| A historic landmark with plenty of activities for all | | | | - Various Indian tribes inhabited the area; the |
| ages, Glacier Montana National Park is comprised | | | | Blackfeet Indians (east), Salish and Kootenai |
| of roughly 1.4 million acres of wonderful wilderness | | | | Indians (west). |
| land in the western United States. Open year | | | | - The Lewis and Clark Expedition came within 50 |
| round, a full range of park services are available | | | | miles of this park in 1806. |
| from late May through September, and limited | | | | - The railroad over Marias Pass was completed in |
| service is available off season. | | | | 1891; the Great Northern Railway resulted in |
| The park was established in the late 1890's with | | | | homesteaders settling small towns developing. |
| visitors arriving at West Glacier (formerly known | | | | - Aggressive mining efforts resulted in the |
| as Belton) by train. Since no roads existed at that | | | | mountains east of the Continental Divide being |
| time in the mountainous region, sightseers would | | | | taken from the Blackfeet in 1895. However, no |
| then continue traveling by stagecoach for several | | | | large copper or gold deposits were ever located, |
| miles to Lake McDonald. Then they continued by | | | | as evidenced by abandoned mine shafts |
| boat to the Snyder Hotel, an approximate 8-mile | | | | throughout the park today. |
| trip. | | | | - Wildlife in the area today includes: big horn |
| The region became a Forest Preserve in 1900, | | | | sheep, black and grizzly bears, endangered bald |
| open to mining and homesteading. However in | | | | eagles, moose, mountain goats, mule & whitetail |
| 1910, after efforts of explorer George Bird | | | | deer, wapiti, (elk) and wolves. |
| Grinnell and others to further help protect the | | | | - Glacier Montana National Park began as |
| area, President Taft signed a bill establishing Glacier | | | | sediments deposited in an ancient sea that slowly |
| as the country's 10th national park. | | | | hardened into thick layers of limestone, mudstone, |
| Glacier Montana National Park Facts | | | | and sandstone. |
| Enrich your education with these facts about the | | | | - Most of the rocks that visitors see in the park |
| area: | | | | today are sedimentary rocks from the |
| - Archaeological surveys found evidence of | | | | Proterozoic age that were deposited from 1,600 |
| humans in this area dating back more than 10,000 | | | | to 800 million years ago. |
| years. | | | | |