Archaeologists believe humans inhabited Glacier National Park over ten thousand years ago. Ever since, the area has been a popular destination for millions of people, both for its natural resources and its gorgeous sights.
Prior To the 1800s: American Indian Tribes
Once Europeans arrived, they discovered that a number of American Indian tribes already inhabited Glacier National Park. They’d been there for thousands and thousands of years. At the time of European exploration, the Kootenai, Pend d’Oreille, and Salish Indians called the western valleys and forests home, while the prairie-preferring Blackfeet Indians inhabited the areas east of Glacier National Park’s mountains. Plenty of buffalo grazed in the area, providing the Native people with materials for food, warmth, and tools. It was a balanced and peaceful way of life, lasting for thousands of years prior to European colonization.
In the 1700s, the Native people were originally fine with peaceful trade with the Europeans. However, as the natural resources quickly began to run out, the Native tribes had no choice other than to sign treaties with the U.S. government, confining them to reservations. This rendered them increasingly dependent on the United States’ financial resources.
Today, the almost two-million-acre reservation for the Blackfeet Indians, an area east of Glacier National Park’s border, has nearly nine thousand Blackfeet Nation members. It’s the biggest Native tribe in the state of Montana. Around the Flathead River, the reservation for the Flathead Indians has over seven thousand Kootenai and Salish members. This reservation is over one million acres.
Post-1800s: European Exploration
Looking for pelts and furs, primarily beaver, the English, Spanish, and French people exploring the area eventually pushed the Native people out, making way for later miners and settlers in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds.
The Great Northern Railway, completed in 1891, allowed more and more people to travel to the northern areas of Montana. Tourism exploded, and vacationers interested in the beauty of Glacier National Park turned into people looking for permanent homes. Thousands of people ended up settling the areas, especially the western side of Maria’s Pass where valleys provided protection from threatening enemies and the elements. Eventually, towns cropped up.
While the people inhabiting Glacier National Park typically made their living by farming and mining for gold, oil, and other minerals, over the years they slowly began pushing for preservation of the area. People like George Bird Grinnell proposed the idea for a national park to be established, and it wouldn’t be until 1910 when it finally happened. President Taft established Glacier National Park, making it the United States’ tenth official national park. Interestingly, Glacier National Park actually predates the official National Park Service. Thankfully, the people who served the park prior to the establishment of the NPS were hugely loyal to the protection and preservation of the park’s natural beauty and history. Without them, the park might not look like it does today.
Historic Building and Landmarks
Glacier Park Lodge
Built in 1912, this historic building can be found via a trail leading outside the park. From the East Glacier train platform, guests can head across the street to enter the Glacier Park Lodge and appreciate its historic charm and beauty.
Originally, this was the first thing vacationers saw at the turn of the century- a magnificent welcome into the wilderness of Glacier National Park. It still is today.
Lake McDonald Lodge
Built in 1913, on the original site of a late 1800s hotel, the Lake McDonald Lodge was initially called the Lewis Hotel, after the owner, John Lewis.
Built from outsourced materials, the hotel is decorated to look like a hunting lodge. After 1930, a new management team renamed the hotel to what it is today, Lake McDonald Lodge.
Belton Chalet
Built in 1910, the Belton chalet (or, a wooden Swiss-styled cottage), was Glacier National Park’s very first chalet built on the premises.
Still standing, guests can find it just outside the park, after a short walk from the Belton Train platform.
Sperry Chalet
Another chalet, built in 1913, the Sperry chalet can be found near the fork in the trail leading to Sperry Glacier, close to a mountain.
Built of stone that is native to the area, the Sperry chalet has survived for over a hundred years despite numerous avalanches and other elemental dangers.
Going-to-the-Sun Road
Between the east and west sides of Glacier National Park runs nearly fifty miles of a historic road. The first parts of the road were built in 1919, and over the decades, the road reached Logan Pass and, eventually, St. Mary.
It provides a scenic and beautiful ride across the park’s gorgeous natural landscapes.
General Information On Visiting
- Address: 64 Grinnell Drive Glacier National Park Headquarters West Glacier, MT 59936
- Hours: the park is open twenty-four hours every day, including holidays.
- Pricing: 7-Day Entrance Fee (car): $35.00 | Entrance Fee (single entry): $20.00 | Entrance Fee (motorcycle): $30.00 | Going-to-the-Sun Road Entry: $2.00
Today, Glacier National Park serves as a hotspot for research and education, drawing countless visitors every year. With its stunning natural beauty and various important windows into Earth’s geological and environmental history, guests can marvel at one of the planet’s most beautiful and precious examples of nature.