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large lakes.

Another wondrous vista at the park is the Lewis Over thrust', colorful layers of rock seen along the sides of ridge (similar to the layers found in the Grand Canyon in Arizona). The over thrust was made millions years ago when a disturbance inside the earth caused the earth's surface to crack like a squeezed lemon. One area was pushed, or thrust, up and over another area.

Many of the park's most beautiful mountain peaks can be viewed across sparkling mountain lakes, which reflect the sky, the clouds, and the peaks. Glacier National Park contains 650 lakes. Some of the lakes lie high in the mountains, and others nestle deep in the valleys. One of the most beautiful of these lakes is the Saint Mary Lake (named by a Catholic missionary/priest): It is about ten miles long and is completely surrounded by mountains, except at the point where it meets the Saint Mary River. The largest of Glacier's lakes is McDonald Lake, which lies at an elevation of 3153 feet in the western part of the park on the other side of the continental divide. Gouged by a glacier, which was 2,000 feet high, the lake itself is 10 miles long and 427 deep at its deepest point. It was called "Sacred Dancing Lake" by the Kootenai tribe.

With the right combination of patience, know-how and a good pair of binoculars, you'll catch more than a glimpse of many types of wildlife in the park. Glacier National Park is protected by, and hunting is not allowed, but one can hunt with a good camera. Elk, deer and antelope make the park their home, as do hundreds of different bird species, including eagles, hawks and great blue herons. Mountain goats, bighorn sheep and grizzly bears can be frequently seen, too. The streams are abundant with fish, especially eastern brook, rainbow and cutthroat trout, etc..

Much has changed since the early visitors (3) came to Glacier; yet it is possible to relive some of its early history. Much of hiking trails follow routes used by trappers in the early 1800's. A visit to the Glacier National Park is truly a great adventure.

*For information to the park's facilities call, email or write:
Glacier National Park Service
PO Box 128
West Glacier, MT 59936-0128
-
E-mail - Glacier National Park
Phone 406-888-7800
Fax 406-888-7808

NOTES:

1) The Glacier area was called "the backbone of the world" by the Blackfoot Indians and the "crown of the continent" by 18th century writer George Grinnell.

2)A Canadian preserve, Waterton Lakes National Park lies just north of Glacier National Park. In 1931, members of the Rotary Clubs and Montana suggested joining the two parks as a symbol of peace and friendship between the two countries. In 1932, the United States and Canadian government voted to designate the parks as Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.

3) Indian tribes blazed a trail through the area the Blackfoot, Salish, and Kootenai. The first white man to visit the park area was David Thompson of the Hudson Bay Company, in the 1780's, and the park was also spotted by members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition as well although overcast skies prevented them from seeing the mountains of the area.

Learn more about this author, Norman A. Rubin.
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