Glacier National Park is the crown jewel of the National Park system! It’s actually the first ever International Peace Park, around the globe, sharing its borders with Waterton National Park. Half of the park is located across the northern US border, in Canada. Glacier National has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and a Biosphere Reserve thanks to the combination of being the first International Peace Park along with the natural wonders and deep cultural history that is found here. To top off the accolades, Glacier National was also the first International Dark Sky Park.
This beautiful park has been a product of time. As glaciers lie against the mountain side, they slowly erode away at the steep walls, creating a stark contrast between the valley below and the summits towering above. The repeated process of freezing and thawing causes rocks to become loose. The moving ice eventually carries the broken rocks down valley, where they chip and bounce off the cliffs enroute to their final resting place.
This same back-cutting erosion has helped to carve the steep, sharp mountain ridges that are known as arêtes. An arête creates a perfect bowl with steep sided valleys, that is called a cirque. These cirques, nestle many of the subalpine lakes located within the park. Unlike rivers, glaciers carve out steep-sided, wide-bottomed, U-shaped valleys.
This rugged mountain terrain is one of the most diverse in North America. It is one of the few complete ecosystems that has been kept intact. Glacier National is one of the few places where all native carnivores continue to survive. Large predators indicate a healthy landscape with abundant prey, intact habitats, and tolerant people.
These wonderful mountain landscapes are home to ancient glaciers, deep alpine lakes, old-growth forests, and windswept prairies. It is where animals of the humid Pacific Northwest socialize with those from Great Plains, as well as others from the northern forests.
This Park boasts something for everyone and can be a full family adventure. There’s bicycling, camping, over 700 miles of hiking trails, mountains of historical information, scenic roads with incredible viewpoints, and places to see wildlife in their natural habitats. I’d highly recommend taking more than one day to explore Glacier National Park, as you could easily spend a full day driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road, if not many more.
Trimming Down Human Erosion
The National Park System (NPS) has begun implementing a ticketing system, that helps to reduce human erosion in the park. Tickets can be purchased online, through recreation.gov for $2 per vehicle. Tickets go on sale June 1st, when the NPS releases 3/4ths of the tickets online.
The other option is to purchase the tickets at 8 am, 48 hours before arriving through the aforementioned website. The 48-hour option has an extremely limited number of tickets and can be very frustrating to acquire. However, with fierce determination it can be done. The tickets are good for 7 days, after the first day the ticket is available for use.
Glacier National also offers a shuttle service that passes between the two visitors centers, Apgar and Saint Mary’s. The shuttle drives the entire length of the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The shuttle stops at all the major exhibits between the two visitors’ centers. Trips begin at 7 am with the last shuttle running at 7 pm. Tickets are only $1 per person and available through recreation.gov. Please note that the shuttle tickets can only be redeemed within their one hour window. If redeemed within the hour, then you’ll receive a wristband that is good for the rest of the day.
I camped at the Two-Medicine campground, found on Two-Medicine Lake, located on the east side of the park. I spent the first three nights, of my five days in Glacier, here. During this time, I hiked a 10.2 mile, round-trip, hike to Cobalt Lake on the first day. Followed by a 9.6-mile hike to Iceberg Lake on the second. Both of these hikes were strenuous and steep but extremely rewarding. Cobalt Lake provided solitude from the hustle and bustle of the busy park. Whereas Iceberg Lake was a fantastic stop, for an ice-cold swim, after a rigorous and sweaty hike.
I ran into some car troubles on days 3 & 4, but I would have loved to hike the Highline Trail. The Highline Trail is often proclaimed as the best hike in the park. It’s a trail that’s known for servicing steep cliffs with expansive views. The Highline Trail takes hikers through the center of the park, leading to a wonderful overlook of the Grinnell Glacier. This unfortunate turn of events has given me even more reason to return!
Glacier National Park was a major bucket-list destination for me. I’ve wanted to visit here for many years. I couldn’t be happier with the time I had to explore everything this National Park has to offer. It is easily a top five National Park and a top five US destination. It is a place that should be on every American’s and every tourist’s bucket list. Glacier National is a place that everyone needs to see!
