Glacier National Park is located in the U.S. state of Montana, on the international border with the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. The park was established on May 11, 1910 by an act of the United States Congress. Glacier National Park contains almost 1,584 mi² (4101 km²) of pristine forest, mountains, and lakes. The Continental divide bisects the park north to south along the spine of the Lewis and Livingston mountain ranges. 27 glaciers are located within the park, all of which are in a general state of rapid retreat.^[1] Aside from the Bison and the Woodland Caribou, the animals that existed in the region at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition are still found in the park. Today, the park is visited by close to 2 million tourists each year, yet the vast majority of the park is only seen by those relative few that venture far beyond the main roadways.

Glacier National Park borders Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada — the two parks are jointly known as the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, and were designated as the world's first International Peace Park in 1932. They were both designated Biosphere Reserves in 1976 and World Heritage sites in 1995.^[2] Six mountain peaks exceed 10,000 feet (3,048 m) with Mount Cleveland being the highest point. Glacier has been referred to as the "Crown of the Continent"^[3] partly due to the existence of Triple Divide Peak, which sends waters towards the Pacific Ocean, Hudson Bay, and Gulf of Mexico watersheds. Lake McDonald, St. Mary Lake, Bowman Lake and Kintla Lake are the largest lakes while another 700 lakes are located throughout the mountains. The north fork of the Flathead River forms the western boundary of the park while its middle fork is part of the southern boundary. The Blackfeet Indian Reservation provides most of the eastern boundary, while Lewis and Clark National Forest and the Flathead National Forest form the southern and western boundary. The remote Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex is within the two forests immediately south of the park. The Going-to-the-Sun Road traverses the middle of the park, providing access to some of the most spectacular scenery in the U.S.

History

The earliest human inhabitants of the area were Native Americans and archeology of the region indicates that their presence extends back 10,000 years.^[4] Among the earliest tribes in the area known by name were the Salish, Flathead, Shoshone and Cheyenne. The Blackfeet arrived around the beginning of the 18th century and soon dominated the eastern slopes of what later became the park, as well as the Great Plains immediately to the east. The park region provided the Blackfeet shelter from the harsh winter winds of the plains and supplemented their traditional Bison hunts with other game meat. Today, the Blackfeet Indian Reservation forms an eastern boundary to the existing park while the Flathead Indian Reservation is located west and south of the park boundary. In 1855, the Lame Bull Treaty established the Blackfoot Reservation which included the eastern area of the current park.^[5] To the Blackfeet, the mountains, especially Chief Mountain and the region in the southeast at Two Medicine, were considered the "Backbone of the World" and were frequented during vision quests. In 1895, Chief White Calf of the Blackfeet authorized the sale of the mountain area, some 800,000 acres (3,200 km²), to the U.S. government for $1.5 million. This established the current boundary between the park and the reservation.

While exploring the Marias River in 1806, the Lewis and Clark Expedition came within 50 miles (80 km) of the area that is now the park. A series of explorations after 1850 helped bring the future park area into better perspective. George Bird Grinnell came to the region in the late 1880's and was inspired by the scenery so much that he spent the next two decades working for the establishment of the park.^[6] A few years after Grinnell first visited, Henry L. Stimson and two companions, including a Blackfeet Indian, climbed the steep east face of Chief Mountain in 1892.

In 1891, the Great Northern Railway crossed the Continental divide at Marias Pass (5,213 ft/1,589 m) which is along the southern boundary of the park. In an effort to stimulate use of the railroad, the Great Northern soon advertised the splendors of the region to the public. They lobbied the United States Congress and in 1900, the park was designated a forest preserve. Under the forest designation mining was still allowed, although it was not commercially successful.

The Great Northern Railway, under the supervision of president Louis W. Hill (son of James J. Hill), built a number of hotels and chalets throughout the park in the 1910s to promote tourism. Louis Hill wanted to portray Glacier National Park as "America's Switzerland", so the hotels and chalets had a Swiss style. Vacationers oftentimes would take pack trips on horseback between the lodges or utilize the seasonal stagecoach routes to gain access to the Many Glacier area in the northeast.^[7] The Great Northern Railway, in developing its "American Alps" theme, was following the example of the Northern Pacific Railway in Yellowstone and the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad at the Grand Canyon, all of which used the proximity of scenic wonders to their railroads in their marketing efforts.

