Mount Saint Nicholas

Across the river valley in the mountains of Glacier National Park is a sight more often associated with the Swiss Alps than the Rocky Mountains. Mount Saint Nicholas is recognizable by its close resemblance to the Matterhorn. Legend has it that the mountain also resembles Saint Nicholas’ hat, a bishop’s miter or tall cap. The sides of the original mountain have been carved away by glaciers, leaving its central core. What is left, and what we see today, is technically called a horn. Most horns, however, are the spired remnants of the sides of larger mountains, as opposed to a remnant center.

Mount Saint Nicholas has an elevation of over 9,300 feet. Mountain climbers consider it the most dangerous and technically demanding ascent in Glacier National Park. Mount Saint Nicholas may be seen from several vantage points along our journey between Nyack and Essex.

2017 ROUTE GUIDE Empire Builder – Amtrak Train 8, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park – Seattle Unit, National Park Service/Department of the Interior