Himanshi singh May 19, 2020
The Glacier National Park is characterized by a mountainous landscape that features dense forests, mountain ranges, over 130 named lakes, about 25 active glaciers, and numerous species of flora and fauna.
The most prominent feature of the National Park is its glaciers. It is believed that by the end of the Little Ice Age in 1850, there were about 150 glaciers in the National Park. However, over the years, climate shifts have led to a retreat of the glaciers and currently, there are only 25 active glaciers in the National Park.
Geologists have estimated that the rocks in the Glacier National Park are Proterozoic sedimentary rocks that are among the best-preserved in the world. These sedimentary rocks which form a part of the Belt supergroup were deposited in the shallow seas about 1.6 billion to 800 million years ago.
Since the Glacier National Park straddles the Continental Divide and is situated at an elevation of more than 2,100m, different climates and microclimates are found in the National Park. The eastern side of the park experiences strong winds and sunny days, while the western side of the park experiences a milder and wetter climate
The Glacier National Park forms the centerpiece of a 41,000 sq. km pristine ecosystem that is often referred to as the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem”. It is believed that all the flora and fauna that existed when the European explorers first visited the region are still found in the Glacier National Park.
Two threatened species of mammal, the Canadian lynx, and grizzly bear are found in the Glacier National Park. Other mammals like the black bear, wolverine, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, moose, white-tailed deer, coyote, cougar, elk, bobcat, etc are also found in the park.
Archaeological evidences have revealed that the Native Americans first visited the Glacier area about 10,000 years ago. The earliest occupants of the region include the Cheyenne, Shoshone, Kootenai, and the Flathead (Salish) tribes.
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