The chalets, built between 1910 and 1913, included Belton, St. Mary, Sun Point, Two Medicine, Sperry, Granite Park, Cut Bank, and Gunsight Lake. The railway also built Glacier Park Lodge, just adjacent to the park on its east side, and the Many Glacier Hotel on the east shore of Swiftcurrent Lake. Louis Hill personally selected the sites for all of these buildings, choosing each for a dramatically different scenic backdrop and a view from every room. Another developer, John Lewis, built the Lewis Glacier Hotel on Lake McDonald in 1913-1914. The Great Northern Railway bought the hotel in 1930 and renamed it Lake McDonald Lodge. The chalets were planned for backcountry access via horseback or by hiking. Today, only Sperry Chalet and Granite Park Chalet are still in operation, while a former building from Two Medicine Chalet is now Two Medicine Store.^[8] The buildings constructed by the Great Northern Railway (Sperry and Granite Park Chalets, Many Glacier Hotel, and Two Medicine Store) are now on the list of National Historic Landmarks^[9] as is the Lake McDonald Lodge.^[10]

After the park was well established and visitors began to rely more on automobiles, work was begun on the 53 mile (85 km) long Going-to-the-Sun Road, completed in 1932. Also known simply as the Sun Road, it bisects the park and is the only route that ventures deep into the park, going over the Continental divide at Logan Pass (6,670 feet, 2033 m) at the midway point. The Sun Road is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1985 was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Another route, along the southern boundary between the park and National Forests is U.S. Route 2, which crosses the Continental Divide at Marias Pass and connects the towns of West Glacier and East Glacier.

The Going-to-the-Sun Road was part of the work stimulation efforts undertaken by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930's. During this period, the CCC also developed many of the trails and campgrounds.

Wildfires in 2003 on the west side of the continental divide burned 10% of the park. There were also extensive fires in the surrounding forests.

Park management

Glacier National Park is managed by the National Park Service, which is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior. The National Park Service has the smallest staff of any major federal agency, yet oversees over 84 million acres (340,000 km²).^[11] The park headquarters is located in West Glacier, Montana.

Glacier National Park has an operating budget of $11,885,000 for fiscal year 2006. The vast majority of this money is used to maintain the park at current operational levels, provide minimal staffing, of which more than 60% are seasonal employees that are only employed for a few months per year, and to make minor improvements to structures and roadways that are in immediate need of restoration. Only 20% of the funding that is available annually for the park's use come from what are known as user fees, which is money collected primarily at campgrounds and entrance stations. The remaining funding comes from federal tax dollars, grants and contributions from the generous. In a 1999 report given by the then Superintendent of Glacier to the U.S. House of Representatives, the cost of the deferred maintenance, not including what needs to be done to roads and hotels is $77,000,000. The cost of restoring the five hotels in the park, bringing them up to the current fire codes and performing stabilization work would cost another 100-135 million dollars.^[12]

The mandate of the National Park Service is preservation and protection of natural and cultural resources. The Organic Act of August 25, 1916, established the National Park Service as a federal agency and one major section of the Act has been summarized often as the "Mission", "...to promote and regulate the use of the...national parks...which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."^[13] In keeping with this mandate, hunting is illegal in the park, as are mining, logging and removal of natural or cultural resourses. Additionally, oil and gas exploration or extraction are not permitted.

The year 2010 will mark the 100th anniversary of the park and major reconstruction of the Going-to-the-Sun Road is underway, with 2007 expected to see temporary shut downs of the roadway to tourism. Some rehabilitation of major structures such as visitor centers and historic hotels, as well as improvements in wastewater treatment facilities and campgrounds are expected to be completed by the anniversay date. Also planned are fishery studies for Lake McDonald, updating the historical archives and trail restoration.

