Glacier National Park. The main attractions of the Glacier Park

Glacier national park
national park Glacier is a National Park of the United States of America, is on the list world heritage UNESCO and located on northern border state of Montana.
Story:
Glacier National Park borders Waterton Lakes National Park in the Canadian province of Alberta and British Columbia - two parks known as the International Glacier Park and were recognized as the world's first international peace park in 1932.
Scenery:
The park is a stunning demonstration of the geological processes that have changed North America over several million years. The rocks in the park are almost entirely sedimentary, having been formed between 1600 and 800 million years ago when the area was inland sea. The park covers over 4,000 square kilometers and includes parts of two mountain ranges, over 130 lakes, over 1,000 different plant species and hundreds of animal species. These sedimentary rocks are considered to be among the finest fossils from a very early age on Earth.
Flora and fauna:
The park provides many opportunities to see wildlife and its almost unchanged ecosystem. The park is also one of the largest remaining natural place grizzly bear habitat, and during late summer, grizzlies often descend on low altitudes to eat berries popular in the area and fish in the lakes. In addition to bears, the park is also home to two other endangered species, Canada lynx and bull trout. 23 species of fish live in the waters of the park and fishing is very popular here. Bird watchers will find many species of waterfowl, in addition to large birds of prey, including the bald eagle. The park has several ecosystems, from prairie to tundra. Coniferous forest is the predominant ecosystem, although the forests are markedly different on the east and west sides of the Glacier. Wind tracks passing through subalpine meadows are saturated with wild flowers and alpine tundra.Climate:
The weather in the national park often differs depending on the altitude and direction. On the western side of the Glacier Park more precipitation, while on the east side, as a rule, strong winds and lots of sun. The Rocky Mountains disturb the movement of air currents over the North American continent, which has led to a difference in climate. During summer season, the temperature during the day can reach more than 30°C, but at night at altitude it can drop to -5°C. Snow can fall at any time of the year. During the winter season, most of the park is covered with snow. Some trails and roads are closed during the off-season.
Fires are also common in the park.
Travel by car:

• Hike to the Solar Highway. Most impressive place The park is located along this road. The highway is closed to traffic in winter and is open from June to October. The main attractions are Lake McDonald, the Logan Pass on the Continental Section, the Rising Sun and Lake St. Mary. Logan Pass is the highest road point near the park (2000 meters).
• Highway 2 (Hwy 2), USA, passing through south side parka. This route is used for Amtrak trains. The view of the forest, river, railway tracks and railway tunnels all together make this place very picturesque.
• Mirror Road (Glass Hill Road, Highway 49) from the top of the hill has beautiful view on the bottom two medicinal lakes. Also, this path is short (and narrow and winding) to the east side of the park, so you don't have to walk all the way to Browning and back.
• Highway 89 connects with roads leading to St. Mary's Park and Babb Park (lots of glaciers). Continues north where the highway intersects with main mountain(Chief Mountain) on the international highway. Excellent views of St. Mary's Park and the lake from the northern hills and south of the city.
• Main Mountain on the international highway (highway 17) connects the national glacier park and Waterton lakes in Alberta.
• Two "medical" roads begin four miles north of East Glacier and go through north side Two "Lower Medical Lakes". Bears can often be seen in this area.
• CutBankCreek dirt road on the east side of the park 23 kilometers south of St Mary's. The road leads to the Triple Divide Pass. Where the continental break splits into three paths between the rivers Pend Oreille - Columbia (mouth near Portland, Oregon in Astoria), Missouri - Mississippi rivers (mouth near the state New Orleans) and the rivers Saskatchewan - Nelson (in the west of the Hudson Strait in Manitoba, Manitoba). This area is only suitable for adventurers.
• Inside the NorthFork road is a dirt road running from the north on the west side of the park that starts from Apgar at McDonald Lake.
• The Camas Road runs parallel to the NorthFork Inner Road, but is paved. It leads to natural mountain path Huckleberry. Both roads will eventually lead to Polebridge. This route most the paths are paved.

Entertainment:

• A ride on the bicycle. Limited by bike paths, roads and parking lots. It is forbidden to ride on trails. Bicycle rental is not available. You can ride a bike on the path leading to Sun Road. Best time The day to ride is early morning or late evening.
• Boating. Sea excursions available on many glaciers (Many Glacier), "lower medical roads", rising sun(Rising Sun), Lake Waterton and Lake McDonald.
• Camping. There are several dozen remote camping sites along the trail system.
• Winter leisure- from December to April. You can explore the park on skis or snowboards. Some trails may be closed due to the risk of avalanches.
• Fishing. The glacier is famous great opportunity catch trout. No permit required (except for bull trout fishing).
• Hiking. The national park provides 1100 kilometers of path. Tourists can buy topographic maps and various guides. Day trips and hikes are available. Trail of the Cedars, hidden Mountain Lake Huckleberry, SunPoint, and Swiftcurrent nature trails are the easiest.

