Glacier National Park is located in Montana. The park is part of the Rocky Mountain range and encompasses over 1 million acres. It is one of America’s most beautiful parks.  Going-to-the-Sun Road, which traverses the park, is a beautifully picturesque 50 mile long mountain road that can be accessed from either the east or west entrance. The winding road slowly rises to Logan Pass, which at 6,646 feet, is the highest point on the road.  There are many overlooks and many trailheads accessible from the road.  Every turn in the road presents another beautiful view of the mountains, valleys, waterfalls and lakes. Due to narrow sections and hairpin turns the highest portions of the roadway are limited to vehicles no longer than 21 feet and no wider than 8 feet.  .

In the 19th century an estimated 150 glaciers existed in the park. By 2010 only 25 active glaciers remained and it is estimated that all the glaciers may disappear by 2030. There are two hundred waterfalls and 700 crystal clear lakes scattered throughout the park. Lake McDonald is the largest and deepest lake at 464 feet.

Many animals inhabit the park. Grizzly and black bears, mountain goats, moose, bighorn sheep, elk, white-tailed deer, bobcat, cougar, coyote, mule deer and skunk are common. Glacier National Park has an average of 14 forest fires annually but in 2003 the landscape changed when 136,000 acres, (13 percent of the park), burned due to a multiyear drought.  Opportunities for hikers are plentiful.  The park has over 700 miles of trails ranging from flat easy walks to challenging technical hikes. There are three visitors’ centers, one at each entrance and one at Logan’s Pass.  The park offers a free shuttle service for tourists who want to sit back and enjoy a ride through the park.  We spent much of the day driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road.  We stopped at many of the overlooks and enjoyed the spectacular views from each.  It is amazing to see how much snow still remains in the mountains in late July.  We visited the west Visitors Center and made sure we got our National Parks Passbook stamped.  We thoroughly enjoyed Glacier National Park.  It is truly a remarkable place to visit.