Glacier National Park U.S.A.
national park Glacier is located near the Canadian border at the northern tip of the Rocky Mountains. The area of the park covers approximately 4,000 square kilometers, including mountain ranges, hundreds of lakes, massive glaciers born millennia ago, and velvety green meadows spread like flower carpets.
The breathtaking landscapes of the park, founded in 1910, were largely shaped by the movements of huge glaciers. Today, a little more than thirty of them remain, which is about a fifth of what was in the middle of the 19th century. The melting of glaciers is a natural process that cannot be stopped, and according to experts, glaciers (glacier - glacier) may disappear altogether in the coming decades.
Glacier National Park, revered as a sacred land by the Indians, is often referred to as Little Switzerland or the American Alps. This is undoubtedly the best place in the northern United States for summer holidays and hiking. Glacier Park is extremely rich in many wildlife populations. These are long-horned sheep, moose, wolverines, wolves, a large population of black bears and grizzly bears. And mountain goats or deer can often be seen directly from the windows of the most popular, located in the midst of alpine grandeur on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake.
Visitors to the park are justifiably interested in a two-hour trip by car or on a small tourist bus in bright red with a canvas roof on the eighty-kilometer "Road to the Sun". The road stretches from the lower territories of the park to the Continental Pass, located at an altitude of 2000 meters. This journey will allow you to enjoy magnificent views of the park, take you past glossy fjord-like lakes, past thousands of seasonal waterfalls and dense evergreen forests.
To date, hundreds of infrastructure buildings and structures have been built on the territory of the Glacier National Park, designed to serve the tourist. One of the most comfortable places is a hotel complex located in the western part on the shore of the big lake in the park - Lake McDonald.
Glacier national park- VIDEO
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Glacier National Park - PHOTOS
Glacier National Park is located in the US state of Montana near the Canadian border. This park is famous for its forests, mountains and glacial lakes. There are more than 700 lakes here. An interesting fact is that only 131 of them have their own names, the rest are nameless. Many lakes are quite decent in size. The beauty of mountains and glacial lakes always makes the heart beat faster. And Glacier Park is no exception.
It should be recalled that this is the region of the Rocky Mountains, and it is extremely rich in amazing reservoirs. For example, north of Glacier Park there is Canada's Banff National Park, also famous for its lakes, such as Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and Peyto Lake.
Among such a variety of mountain lakes in the Glacier Park, the most remarkable should be highlighted. This is Lake McDonald. It is the largest here, and is located in the northern part of the park, 40 kilometers south of the border with Canada.
Lake McDonald on the map
- Geographic coordinates 48.591376, -113.914942
- The distance from the capital of the USA Washington is about 3150 km in a straight line
- To the nearest International Airport Spokane about 300 km
Lake McDonald has an elongated shape from the northeast to the southwest. Its length is slightly more than 15 kilometers, and its width reaches 1600 meters. Max Depth 141 meters. The water surface area is 27.6 square kilometers.
The places here are extremely amazing and amazing, but this is not even the main thing. The main difference between some lakes is the multi-colored stones that cover their bottom and coasts. This effect is most colorful in Lake McDonald. Stones of bizarre, sometimes some unreal colors are abundantly scattered around the lake. Reds, yellows, greens and even blues mixed together in a fairy tale.
And if the appearance of multi-colored stones on the famous Glass Beach in California is easily explained by the disgusting unscrupulous attitude of man to nature, then the colored stones of Lake McDonald are entirely the merit of the planet.
Without going into a detailed geological analysis, we will only say that the color of pebbles is due to the content of iron in sedimentary rocks and the degree of its oxidation. So, for example, where iron is in close contact with air, red colors predominate. But green colors are characteristic of stones formed at great depths, where oxygen access is very limited.
But who poured this splendor into the lake? Was it possible that the mythical truck was carrying colored stones for the construction of the rainbow, but got lost and unloaded the contents in the wrong place? In fact, everything is simple.
Initially, there were rocks that formed over millions of years and, depending on the conditions, acquired those very amazing colors. Subsequently, during the ice age, these rocks were ground into small pebbles by giant ice blocks. Streams of melt water brought colored stones to the valley, which was filled with glacial runoff.
Colored stones are also found in other lakes of the park, but their number is maximum in Lake McDonald, which looks very impressive.
Another feature of the lake is its indescribable purity, which puts it on a par with such clean water bodies as, for example, the Verzasca River in Switzerland. The purity of the water in Lake McDonald is due to its temperature, which never rises above +10 degrees Celsius. Such conditions do not allow plankton to multiply and survive here, and, accordingly, this is where the transparency of the water comes from. The bottom here can be seen at a depth of 8-10 meters, and sometimes even deeper.
If the plankton is uncomfortable in the lake, then the fish feel like ... "fish in the water." There are quite a lot of fish species here. Especially trout and salmon. Lake McDonald is surrounded by dense coniferous forests dominated by fir, spruce and larch. There are also many animals in the area. Moose, deer and bears are found here.
For tourists around the lake laid 15 hiking trails different lengths and complexity. On the shore of the lake you can find infrastructure for tourists. These are hotels, cafes and canteens, as well as boat rentals.
Lake McDonald photo
Glacier National Park is located in Montana, USA, and occupies more than 400,000 hectares north of the Rocky Mountains. This amazing and beautiful place, famous for its stunning landscapes, has elevations up to 1000 meters along the Flathead River, and 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 that needed 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 of a National Park in 1910. 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 to 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.
Glacier National Park is an incredibly beautiful park, mostly located in the US state of 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 largest lake in 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, in national park Glacier also held 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.
Highly 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 Glacier Park, of which there are more than thirty, continue also 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 imagine how much time 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 predominate here and a large number of plant species are represented. 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.
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. Here you want to breathe deeply and not think about anything, contemplating the beautiful landscapes.
According to archaeological research, the first people (Indian tribes) came to the territory of the modern park about 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 highest Bird-woman waterfall.
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 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 the most 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 in 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 wildlife has gathered here! That is why visiting the park will certainly be of interest not only to 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 great amount rites and rituals associated with nature. Modern people like to compare this park with Switzerland and the Alps.
Glacier - not just beautiful 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 elsewhere in mountain peaks The higher you go, the colder it gets. AT tourist periods the maximum air temperature is around 20°C. It is important to note that snowfall can occur at any time of the year, even in summer, which is not uncommon. 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, fresh the air is here. 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 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 stop at various tourist camps and in 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!
