Glacier National Park, Montana – Legends of America

Glacier National Park, Montana – Legends of America

Glacier National Park, often lauded as "America’s Switzerland," sprawls across nearly 1,600 square miles of northwestern Montana. This pristine wilderness is a symphony of dense forests, vibrant alpine meadows, jagged mountain peaks, cascading waterfalls, and shimmering lakes. Here, visitors can witness the enduring legacy of colossal ice sheets that sculpted the Earth’s surface over millennia. The park isn’t home to just one or two glaciers, but a remarkable 25, clinging tenaciously to the Continental Divide’s slopes and ridges. Within its boundaries, Glacier National Park boasts a concentration of rugged peaks, glaciers, picturesque lakes, streams, and waterfalls unmatched anywhere else in the United States.

A Tapestry of History and Culture

The park’s history extends far beyond its designation as a national treasure. Archaeological evidence reveals human presence dating back over 10,000 years. Native American tribes, including the Blackfeet, Salish, Pend d’Oreille, and Kootenai, have long called this region home. They utilized the area for hunting, fishing, ceremonial practices, and gathering vital plants and berries. When European explorers first ventured into the area, the Blackfeet held sway over the prairies east of Glacier, while the Salish, Pend d’Oreille, and Kootenai inhabited the more heavily forested western reaches. These tribes also journeyed east across the mountains to hunt buffalo, an essential resource for their survival and culture.

These indigenous peoples have left an indelible mark on the landscape, with many mountains, lakes, and waterfalls still bearing their original Native American names. Names like Rising Wolf Mountain, Going-to-the-Sun Mountain, Almost-a-Dog Mountain, Morning Eagle Falls, and Two Medicine Lakes evoke a sense of history and connection to the land. The tribes also contributed to the region’s mystique through their stories of ancient ceremonies held in secluded valleys, their hunting exploits on the plains, and the profound religious significance they attached to certain towering peaks. During their time, when their hunting grounds stretched from the Missouri River in the south to the Saskatchewan River in Canada, they knew this area as the "Land of Shining Mountains." The Blackfeet revered the imposing, grey, perpendicular face of Chief Mountain as sacred, believing it to be "where the Great Spirit lived when he made the world," according to their Medicine Men’s legends.

The Kootenai Indians knew Lake McDonald as "The Place Where They Dance." For countless generations, they returned to the lake’s edge to dance and sing, seeking guidance and assistance from various spirits.

Exploration and Exploitation

The late 1700s saw the arrival of white trappers, and by the early 1800s, French, English, and Spanish trappers were actively seeking beaver and other valuable pelts, trading with the local tribes. In 1806, the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition passed within 50 miles of the future park’s boundaries.

Lake McDonald’s name likely originates from Duncan McDonald, a fur trader with the Hudson’s Bay Company. As the story goes, McDonald was leading an expedition east of the mountains when his scouts warned of a Blackfeet war party lying in ambush in a mountain pass. The party retreated and camped by a stunning lake, where McDonald carved his name into one of the massive cedar trees. Years later, when his name was discovered, the lake was named in his honor.

Captain John Palliser, an early explorer, captured the allure of the region when he wrote, "The sun set gloriously behind the Chief Mountain just as I would have given anything for one half-hour’s longer light. I was probably the only white man that had ever been there."

Conflict and Transition

By the time the Civil War began in 1861, the mountainous terrain of Glacier had been "discovered" and explored. Fur trappers had traversed its peaks, missionaries had visited, a major American railroad survey had scouted potential routes, and boundary survey teams had marked the international border. However, these incursions had little impact on the region, as the Blackfeet maintained control until the 1870s, deterring settlers and other travelers from crossing the mountain passes.

Though the Blackfeet continued to dominate the region until the 1870s, white settlers began to establish a presence as interest in resource exploration and exploitation grew. After the Civil War, prospectors, hunters, homesteaders, and entrepreneurs arrived in increasing numbers, driven by the desire for economic gain. As the tribes’ resources dwindled, they were compelled to sign treaties that gradually confined them to reservations and made them dependent on the U.S. government. Today, the 1.5-million-acre Blackfeet Reservation borders the park’s eastern edge, while the Salish and Kootenai reservation, encompassing 1.3 million acres, lies southwest of Glacier, primarily along the Flathead River.

