Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park [1] is a United States National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage site that is located on the northern border of Montana in the United States of America.

History

Glacier National Park borders Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada — the two parks are known as the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, and were designated as the world's first International Peace Park in 1932. Both parks were designated by the United Nations as Biosphere Reserves in 1976, and in 1995 as World Heritage sites.

Landscape

Glacier National Park is a stunning display of the geological processes that changed North America over the last billion years. The rock formations in the park are almost entirely sedimentary, laid down between 1600 to 800 million years ago when this area was an inland sea. They were uplifted during the formation of the Rockies beginning around 170 million years ago, and today contain some of the best Proterozoic fossils in the world. The mountains were carved into their present form by the advance and retreat of glaciers during the last ice age, and the park, as its name suggests, contains an abundance of glacial features, including lakes, valleys, and remnant glaciers (although these have diminished significantly in the last century).

Flora and fauna

The park offers many opportunities to see wildlife, and its ecosystems are almost unchanged from what they were at the time of Lewis and Clark.

Different trails offer visitors close encounters with animals from mountain goats to pine martens. The park is also one of the largest remaining natural grizzly habitats, and during late summer, grizzlies will often come to lower elevations to eat the area's popular berries and catch fish in the lakes. In addition to grizzly bears, the park is also home to two other endangered species: the Canadian lynx and the bull trout. 23 species of fish live in park waters, and fishing is a popular park activity. Birdwatchers will find many species of waterfowl in addition to larger birds of prey, including bald eagles.

Coniferous forest is the predominant ecosystem, although the forest is visibly different on the east and west sides of the Divide. Trails wind through subalpine meadows full of wildflowers and alpine tundras.

Climate

Weather at Glacier National Park is often different depending on your elevation and whether you are east or west of the Continental Divide. The western side of the park tends to receive the most rainfall, whereas the eastern side tends to have higher winds and more sun. The Rockies effectively disrupt the movement of air currents over the North American continent, leading to this disparity in climate. The National Weather Service issues separate weather forecasts for the two halves of the park, which may be accessed online [2] or checked a park information station before setting out. During the park's summer season, temperatures during the day can reach as high the 90s, but nighttime lows can be around 20 degrees. Snow can fall during any part of the year, as demonstrated in August 1992, when a foot of snow fell on the northeastern corner of the park [3]. If you are planning to visit the park during the winter season, expect most of the park to be snow covered, and make sure you have the right gear. Some trails and roads are closed off-season (and bridges removed). Always prepare for a variety of conditions and always bring rain gear.

Wildfires are also a more or less common occurrence in the park. According to the National Park Service, 2003 was one of Glacier's hottest years on record, and large areas of the park were shut down as 144,000 acres burned. [4]

In recent years, the park has become an important case study for climate scientists studying global warming. Research performed by the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center constructed parallel models of glacial melting and ecosystem change in the park based on a linear temperature extrapolation scenario and a carbon dioxide-induced global warming scenario, and estimated that in the latter case, the park's glaciers would be entirely gone by the year 2030. [5]

Read

• Exploring Glacier National Park, David Rockwell. [ISBN 0-7627-2354-8] An insightful and well-written Falcon Guide to Glacier National Park, with essay-style information on the flora, fauna, and geology of the park.
• Hiking Glacier & Waterton Lakes National Parks, Erik Molvar. [ISBN 1-56044-718-4]. A comprehensive guide to the trails of both parks, complete with maps, difficulty assessments, elevation charts, and useful and concise information about the natural history relevant to the trail.

Fees/Permits

All private vehicles entering the park must pay a $25 fee that is good for seven days. Individuals on foot or on bicycle must pay a $12 fee, also good for seven days. A Glacier National Park Pass is available for $30 and allows unlimited entry for one year. The National Park Pass costs $50 and allows free entry to all national park areas for one year.

Seniors age 62 and over (must be U.S. citizen or permanent resident) may purchase a lifetime Golden Age Passport for $10 which also allows admission to others in the same vehicle (even if not seniors or U.S. residents). There is a 50% discount on camping and other fees. This is valid at all national parks in the USA.

Be sure to always have your receipt or permit card handy as there are multiple entrances to the park and most people leave and re-enter several times. US highways 2, 89 and 93 are outside of the park, and park locations such as Many Glacier and Two Medicine are only accessible by car from the Going to the Sun Highway if you leave and re-enter. (A small portion of US Hwy 2 and the Chief Mtn. Int'l Hwy are technically within the park's borders, but there are no park services or entry gates there.)

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