too close to these birds can cause stress and may cause them to abandon their nests.

There are four species of owls documented within Glacier, but their nocturnal nature may make it difficult to hear or see one of them while visiting.

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) can both be seen soaring over Glacier’s skies. As one of the most important golden eagle migration routes in North America, Glacier established a Hawk Watch International site in 2018 to monitor raptors during fall migration. Research has shown that human presence can disturb eagle nesting and foraging, so known nest areas in national parks are often closed to visitors.

These secretive birds rarely flaunt their flashy colors. Instead, they sing shyly from dense forests. Adult males have a light orange line over the eyes, blue-gray backs, and a burnt-orange throat and belly separated by a dark breast band but are heard much more often than seen. They have a distinctive song of a long, single whistle on one pitch; it can sometimes be mistaken for a human distress whistle.

The American dipper is a stocky, round-bodied bird with grayish-brown feathers, a dark bill, and long, pale legs. The bird gets its name from bobbing up and down while standing, a funny but easily identifying trait. They sing a high-pitched song that is a series of whistled phrases, each repeated two to four times with a buzzy call that sounds similar to “dzeet.”

Glacier is the perfect home for several fire-adapted woodpeckers. These are birds that depend on regular wildfire to create their habitat. Listen for “thunks” or knocking sounds of woodpeckers as they excavate tree cavities in search of a meal.

Glacier National Park has many members of the weasel family that call the park home. Two of those animals are the short-tailed weasel or ermine (Mustela erminea) and the long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata).

The American pika, a member of the order Lagomopha, is not a rodent, but related to rabbits and hares. Piles of drying vegetation, called haystacks, and a distinctive high-pitched call are the most recognizable indicators of active pika habitat. Pikas are sensitive to temperatures above 77.9°F (25.5°C); therefore, they are most active during cooler parts of the day.

The northern river otter is the most aquatic member of the weasel family. They can swim underwater up to 6 miles per hour (9.6 kph) for two to three minutes at a time. They aren't as agile or fast on land unless they find snow or ice, where they can move rapidly by alternating hops and slides reaching speads of 15 miles per hour (24 kph)

The mountain lion (Puma concolor), also known as the cougar, is one of the two largest cat species in North America and is a top predator native to Glacier. The subspecies in Glacier is the North American cougar (P.c. couguar). 

The mountain goat is one of the park's most inconic creatures. It is the only living member of its genus and is more closely related to caprines (the chamois of Europe and the gorals and serows of Asia) than to domesticated goats. 

Four subspecies of moose (Alces alces) exist in North America. The subspecies in Glacier is the Shiras moose (A. a. shirasi) and is found in forested areas and willow flats from southeastern British Columbia to northern Colorado. Moose are better adapted to survival in deep snow than other ungulates in the park, and are usually solitary or in small family groups. 

Marmots are one of the largest rodents in Glacier. Early settlers called them "whistle pigs" due to their vocalizations of loud whistles and "screams," which stem out of fear or excitement. They are typically active in the morning, late afternoon, and evening.

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are intelligent and highliy adaptable animals. The subspecies in Glacier is the mountain coyote (C. l. lestes). Often mistaken for a wolf, the coyote is about one third of the wolf's size, with a slighter build. Its coat ranges from tan to buff and sometimes gray, with some orange on its tail and ears. 

The Columbian ground squirrel has a well-developed colonial social structure. When they sense danger, they will make a shrill chirp as an alarm call. They are vulnerable to predators such as long-tailed weasels, hawks, coyotes, and grizzly bears.

Canada lynx are similar to bobcats in appearance, but differ in several distinct ways. Lynx are grayer in color, with less distinctive spotting, and have much larger paws and longer ear tufts. The tail tip of a lynx is entirely black, while the tail tip of a bobcat has a white underside. In 2000, the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Canada lynx as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

The bobcat has many color variations such as red-brown fur with indistinct markings or light buff with dark spotting. They are similar to the Canada lynx, but have shorter ear tufts and a short tail with several black rings that do not fully circle it and no black tip. Their tracks are about 2 inches (5 cm) from top to bottom.

The North American beaver is the second largest rodent in the world behind the Capybara of South America. Found throughout the U.S. and Canada, these semiaquatic ecosystem engineers constuct dams and lodges that affect the hydrology and ecology of their surroundings. As a keystone species, their presence in riparian habitats affects all neighboring animal and plant life. 

Glacier is home to two species of bears: grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) and black bears (Ursus americanus). Both species come in a range of colors from black to brown, reddish, or blond.

Bats are part of the mammalian order Chiroptera, which is ancient Greek for "hand wing." There are over 1,200 species of bats worldwide, with 9 species that call Glacier National Park home. All of Glacier's bat species are insectivores (insect-eaters).

View wildlife across Glacier National Park's vast landscapes. The diversity of habitat types creates opportunities for a wide range of animals. Find more information on everything from the large and majestic elk of the prairies, to the small stonefly of glacier-fed streams on Glacier National Park's website.

Martes americana The American marten, also called a pine marten, is part of the weasel family. Pine martens have short limbs and a long, bushy tail. They are light to dark brown or black with a throat patch that is an irregular shape and size, with ranges in color from buff to bright orange.

A drive across this engineering marvel has been a quintessential part of any trip to Glacier since the 1930s.

Evening programs are a chance for rangers to help visitors find amazing meaning in specific park resources.

Step inside one of the historic lodges and pretend you are a traveler on the Great Northern Railway in the 1910s.

These visitor centers are worth a stop for the information and exhibits provided, as well as their historic architecture.

Glacier is a hiker’s paradise. Spend part of your day on one of these 3-5 hour hikes.

Glacier is a hiker’s paradise. Spend your whole day in nature on one of these popular trails.