Serene and beautiful Glacier National Park receives about two million visitors each year. People flock there to get away from their busy everyday lives in the cities below… and it’s hard to pick a better place. Located in northwestern Montana, many consider Glacier National Park to be the most beautiful park in the U.S. Unfortunately, though, most of the park’s two million yearly visitors don’t venture very far off of the usual roads and public areas.
And while there’s plenty to see and do in the main areas of Glacier National Park, venturing deeper into the park can be incredibly rewarding. Deep off the beaten path are wonderful areas for camping, hiking, fishing, or just sitting and watching nature. Part of the reason for this is the sheer variety and completeness of the park. Glacier National Parks is one of the largest ecosystems in the continent of North American which is mostly still intact.
Deep inside Glacier National Park, you can find more than fifty glaciers-- not all of which are overrun by the park’s tourists. All of the glaciers found in the park are relatively new, geologically speaking, having formed over the last couple of thousand years. Even so, these glaciers are shrinking year by year. Whether because of the phenomenon of global warming or just due to the natural process of glacial melting and freezing, more of the glaciers in Glacier National Park melt off each summer than re-form in winter-- and they may not be around long.
But after the glaciers are gone, the Glacier National Park will still be running over with beauty-- lakes, streams, nature, mountain trails, it’s all here. And while the largest and most popular lake in Glacier National Park is Lake McDonald, there are over 200 streams and lakes throughout the park, with plenty of great spots for water sports and trout fishing. There are also more than 700 miles of hiking trails throughout some of the most beautiful areas of Glacier National Park.
The Wildlife of Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park is full of wildlife. It has a generous population of black bears and grizzly bears (so be sure to bring bear spray with you on those 700 miles of hiking trail), as well as deer, mountain lions, elk, and moose. Glacier National Park’s most famous inhabitants, however, are probably the majestic Bighorn Sheep. The sound of these great mountain-dwellers knocking horns to compete for a mate has almost become a symbol of the park over the years.
To learn more about Glacier National Park, including its incredible (and slowly diminishing) wildlife, visit the Smithsonian Magazine website at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/
Glacier National Park, Parthenon, The Phantom of the Opera, Cleopatra
