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Glacier National Park: lakes, mountains and glaciers

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Glacier National Park, one of the most fascinating and spectacular parks in the American Rocky Mountains. This park is located in the northwest part of the state of Montana, and covers approximately 1,500 square miles (approximately 4,000 sq km). The park together with the neighboring Canadian park of Waterton Lakes National Park forms the Waterton-Glacier International Pace Park. The park is famous for its glaciers, there are about 25 of them. But the park is also full of lakes, waterfalls and mountains. There are six peaks over 3,000 meters high.

Among the hundreds of lakes in the park, the largest is Lake McDonald which is located in the western part of the park. Among the most scenic is certainly Lake Saint Mary, with at its center the small island of Wild Goose Island and a spectacular series of mountains that overlook it. The park is full of flowers, woods and animals, there are bears, ibexes, moose and deer.

LAKE MC DONALD

Lake Mc Donald is the largest of the park’s lakes, it’s 16 km long, 1,6 km wide and 120 m. deep. From the foot of the lake at Apgar, the Continental Divide cuts a jagged path along the distant skyline. The valley were is the lake was formed by a combination of erosion and glacial activity. Lake McDonald lies at an altitude of 960 m., the Going-to-the-Sun Road parallels the lake along it’s southern shoreline.

LOGAN PASS

Logan Pass is located along the Continental Divide, at 2,026 metres (6,646 ft). it the highest point on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The pass is closed during the winter. Going-to-the-Sun Road open, yet is generally open from the end of May until mid October. A summer seasonal visitor center is open just east of the pass.

SAINT MARY LAKE

St. Mary Lake is a large lake on the eastern end of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, it is the second largest in Glacier National Park, it measures about 15 sq km.

Incredible mountain views greet the traveler to this scenic roadway, the Going-to-the-Sun Road parallels the lake along it’s north shore, the lake is 11.3 km long and is located at an altitude of 1,370 m. This lake offer, in my opinion, the most beautiful view of the park.

MANY GLACIER, CHIEF MOUNTAIN

The Many Glacier area of the park is a little bit farther out of the way, but it’s plenty scenic. The most popular view is from the Many Glacier Hotel, this hotel, built in 1914-1915, is the largest hotel in the park with 208 rooms.

Chief Mountain (2,787 m.) lies on the Montana-Alberta border. Chief Mountain is a prominent landmark in Northern Montana.

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