The Dawn of Tourism

The completion of the Great Northern Railway’s tracks over Marias Pass in 1891 dramatically increased the number of people in the area. These newcomers sought to trap, homestead, prospect, or simply revel in the scenery. Soon, small towns began to spring up.

The first structures built were homestead cabins, but early visitors and residents quickly recognized the potential for tourism. By 1892, settlers Milo Apgar and Charlie Howe were offering rental cabins, meals, pack horses, guided tours, and boat trips for visitors arriving in Belton via the Great Northern Railway. Frank Geduhn provided cabins and services at the lake’s northern end.

The original west entrance to Glacier was a verdant, tree-lined corridor dominated by towering, ancient western red cedars. Visitors arriving by train at Belton were rowed across the Middle Fork of the Flathead River until a bridge was built in 1897. From there, they rode in a stagecoach along a rough dirt road connecting the river to the foot of Lake McDonald. At the lake, guests would board George Snyder’s steamboat for the eight-mile trip to the Snyder Hotel. The journey to the hotel could take most of the day, provided everything ran smoothly. After a night at the hotel, visitors could explore the mountains on horseback.

Mining also played a role in the park’s early history. Miners came in search of copper and gold. Under pressure from miners, the U.S. government acquired the mountains east of the Continental Divide from the Blackfeet in 1895. The mining towns of St. Mary and Altyn were located within the present-day boundaries of the park during a copper boom in Butte and Anaconda, Montana. Despite their hopes, the miners never discovered significant copper or gold deposits. While the mining boom lasted only a few years, remnants of abandoned mine shafts can still be found throughout the park.

From Forest Preserve to National Park

Around the turn of the century, attitudes toward the land began to shift. People started to appreciate its intrinsic value and scenic beauty, not just its mineral resources or potential for settlement. The area that would become Glacier National Park first gained protection from Congress as a forest preserve in 1900, but mining and homesteading were still permitted. Meanwhile, influential figures like George Bird Grinnell, an anthropologist, historian, and naturalist, and Louis Hill, president of the Great Northern Railway, advocated for the creation of a national park. In 1910, President Taft signed the bill establishing Glacier as the country’s 10th national park.

The newly established park required staff and infrastructure. Park rangers needed housing and offices to protect the park, and the growing number of visitors demanded roads, trails, and lodging. The Great Northern Railway built a series of hotels and backcountry chalets in a distinctive Swiss style, characterized by gabled roofs, exposed beams, ornate moldings, balconies, and expansive windows. Three of these historic hotels continue to operate today: Glacier Park Lodge, built in 1912-13; Lake McDonald Lodge, built in 1913-14; and Many Glacier Hotel, built in 1914-15. The backcountry Granite Park Chalet, built in 1914 and 1915, also offers overnight accommodations.

The Going-to-the-Sun Road

The demand for a road across the mountains led to the construction of the Going-to-the-Sun Road. This monumental undertaking took 11 years to complete, with the final section over Logan Pass opening in 1932. Today, the road is considered an engineering marvel and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997. It is one of the most scenic roads in North America, transforming how visitors experienced Glacier National Park. The road allowed access to areas that previously required days of horseback riding to reach.

Homesteaders and Fires

When the park was established, an existing wagon road up the North Fork became its western boundary, placing 44 homesteads within the park’s boundaries. This area had long attracted pioneers due to its abundant wildlife, minerals, timber, fresh water, and the potential for coal and oil. The Great Northern Railway provided settlers in the North Fork Valley with access to national markets. While the homesteaders retained private ownership of their lands, new park regulations restricted hunting, trapping, and logging. The private landowners felt that the National Park Service unofficially tried to extinguish private property titles.