Geography and geology

The park contains a dozen large lakes and 700 smaller ones, with a total of 131 of them named. Numerous tarns are located in cirques formed by glacial erosion. Some of these lakes, like Avalanche Lake and Cracker Lake, are notably opaque turquoise in color from the suspended glacial silt, and a number of streams run milky white with silt. The lakes of Glacier National Park remain cold year round with temperatures rarely found above 50 degrees Fahrenheit at their surface. Cold water lakes such as those found in the park support little plankton growth, which in turn ensures the lake waters are remarkably clear. However, the lack of plankton in the waters allows pollutants to remain longer since the filtering process is reduced. Consequently, the lakes are considered environmental "bellwethers" as they can be quickly affected by even minor increases in pollutants.^[14]

200 waterfalls are scattered throughout the park. During dryer times of the year, many of these are reduced to a trickle. The largest falls include those in the Two Medicine region, McDonald Falls in the McDonald Valley and easily observed Swiftcurrent Falls in the Many Glacier area, close to the Many Glacier Hotel. Perhaps the tallest waterfall is Bird Woman Falls which drops 492 feet (149 m) from a hanging valley beneath the north slopes of Mount Oberlin. Bird Woman Falls are easily seen from the Going-to-the-Sun Road.

The rocks of the park are primarily sedimentary in origin, having been laid down in shallow seas over 1.6 billion to 800 million years ago. During the formation of the Rocky Mountains the Lewis Overthrust, commencing 170 million years ago, moved an enormous region of rocks three miles (4.8 km) thick and 160 miles (257 km) long eastward more than 50 miles (80 km).^[15] This resulted in older rocks being displaced over newer ones, and today overlying Proterozoic rocks are over 1.4 billion years older than the underlying Cretaceous age rocks. One of the most dramatic evidences of this overthrust is visible in the form of Chief Mountain, an isolated peak on the edge of the eastern boundary of the park rising 4,500 feet (1,371 m) above the Great Plains. There are seven mountains in the park over 10,000 feet (3,050 m) in elevation, with Mount Cleveland (10,466 ft/3,190 m) being the tallest.

The rocks in Glacier National Park are the best preserved sedimentary rocks of Proterozoic times in the world. Sedimentary rocks of similar age located in other parts of the world have been greatly altered by various mountain building and other metamorphic changes, and consequently fossils are less common and are more difficult to observe. The rocks preserve such features as millimeter-scale lamination, ripple marks, mud cracks, salt-crystal casts, raindrop impressions, oolites and other sedimentary bedding characteristics.

These rocks in the park have, due to the glacially carved cliffs, one of the best locations of readily available rock strata in which to find fossils dating from the period when life on Earth is considered to have first developed. Six fossilized species of Stromatolites, which were early organisms consisting primarily blue-green algae, have been documented in the rocks in the park and are dated at about 1 billion years.^[16] One feature of the rocks in the park is known as the Appekunny Formation. This rock formation has bedding structures which are believed to be the remains of the earliest identified metazoan (animal) life on Earth. The discovery of the Appekunny Formation, a well preserved rock strata located within the park, pushed back the previously believed age for the origination of animal life a full billion years.^[17]

Glaciers

Glacier National Park is dominated by mountains which were carved into their present shapes by the huge glaciers that have mostly disappeared since the end of the last ice age, 15,000 years ago. The evidence of widespread glacial action is found throughout the park in the form of U-shaped valleys, glacial cirques, aretes and large outflow lakes which radiate like fingers from the base of the highest peaks. Since the end of the ice ages, a series of warming and even a few cooling trends have occurred. The last recent cooling trend was during the Little Ice Age which took place approximately between 1550 and 1850.^[18] During the Little Ice Age, some expansion and advance of the glaciers in the park occurred, but not nearly to the extent as was present during the ice age. Coincidentally, the park region was first explored in detail near the end of the Little Ice Age and a systematized survey began in which the number and size of glaciers was documented on maps and by photographic evidence. However, much of this work in the late 19th century was done to lure tourism into the region and in search of mineral wealth, and not due to a true desire to document glaciers. During the middle of the 20th century, these maps and photographs provided clear evidence that the 150 known glaciers in the park a hundred years earlier had greatly retreated and in many cases, disappeared altogether.^[19]