With the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. Currently, about 37 glaciers remain in the park. Glacier Park is part of a huge ecosystem that has come down to our time almost unchanged. Glacier strikes with its wild meadows, emerald valleys, incredible mountain peaks and stunning waterfalls. On the territory of the reserve there are more than a hundred lakes, thousands of plant species, a huge number of different wild animals. Glacier is a corner of untouched nature, occupying about 42 thousand square kilometers.

The region that became Glacier Park was originally inhabited by Native American Indians. The Indians predominantly occupied "Blackfeet" to the east and "Flathead" to the west. Under pressure from the federal government, part of the land was vacated in 1895 and later became the territory of the park. In May 1920, shortly after the creation of the park by the department of the great northern railway, several chalets and hotels were built. These buildings are listed as National Historic Landmarks. By 1932, work was completed on the equipment of the tourist route "Road to the Sun".

This route was one of the first projects designed for auto travelers. This is the only route that passes through the continental divide at Logan Pass at an altitude of 2026 meters. The road was conceived by George Goodwin back in 1917. The construction of the route began in 1921. The entire route was operational at the end of 1933 and cost the Treasury $2.5 million.

The main attractions of the Glacier Park

The largest lake in Glacier is McDonald. The width of the lake is about 16 kilometers, the length is 1.6 kilometers. The depth of the reservoir is about 130 meters. Lake McDonald is located at an altitude of 960 meters on the western side of the American Continental Divide. The surface area of ​​the lake is 27.6 square kilometers. The lake is home to many species of trout, salmon, and sockeye salmon. Grizzly bears, black bears, moose and deer are found near the lake. The lake is surrounded by dense coniferous forest, which is dominated by different kinds firs, firs and larches. On the shore of the lake you can stop for the night, have a bite to eat, rent a motor boat.

"Following the trail of cedars" - this is the name of the mountain hiking trail. This is 960 meters of equipped route. Walking along it, you can enjoy the mighty cedars, the height of which reaches 24 meters. The trail splits into two parts, one winding while the other continues to Lake Avalanche. On the way among the rocks you will meet an amazing waterfall.

You will be especially impressed by the 170-meter waterfall under the poetic name "Bird Woman". It is clearly visible from a distance of 3 kilometers. The waters of the waterfall are fed by the remains of a glacier located on the northern and western slopes Oberlin mountains. The waterfall is most full-flowing in late spring and early summer, and in autumn its waters dry up.

"Garden Wall" is an alpine meadow covered in dozens of species of flowering plants and shrubs during the summer months. An unforgettable sight!

Glacier National Park is featured on the 25 cent coin in the America the Beautiful series.

How to get there

The park is located in northwest Montana along the ridge rocky mountains. international Airport Glacier Park(FCA) closest to the reserve. It is located 30 miles from western entrance to Glacier National Park and receives flights major airlines from, and other airports in America.

You can also get here by car. The road from Seattle will take about 10 hours, from Canadian Calgary about 6 hours, and from Spokane only 4 hours.

Video: Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park on USA map

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Traveling to different cities and countries, every tourist wants to get an unforgettable experience, to see something new, perhaps even to discover previously unknown facets. Glacier National Park, located in Montana, USA - a place where you completely merge with nature. Mountain peaks, many glaciers and lakes, waterfalls and mesmerizing views amaze with their beauty. I want to breathe here full chest and not think about anything, contemplating the beautiful landscapes.

According to archaeological research, the first people (Indian tribes) came to the territory modern park approximately 10,000 years ago. An interesting fact is that those who came to these lands at the beginning of the eighteenth century called one of the territories of the park the “Ridge of the World”.

In the nineteenth century, the Lewis and Clark expedition arrived on the land now occupied by the park. Having discovered the Indians, it was decided to build Fort Manuel, which was intended for trade. In 1910, the National Park was founded and the territory began to be actively built up. highways, hotels and campsites to attract tourists and their convenience.

About the wealth of the National Park

The area of ​​the park is about 4000 sq. km (more than 1,000 thousand acres) and this entire vast territory includes two parts of mountain ranges, 25 active glaciers, 200 waterfalls and about 135 lakes.

The lake called McDonald is the largest and is located in the western part of the park. Its length is about 15 kilometers, the depth is also very impressive - 140 meters. This is the most famous and visited lake in the park.

