Glacier National Park

城市概覽

History Glacier National Park borders Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada — the two parks are known as the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, and were designated as the world's first International Peace Park in 1932. The parks were designated by the United Nations as Biosphere Reserves in 1976, and in 1995 as World Heritage sites.

Landscape

Glacier National Park is a stunning display of the geological processes that changed North America over the last billion years. The rock formations in the park are almost entirely sedimentary, laid down between 1600 and 800 million years ago when this area was an inland sea. They were uplifted during the formation of the Rockies beginning around 170 million years ago, and today contain some of the best Proterozoic fossils in the world. The mountains were carved into their present form by the advance and retreat of glaciers during the last ice age, and the park, as its name suggests, contains an abundance of glacial features, including lakes, valleys, and remnant glaciers (although these have diminished significantly in the last century).

Flora and fauna The park offers many opportunities to see wildlife, and its ecosystems are almost unchanged from what they were at the time of Lewis and Clark. Different trails offer visitors close encounters with animals from mountain goats to pine martens. The park is also one of the largest remaining natural grizzly habitats, and during late summer, grizzlies will often come to lower elevations to eat the area's popular berries and catch fish in the lakes. In addition to grizzly bears, the park is also home to two other endangered species: the Canadian lynx and the bull trout. 23 species of fish live in park waters, and fishing is a popular park activity. Birdwatchers will find many species of waterfowl in addition to larger birds of prey, including bald eagles. Coniferous forest is the predominant ecosystem, although the forest is visibly different on the east and west sid

如何抵達

By train If you have the extra time and want to see more of the country, the train is a good option for traveling to Glacier National Park. Since much of the early development of the park was led by the Great Northern Rail company, the railroad is an integrated part of the park's history (and vice versa). Amtrak's Empire Builder train service runs from Seattle and Portland through northern Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to Chicago. The Empire Builder westbound train arrives in the evening while the eastbound train arrives in the morning daily at the three stations serving the park. Travellers should arrange accommodations or waiting time accordingly.

1 West Glacier Park Station (Amtrak station code: WGL) - This historic railroad depot has a small historical museum but no ticketing office or automated ticketing machines. Hwy 2 and Going-to-the-Sun Rd., West Glacier 2 East Glacier Park Station (Amtrak station code: GPK) - This station is open from May 1 through October 1.400 Highway 49 North, East Glacier Park. (After October 1 and prior to May 1, Amtrak trains stop at Browning instead of Glacier Park. Browning is not a staffed station.) Buses can take you inside the park from West and East Glacier Park:

Red Bus Tours, ☏ +1-855-733-4522. It offers a shuttle between West Glacier, Village Inn at Apgar and Lake McDonald Lodge. Reservations are required due to limited space. The fare is $6 between the Amtrak station and the Village Inn and $10 between the Amtrak station and Lake McDonald Lodge. Glacier Park Inc., ☏ +1 406-892-2525 (U.S.), +1 403-236-3400 (Canada). Offers shuttle buses between Glacier Park Lodge near the East Glacier Park Amtrak station to Two Medicine, Cut Bank Creek, Saint Mary Lodge, Saint Mary Visitor Center, Many Glacier Hotel, Swiftcurrent Chief Mountain Customs and Prince of Wales Hotel. Fees vary from $15 to $75 depending on how far you want to travel. The fee to enter the park is not included in the bus fee; you'll need to

當地交通

Shuttles and tour buses Getting around the different parts of Glacier National Park is easiest by car, although some shuttles and tour buses do run inside the park, particularly on Going-to-the-Sun Road. Shuttles can be relatively expensive ($10 for each major segment of the routes, which connect the Belton Chalet to St. Mary's Visitor Center and even cross the border to enter Waterton National Park in Canada, where they terminate at the famous Prince of Wales Hotel. Red tour buses called Jammers (so named after the old practice of jamming the gears in place to climb steep hills) are much more expensive but a beloved fixture of the park to many tourists. They have now been modernized to run on natural gas. The National Park Service also operates free shuttles along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. These shuttles run every fifteen or thirty minutes. However, intervals may differ depending on road construction. Visitors without cars should acquaint themselves well with the shuttle schedules before setting out as they run infrequently and often fill up fast.

Hitchhiking Hitchhiking is also a viable way to travel among destinations along Going-to-the-Sun Road, but be sure to thumb vehicles down from a turn out or shuttle stop so that they can safely pull over to pick you up.

By bicycle Cycling is permitted on Going-to-the-Sun Road, and the ride may be beautiful and rewarding. However, the elevation gain makes the route strenuous and many segments are along steep cliffs without shoulders. Some portions of Going-to-the-Sun Road are closed to cyclists during high-traffic hours of the day for this reason. Bicycles are not allowed on trails.

By foot

With over 700 miles (1100 km) of trails, Glacier Park is best enjoyed through hiking. A good waterproof topographic trail map of Glacier National Park and Waterton National Park is available from National Geographic, complete with GPS checkpoints. Major trail-heads are located at the Swiftcurrent Motor Lodge, Logan's Pass,

必看景點

From your car

1 Going-to-the-Sun Road. The most spectacular viewpoints in the park are along this road. It is closed to traffic in Winter and open from June - Oct. Depending on weather, it will be open as early as Memorial Day weekend (last Monday in May). You can check the road status online. Highlights include Lake McDonald, Logan Pass at the Continental Divide, Rising Sun, and St. Mary Lake. Road construction is possible in the summer with just one lane open to traffic (and opposing traffic held back). At about 6,600 feet (2,000 meters), Logan Pass is the highest drivable point in or near the park. The car park at Logan Pass fills up early in the morning and becomes a chaotic fight for a space the rest of the day. Though a "must see" for anyone visiting the park, it is not a shortcut from Lake McDonald to St. Mary. Despite the distance being several times longer, it is almost always faster to go around via US Hwy 2 and 89. 2 US Hwy 2. On the south side of the park. Also crosses