The U.S. Geological Survey began a more systematic study by the mid 20th century of the remaining glaciers in the park that continues to the present day. By 2005, the number of remaining glaciers in the park was only 27 and scientists generally agree that if the current climate patterns continue, all the glaciers in the park will be gone by 2030. This retreat of glaciers in the park follows a worldwide pattern that has become even more accelerated since 1980. The extensive glacier retreat in the park as well as in other regions worldwide, are key indicators of climatic changes on a worldwide scale. All evidence indicates that the demise of glacial ice is indicative of global warming. Without a major climatic change in which cooler and moister weather return and persist, the mass balance (accumulation rate versus melting rate) of glaciers will continue to be negative and the glaciers will eventually disappear, leaving behind only barren rock.^[20] Glacier National Park is one of the foremost regions of the world in which climatic changes have been documented by researchers. Glaciologists have documented numerous glaciers within the park. Visible from the Going-to-the-Sun Road, the Blackfoot Glacier and Jackson Glacier were one glacier in the mid 19th century. After the end of the Little Ice Age, the glaciers in the park retreated an average of less than 23 feet (7 m) per year. Between 1917 and 1926, the retreat rate rose to over 130 feet (40 m) per year and in the period from 1926 to 1932, this rate of retreat exceeded 328 feet (100 m) annually. Over the next ten years, the rate of retreat dropped slightly to 295 feet (90 m) annually. From 1942 to 1979, there was a period in which the retreat rate reduced significantly, and even a small advance of a few tens of meters was experienced on some of the glaciers in the park. In 1850, the glaciers in the region near Blackfoot and Jackson Glaciers covered 5,337 acres (21.6 km²), and by 1979, the same region of the park had glacier ice covering only 1,828 acres (7.4 km²). Between 1850 and 1979, 73 percent of the glacial ice in the park melted away.^[21]

The impact of glacier retreat in the park on ecosystems is not fully known but cold water dependent plant and animal species may be impacted. Reduced seasonal melting of glacial ice may also impact stream flow during the dry summer and fall seasons, reducing water table levels and enhancing the risk of forest fires. The loss of glaciers will also reduce the aesthetic visual appeal experienced by park visitors.^[22]

Wildlife and ecology

Flora

Glacier is part of a large preserved ecosystem of over 8 million acres (32,000 km²). The parklands are bordered on the east by the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, an area consisting primarily of the westernmost expanse of the Great Plains found in the U.S. Flathead National Forest is located to the west and the Great Bear Wilderness within Lewis and Clark National Forest is located to the south. Waterton Lakes National Park, Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park, and the Flathead Provincial Forest in Canada are all found along the northern boundary of the park. In combination, the region is known as the "Crown of the Continent Ecosystem", and is primarily untouched wilderness of a pristine quality. Virtually all the plants and animals which existed at the time white explorers first entered the region are still in existence today.^[23]

The valleys and sheltered mountain sides are home to over 1,132 species of trees and plants. The predominantly coniferous forest is home to various species of trees such as the Engelmann Spruce, Douglas Fir, Subalpine Fir, Limber pine and Western Larch, which sheds its needles each year, unlike other conifers. Cottonwood and Aspen are the dominant deciduous trees and are found at lower elevations. The timberline on the eastern side of the park is almost 800 feet (250 m) lower than on the western side of the Continental Divide, due to exposure to the colder winds and weather of the Great Plains. West of the Continental Divide, the forest receives more moisture and protection from the winter resulting in the trees being taller and the forest becoming very densely populated. Above the forested valleys and mountain slopes, alpine tundra conditions prevail where grasses and small plants work hard to exist in a region that enjoys as little as three months without snow cover. Thirty species of plants are found only within the park and surrounding National Forests. Beargrass, a tall flowering plant, is commonly found near moisture sources throughout the park, and is relatively widespread during July and August. Wildflowers such as Monkeyflower, Glacier Lily, Fireweed, Balsamroot and Indian Paintbrush are found throughout the park.^[24]

The forested regions of the park consist of three major climatic zones. The west and northwest are dominated by spruce and fir, the southwest by Red Cedar and Hemlock and the areas east of the Continental divide are a combination of mixed pine, spruce, fir and prairie zones. The cedar-hemlock groves along the Lake McDonald valley are the easternmost examples of this Pacific climatic ecosystem.^[25]

Whitebark pine communities have been heavily damaged due to the effects of Blister rust, a non native fungus. In Glacier and the surrounding region, 30% of the Whitebark pine trees have died and of the remaining trees, over 70% are currently infected. The Whitebark pine provides a high fat pine cone seed, commonly know as the pine nut, that is a favorite food of Red squirrels and Clark's nutcracker. Both Grizzlies and black bears are known to raid squirrel caches of the pine nuts, and it is one of the bears favorite foods. Between 1930 and 1970, efforts to control the spread of Blister rust were unsuccessful, and continued destruction of Whitebark pines will have a negative impact on dependent species.^[26]

