About Glacier Park

As you near Glacier National Park, the majestic mountains and breathtaking scenery for which the Park is renowned come into view. Spanning approximately 1,600 square miles, the Park safeguards a diverse landscape of dense forests, alpine meadows, lakes, peaks, and valleys sculpted by ancient glaciers, all nestled within the Northern Rocky Mountains.

Glacier National Park was established in 1910. It is the eighth oldest of the current 59 National Parks. In Glacier’s diverse habitats are found nearly 70 species of mammals, including the grizzly bear, wolverine, gray wolf and lynx, as well as over 270 species of birds. The landscape includes over 700 miles of maintained trails, making Glacier National Park a hiker’s paradise. The mountains and scenery are the result of spectacular geological events over the past 70 million years. In the late 1800s, geologists first recognized the existence of large overthrust faults in this area. Overthrusts are sections of the earth’s crust that have cracked, and where one side of the earth’s crust was then forced over the top of the other. The park offers different things to different people. For some, its importance is based on its nearly intact ecosystem of plants and animals. For others, the awesome beauty of nature is its own reward.