Small lakes are located in depressions, the so-called kars. Many reservoirs have a light turquoise color, which is explained by glacial deposits. The spectacle, no matter how hard to guess, fabulous! During the dry months, many waterfalls unfortunately dry up. The most popular of them are Swiftcarent, McDonald and by far the most high waterfall Bird-woman.

The attention of all tourists, of course, is attracted by glaciers. In the middle of the nineteenth century there were about 150 of them in the park, to our days their number has significantly decreased as a result of melting. Scientists study this issue in detail and come to the conclusion that in a few years there will be no glaciers left at all and this process cannot be stopped. This is another reason to come to the National Park, because very soon its appearance may change significantly.

Travelers have the opportunity not only to admire nature, but also to see real wild animals - wolves, elks, badgers, wolverines, black bears, sheep and many other different animals. In addition, the park is home to two species of animals that are endangered - the grizzly bear and the Canadian lynx. It is also interesting that the official symbol of the park is the bighorn goat, which can also be found on a walk.

About 1135 species of plants grow on the territory of the park, 23 species of freshwater fish live in the lakes, and 260 species of all kinds of birds soar in the sky - the feeling that all Live nature gathered right here! That is why visiting the park will certainly be interesting not only ordinary tourists but also to ecologists, biologists and other specialists in this field.

Native American peoples (ancestors of the Salish, Shoshone, and Cheyenne) called present-day Glacier National Park sacred place, and this is not surprising, because the ancient Indians had a huge number of rites and rituals associated with nature. Modern people like to compare this park with Switzerland and the Alps.

Glacier - not just a nice place, this is part of an entire ecosystem that has come down to us in its original form.

Certain factors create a huge variety of climates and microclimates in the park. As with all mountain peaks, the higher you climb, the colder it gets. During tourist periods Maximum temperature air temperature is about 20 ° C. It is important to note that snowfall can occur at any time of the year, even in summer, which is a very common occurrence. So those who are tired of the summer heat and want to catch snowflakes with their tongues will definitely like Glacier!

Entering the park, you will immediately feel how clean it is, Fresh air. This is due to the fact that in the areas located nearby, there are no large settlements. There are also almost no factories, factories and other industrial pollutants nearby. The same factors explain the high quality of water in lakes.

Tourist routes

abundance tourist routes allows travelers to explore the territory from all sides. In Glacier Park it is possible to do both walking tour and with the use of transport. The most interesting and beautiful trip is the "Road to the Sun" - one of the most famous routes. Visitors are invited to drive 50 miles by car or small bus.

This little adventure will begin from the lower territories, and will end at an altitude of 2000 meters at the Continental Pass. In a 2-hour trip, travelers will see in all their beauty coniferous forests, flower meadows, snowy mountain peaks, and many glacial lakes!

It will be equally interesting to see the park from the air. You can do this while sitting in an airplane or helicopter, which the park staff will gladly provide. Such excursions are very popular, because wild, untouched nature from a height it looks very bright and expressive.

For those who want to see the glaciers in detail, there is an excursion on the water. This is a very exciting activity, because each glacier is unique, has its own unique shape and its own color. It is very convenient to contemplate all this beauty from the ship. Of course, I would like to get even closer to the glaciers, but this poses a threat to life.

It is worth noting that the most picturesque views open only from hiking trails.

Where to stay to live?

To fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere that reigns in the park and see as much beauty as possible, travelers can stay at various tourist camps and cozy, comfortable hotels. All of them are located in picturesque places and in addition to the housing itself, they include all kinds of restaurants, shops, recreation areas and more.

Glacier National Park is a place that captivates from the first minute. Admiring the almighty nature, you find harmony with yourself and the whole world!

Glacier National Park - incredible beautiful park, for the most part located on the territory american state Montana where mountainous terrain prevails. A smaller part of the national park is located in British Columbia provinces of Canada. It is believed that the first people lived on the territory of the modern Glacier Park, whose area is a little more than 4 thousand square meters. kilometers, even 10 thousand years ago.

We entered the Glacier National Park in its southwestern part, immediately finding ourselves at the very large lake of this park lake macdonald. Our further path ran along the lake, but when we reached the through road through the park, we found that the road was being repaired, and therefore closed. Therefore, to get to the main tourist trails of Glacier Park, we had to go back and drive 100 miles around the park. By the way, Glacier National Park also hosts tours on vintage red buses called Red Jammers.

But, everything that is done is for the better, and if it were not for the repaired road, we would not have to follow this route, but here, as they say, there is something to see. Amazing landscapes!

We pass the second largest lake in Glacier National Park - Saint Mary Lake. And then we get back to the original road, only now on the other side.

Very beautiful waterfall Florence Fall and another Sherburne Lake.

And finally, the Visitor center, from which we set off towards Hidden Lake. By the way, the Canadian flag was not accidentally here - as I already mentioned, the national park Glacier is located on the territory of two states at once.

