Glacier NP

High precipitation on the western side of the park provides snow for skiing and water for streams. Here Avalanche River flows through a gorge. Beargrass grows along Iceberg Lake. Watch out! A crevasse in Grinnell Glacier. Here is a view east from Logan Pass.

Approaching from the plains, the visitor can see the peaks of Glacier NP rising in the distance. At the eastern entrance to the park, an overlook and sign greet visitors. St. Mary Lake is similar, here shown with Wild Goose Island. Grinnell Glacier has been shrinking since its discovery by George Grinnell 100 years ago.

At the terminus of Grinnell Glacier, an end moraine is accumulating. Grinnell Glacier is visible in this picture, along with a prominent diorite sill, which produced contact metamorphism in the surrounding rocks of the Precambrian Belt Series. At the terminus of Grinnell Glacier, an end moraine is accumulating. Grinnell Lake lies below the glacier.

Mudcracks along Iceberg Lake Trail. Lake McDonald fills a U-shaped glacial valley, dammed by an end moraine. Lake McDonald fills a U-shaped glacial valley, dammed by an end moraine. Another example of the same process is Lake Sherburne.

Chief Mountain is an erosional remnant of the thrust sheet. These ancient rocks (on the horizon) moved along the Lewis Thrust fault, so that today they lie above much younger Cretaceous rocks (in shadows on the far side of the lake). A Park Service explanation of how lakes such as Lake McDonald formed. Flowers grow at 7000-ft elevation in Logan Pass, a saddle-shaped depression formed by glacial erosion.

Many Glacier Hotel welcomes visitors. Mt. Gould is a scenic attraction in the hotel area. Mudcracks, which form when wet material emerges from underwater and dries out. This is a modern example. Fossil mudcracks.

Ptarmigan Falls drops down over steps in the bedrock. A horn such as Reynolds Mountain is carved as glaciers cut in from several sides. Waterfalls cascade from hanging valleys. Ripple marks, which indicate the direction of currents in water. This is a modern example (with animal tracks). Large ripple marks, which suggest a high-energy environment of formation.

Ripple marks, which indicate the direction of currents in water. This is a modern example (with animal tracks). Stromatolites, which form when algae grows in shallow water. Mountain Goat Beneath the thrust, softer Cretaceous rocks are deformed.

Visitors to the Canadian side of the park (Waterton Lakes NP in Canada + Glacier NP in the US = Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park) pass through the US Customs station. U-shaped valleys are typical of areas carved by alpine glaciers. A visitor's center is located in the pass. Good skiing on the horn-shaped mountain in the background. Another view of Wild Goose Island.

This page created on a Macintosh using PhotoPage by John A. Vink.


High precipitation on the western side of the park provides snow for skiing and water for streams. Here Avalanche River flows through a gorge.	Beargrass grows along Iceberg Lake.	Watch out! A crevasse in Grinnell Glacier.	Here is a view east from Logan Pass.

Approaching from the plains, the visitor can see the peaks of Glacier NP rising in the distance.	At the eastern entrance to the park, an overlook and sign greet visitors.	St. Mary Lake is similar, here shown with Wild Goose Island.	Grinnell Glacier has been shrinking since its discovery by George Grinnell 100 years ago.

At the terminus of Grinnell Glacier, an end moraine is accumulating.	Grinnell Glacier is visible in this picture, along with a prominent diorite sill, which produced contact metamorphism in the surrounding rocks of the Precambrian Belt Series.	At the terminus of Grinnell Glacier, an end moraine is accumulating.	Grinnell Lake lies below the glacier.

Mudcracks along Iceberg Lake Trail.	Lake McDonald fills a U-shaped glacial valley, dammed by an end moraine.	Lake McDonald fills a U-shaped glacial valley, dammed by an end moraine.	Another example of the same process is Lake Sherburne.

Chief Mountain is an erosional remnant of the thrust sheet.	These ancient rocks (on the horizon) moved along the Lewis Thrust fault, so that today they lie above much younger Cretaceous rocks (in shadows on the far side of the lake).	A Park Service explanation of how lakes such as Lake McDonald formed.	Flowers grow at 7000-ft elevation in Logan Pass, a saddle-shaped depression formed by glacial erosion.

Many Glacier Hotel welcomes visitors.	Mt. Gould is a scenic attraction in the hotel area.	Mudcracks, which form when wet material emerges from underwater and dries out. This is a modern example.	Fossil mudcracks.

Ptarmigan Falls drops down over steps in the bedrock.	A horn such as Reynolds Mountain is carved as glaciers cut in from several sides. Waterfalls cascade from hanging valleys.	Ripple marks, which indicate the direction of currents in water. This is a modern example (with animal tracks).	Large ripple marks, which suggest a high-energy environment of formation.

Ripple marks, which indicate the direction of currents in water. This is a modern example (with animal tracks).	Stromatolites, which form when algae grows in shallow water.	Mountain Goat	Beneath the thrust, softer Cretaceous rocks are deformed.

Visitors to the Canadian side of the park (Waterton Lakes NP in Canada + Glacier NP in the US = Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park) pass through the US Customs station.	U-shaped valleys are typical of areas carved by alpine glaciers.	A visitor's center is located in the pass. Good skiing on the horn-shaped mountain in the background.	Another view of Wild Goose Island.