Fauna

The threatened grizzly and Canadian Lynx are found in the park and their numbers are historically as common as ever, however are threatened species because in virtually every other region of the U.S. outside of Alaska they are either extremely rare or absent from their historical range. On an average, one or two bear attacks on humans occur each year and since the creation of the park in 1910, there have been a total of 10 bear related deaths.^[27] The number of grizzlies and lynx in the park is not known for certain, but park biologists believe that there are slightly less than 350 grizzlies in the park. The black bear is more common than the grizzly and less aggressive and their numbers are believed to be near 800 within the park. Other large mammals such as the mountain goat, which is the official park symbol animal, bighorn sheep, moose, elk and mule deer, coyote and the rarely seen mountain lion, are found park wide. Unlike Yellowstone National Park, which commenced a Wolf reintroduction program in the 1990's, wolves have existed continuously in Glacier since before the arrival of man. Other mammals found in the park include wolverine, badger, river otter, porcupine, mink, marten, fisher, six species of bats and numerous other smaller mammals. Over 60 species of mammals in all are known to inhabit the park.^[28]

260 species of birds inhabit the park, with raptors such as the threatened Bald eagle and the non threatened Golden eagle, the peregrine falcon, osprey and several species of hawks residing year round. The Harlequin duck is a colorful species of waterfowl found in the lakes throughout the park. The Great blue heron, Tundra swan, Canada goose and American Wigeon are other species of waterfowl commonly found. Great horned owl, Clark's nutcracker, Steller's jay, Pileated Woodpecker and Cedar Waxwing are commonly found in the dense forests along the mountainsides, and in the higher altitudes, the Ptarmigan, Timberline sparrow and rosy finch are common. The Clark's nutcracker is less plentiful than in past years due to the reduction in the number of Whitebark pines from Blister rust.^[29]

Due to the colder climate of the park, ectothermic reptiles are all but absent, with two species of Garter snakes, and the Western painted turtle being the only three reptile species proven to exist in the park. Similarly, only six species of amphibians are documented, but that doesn't mean they are uncommon. After a forest fire in 2001, a few nearby park roads were closed for short periods of time the following year to allow thousands of Western toads to migrate to other areas.^[30]

Glacier is also home to the endangered Bull trout which is illegal to possess and must be returned to the water if caught inadvertently.^[31] A total of 23 species of fish reside in park waters and native game fish species found in the lakes and streams include the Cutthroat Trout, Northern Pike, Mountain Whitefish, Kokanee Salmon and Grayling. Introduction in previous decades of Lake trout and other non–native fish species have greatly impacted some native fish populations, especially the Bull trout and West slope Cutthroat trout.

Climate

Many areas of Glacier Park are only accessible during the summer, and possibly the late spring and early fall (depending on snowfall and elevation). Rainfall is frequent in the late summer months (the peak tourist season) and may be persistent for days. Visiting in the early summer avoids some but not all of the wet weather. However in the spring, the nights and early mornings will be substantially cooler, and high-elevation trails will may still be snow covered. This includes the popular Hidden Lake Trail at Logan Pass. Thunderstorms are common in the park all summer, and normal safety precautions for lightning and hail should be taken. Due to its mountainous terrain, tornadoes are very rare inside the boundary of Glacier Park itself. The winter can bring prolonged cold waves, especially on the eastern side of the park. Snowfalls are significant over the course of the winter with higher amounts occurring in the west. Rapid temperature changes have been noted and Browning, Montana, which is just east of the park in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, once experienced a world record temperature drop of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (56 °C) in only 24 hours.^[32]

Glacier National Park has a highly regarded global climate change research program. Based in West Glacier and with the main headquarters located in Bozeman, Montana, the U.S. Geological Survey has performed scientific research on specific climate change studies for almost a decade. The research performed includes forest modeling studies in which fire ecology and habitat alterations are analyzed. Glacier retreat studies employing comparative photography which compares images from preceding decades dating back over 100 years, with current photographic evidence. Additionally, changes in alpine vegetation patterns, watershed studies where stream flow rates and temperatures are documented frequently at fixed gauging stations, and atmospheric research in which UV-B radiation, ozone and other atmospheric gases are documented over time, all help to assemble a broader understanding of climate changes in the park over time. The data collected when compared to other facilities scattered around the world help to correlate these climatic changes on a global level.^[33]