In 1912, all homesteaders on the east side of the river signed a petition requesting that the North Fork Valley be removed from the park’s boundaries. The petition stated, "We submit that it is more important to furnish homes to a land-hungry people than to lock the land up as a rich man’s playground." Park Superintendent Logan responded, "Instead of giving up any land there, I think we should take steps to obtain more land; in fact, get rid of every settler on the North Fork of the Flathead River."

After the Half Moon fire of 1929, Congress appropriated nearly $200,000 to acquire private property within Glacier National Park’s boundary and began buying out private landowners. The National Park Service received another Congressional appropriation for land acquisition in the 1950s to acquire more private property. By 1954, no year-round residents lived on the east side of the North Fork Valley.

A Symbol of Peace and Cooperation

Just across the border in Canada lies Waterton Lakes National Park. In 1931, members of the Rotary Clubs of Alberta and Montana proposed joining the two parks as a symbol of peace and friendship between the two countries. In 1932, the United States and Canadian governments voted to designate the parks as Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, the world’s first. More recently, the parks have received two other international honors: they are biosphere reserves and were jointly designated a World Heritage Site in 1995.

Experiencing Glacier National Park Today

Glacier National Park boasts 185 mountains, 25 glaciers, 762 lakes, over 700 miles of trails, three visitor centers, and 13 drive-in campgrounds. Visitors can enjoy hiking, fishing, boating, wildlife viewing, horseback riding, guided tours, and more. The park has six National Historic Landmarks: the Going-to-the-Sun Road, Sperry Chalet, Granite Park Chalet, Two Medicine Camp Store, Many Glacier Hotel, and Lake McDonald Lodge. Additionally, 358 historic structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Some of the most popular places in the park include:

• Lake McDonald Valley: The hub of activity on the west side of Glacier National Park, this area was once occupied by massive glaciers that carved this area thousands of years ago. The valley is filled with spectacular sights, hiking trails, diverse species of plants and animals, historic chalets, and the grand Lake McDonald Lodge. Lake McDonald, at ten miles long and nearly 500 feet deep, is the largest lake in the park. High peaks surrounding the lake all show evidence of the power of glaciers to carve even the hardest of rock. The mighty glaciers that carved the broad "u-shaped" valley that Lake McDonald sits in also carved smaller hanging valleys with incredible waterfalls accessible by numerous hiking trails.

• Logan Pass: At 6,646 feet, Logan Pass is the highest elevation reachable by car in the park, towered over by Reynolds Mountain and Clements Mountains. Beautiful fields of wildflowers can be found in the summer, and plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities, where visitors see mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and the occasional grizzly bear lumbering through the meadows. Two of the area’s most popular trails are the Hidden Lake Trail and the Highline Trail. The Logan Pass Visitor Center is located in the middle of the park at the highest point along Going-to-the-Sun Road.

• Many Glacier: Situated in the heart of Glacier National Park, massive mountains, active glaciers, sparkling lakes, hiking trails, and abundant wildlife make this a favorite of visitors and locals alike. The small glaciers seen today sculpt the land in much the same way as the larger ancient ice-age glaciers did, slowly grinding away on the mountains, carving rock, and leaving a changed landscape.

• North Fork: This area in the northwest corner of Glacier National Park can only be reached by private vehicles on unpaved roads. Those who travel the rough dirt roads are rewarded with a living laboratory of forest succession in recently burned areas, views of Bowman and Kintla Lakes, homesteading sites, and chances to see and hear rare park wildlife.

• St. Mary Valley: Located adjacent to the St. Mary Entrance Station on Going-to-the-Sun Road, near the town of St. Mary, this is the eastern gateway to Glacier National Park. Here, the prairies, mountains, and forests converge to create a diverse and rich habitat for plants and animals.

• Two Medicine: Before Going-to-the-Sun Road was constructed, Two Medicine was a primary destination for travelers arriving by train. Backpackers and day hikers find this area rich in scenery, with its incredible vistas, extensive trails, crashing waterfalls, and sparkling lakes.

Glacier National Park is a testament to the power of nature and the enduring legacy of human interaction with the land. From its towering peaks and glistening glaciers to its rich cultural history and diverse wildlife, Glacier National Park offers an unforgettable experience for all who venture into its embrace.