Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MOUNTAIN GOATS
Glacier National Park is home to thousands of mountain goats, and with good reason.
These sure-footed climbers prefer high elevations and can easily ascend steep, rocky
slopesthatare60degreesormore.Youwilloftenfindthemrestingontherockycliffs,
away from predators, or—to make up for the salt they lack in their diet—licking the
mineral-rich rock in an area of the park known as Goat Lick.
5.
Logan Pass
The drive's pinnacle at 6,646 feet, Logan Pass is a high point in terms of scenery as well,
with massive domes and spinelike ridges looming boldly above the alpine wilds. A stun-
ted forest of contorted firs marks the timberline, but the open slopes and meadows bey-
ond are awash in summer in a sea of wildflowers. Yellow glacier lilies pushing through the
last patches of snow are among the showstoppers, along with shooting stars, Indian paint-
brushes, and stately wands of beargrass topped with bold clusters of white flowers—airy
snowballs that sway in the breeze.
Trails begin and end at the visitor center at Logan Pass, including a boardwalk that
wends through a lovely area called the Hanging Gardens. Here as elsewhere at Glacier,
remember to scan the surrounding slopes for glimpses of one of the park's signature
creatures, the shaggy mountain goat.
6.
Jackson Glacier Overlook
Thisscenicviewpoint,oneofmanyinthepark,affordsasplendidviewofthefrozen,gray-
blue mass of Jackson Glacier. Jackson, like the 50 or so other glaciers in the park, is but
a feeble reminder of the stupendous ice-age glaciers that shaped so much of this region's
stunning scenery many years ago.
7.
St. Mary Lake
Aspens, alders, and birches, their leaves green in summer but golden in the fall, line the
roadasthedrivedescendstowardSt.MaryValleyanditsnamesakelake.Oneglanceatthe
Search WWH ::
Custom Search