Air and water quality in Glacier are considered to be excellent. No major areas of dense human population exist anywhere near the region and industrial effects are minimized due to a scarcity of factories and other potential contributors of pollutants. However, the sterile and cold lakes found throughout the park are easily contaminated by airborne pollutants that fall whenever it rains or snows, and some evidence of these pollutants have been found in park waters. The pollution level is currently viewed as negligible, and the park lakes and waterways have a water quality rating of A-1, which is the highest standard measured by the state of Montana.^[34]

Fire ecology

Forest fires were viewed for many decades as a threat to protected areas. As a better understanding of fire ecology developed after the 1960's, forest fires were understood to be a natural part of the ecosystem. The earlier policies of ensuring immediate suppression of all wildfires resulted in the accumulation of dead and decaying trees and plants which would normally have been reduced had fires been allowed to burn. Many species of plants and animals actually need wildfires to help replenish the soil with nutrients and to open up areas that allow grasses and smaller plants to thrive.^[35] Glacier National Park has a fire management plan which ensures that human caused fires are generally suppressed as they always have been. In the case of natural fires, the fire is monitored and suppression is dependent on the size and threat a fire may pose to human safety and structures.

Increased population and the growth of suburban areas near parklands, has led to the development of what is known as Wildland Urban Interface Fire Management, in which the park, as do many protected areas, cooperate with adjacent property owners in improving safety and fire awareness. As a result of this, houses and structures are designed to be more fire resistant, dead and down trees, also known as the fuel load, are removed near places of human habitation, reducing the risk of a catastrophic fire, and advance warning systems are developed to help alert property owners and visitors about forest fire potentials during a given period of the year.^[36] In 2003, 136,000 acres (550 km²) burned in the park after a five year drought and a summer season of almost no precipitation. This was the most acreage transformed by fire since the creation of the park in 1910.

Recreation

Glacier is not near any major city and the closest airport is located in Kalispell, Montana which is southwest of the park. Amtrak trains stop at East and West Glacier along the Seattle to Portland, Oregon to Chicago line (originally the Great Northern). A fleet of 1930s red tour buses, called jammers, rebuilt in 2001 to run on propane, offer tours on all the main roads within the park. Small wooden tour boats, some dating back to the 1920s operate on several of the larger lakes.

Hiking is a popular activity within the park. Over half of the visitors to the park report taking a hike on the park's nearly 700 miles of trails.^[37] Due to the presence of bears and other large mammals, dogs are not permitted on any trails in the park, though they are permitted at front country campsites that can accessed by a vehicle and along paved roads.

Several day hiking options are available within the following areas:

• Lake McDonald
• Logan Pass
• Many Glacier
• St. Mary Lake
• Two Medicine
• North Fork of the Flathead River
• Goat Haunt

Backcountry camping is also available at campsites along the trails. A permit is required, which can be obtained from certain visitor centers or may be submitted in advance. The backcountry is usually closed in most areas until early June due to the potential risk of avalanches and many trails at higher altitudes are snow packed until July. The major campgrounds that allow vehicle access are found throughout the park, most are near one of the larger lakes. The campground at St. Mary and at Apgar are open year round, but conditions are considered primitive in the off season as the restroom facilities are closed and there is no running water. All the campgrounds in the park that are vehicle access are usually open by mid June and remain so until mid September.^[38] Guide services and shuttle services are also available.

Fishing is a popular activity in the park and some of the finest fly fishing in North America can be found in the streams that flow through the park. Though the park requires that those fishing understand the regulations, no permit is required to fish the waters within the park boundary. The endangered Bull Trout must be released immediately back to the water if caught, otherwise, the regulations on limits of catch per day are liberal.^[39]

Winter recreation activities in Glacier are limited. Snowmobiling is illegal in the park, but cross-country skiing is permitted in the lower altitude valleys on the east and western sides of the park.

References

Cited references

General references

Additional links