Glacier National Park was founded in May 1910, and almost immediately after the opening, infrastructure began to actively develop here, which includes hotels, highways etc. According to scientists, if the glaciers of the Glacier Park, of which there are more than thirty, continue to actively melt, then by 2020 they will completely disappear.

When we first entered the territory of the Glacier National Park, we were given a newspaper, a map and various brochures. And if we regularly looked at the Glacier Park map, then our hands did not reach all the other materials. Only on the way back did I decide to read the rest of the brochures, including instructions and recommendations for visiting the park, where I learned a lot of new and interesting things. In particular, this area is called Bear country, so there are a lot of bears here: both grizzlies and blacks.

There are a lot of routes in the Glacier National Park, I can’t even approximately imagine how long it takes to get around them all. Given the fact that we had very limited time, we chose not very large, but insanely beautiful route - Hidden Lake Trail.

Along the way, I came across an omnivorous chipmunk. We understand that he does not care what he eats, he just ate both bread and sausage. And here is Hidden Lake - the main goal of the route.

I would like to point out that There are approximately 130 lakes in Glacier Park, some of which are trailed. At the same time, the total length of all routes for tourists is about 1100 kilometers.

Walking through these incredible places, noticed that sedimentary rocks and presented a large number of plant species. After doing the Hidden Lake Trail, we were so excited that we decided to master another one, which is called the Iceberg Lake Trail. The round trip was about 15 kilometers.

Having slightly miscalculated the time, in the middle of the road we were covered in twilight, so we returned back almost in pitch darkness. I had to drive quite carefully, because every now and then different animals jumped out onto the track, such as deer and raccoons. In general, we were very pleased with the trip to Glacier National Park, we would like to return and visit places where we did not have time to go.

Glacier National Park is located in Montana, USA, and occupies more than 400,000 hectares north of the Rocky Mountains. There is in this amazing and great place, famous for its stunning scenery, and elevations up to 1000 meters along the Flathead River, and the real Mountain peaks reaching 3000 meters. Four dozen glaciers, after which the park is named (in translation, the name of the park is Glacier), ancient limestone cliffs, at least 300 lakes, waterfalls - all this makes the park incredibly popular tourist place. In addition, a huge variety of animals - elks, wolves and bears - have long considered Glacier Park to be their home.
In general, Glacier Park is a glacier-covered wilderness that extends north from Alaska at the passage to the Olsek River, circling in the most picturesque way a magnificent sea bay.
According to archaeologists, the first settlers arrived in these places about 10,000 years ago. The indigenous people are the Cheyenne, Crow, Blackfoot, Assiniboine, Groventry, and Sioux Indian tribes.
In the early 19th century, the first Europeans - members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition - visited the state. They found here the Indians of various tribes. In 1807, Fort Manuel was founded, named after the founder, the fur trader Manuel Lais. This first American outpost was intended exclusively for trade with the Indians, but in 1811 trade had to be curtailed due to the hostility of the Blackfoot tribe. In the middle of the century (1858), a gold deposit was discovered in the state, and a couple of years later, a stream of immigrants literally poured into Montana. This was the beginning of the "gold rush" (Gold Rush), and Montana became one of the centers of the "Wild West". The once wild country was soon cut through Railway, and the previously almost deserted territory began to actively settle down.
In spite of everything, there were also enthusiasts who saw in this beautiful place not only a "gold mine" and fur trade, but also a unique, inimitable natural area, which had to be protected from a truly barbaric invasion of compatriots. Thus, through the efforts of several enthusiasts, including researcher George Bird Grinnell, the region was given the status National Park. After that, construction work began in the Park - and after a fairly short time, the territory opened as tourist centre. To date, the park has more than 300 buildings and structures included in the National Register Historic Places(National Register of Historic Places).
The largest number of tourists try to get into the park in spring and summer - it is from the end of May until September that the tourist season is officially open in the park. During other months, the park is open, however, only limited service is available.
Today, Glacier Park attracts not only those who, tired of overcrowded cities, are looking for unity with nature. Glacier Park has become one of the centers that have fallen into the zone of interest of ecotourists. Progressive Global Warming on the planet attracts people here who have seen in this corner of Montana one of the few places on Earth with glaciers that may suffer from warming in the first place, and therefore you need to hurry to see them. So, according to scientists, glaciers may disappear by 2030. It is said that there are even plans to change the name of the Park to something like "Glacier Memorial National Park" soon. However, despite the fact that every year more and more record and threatening temperatures are recorded, glaciers still remain glaciers, and the proximity of the sea determines a cool, damp climate with heavy rainfall, which largely affects the size of glaciers.