Montana

Many Glacier

Many Glacier Road is the northernmost of only three roads that enter Glacier National Park, all from the East. Only one of the three roads traverses the entire park (the Going to the Sun Road).

Much of the year the park is snowed in, so during the two months or so of free access by car, visitors come in sizable numbers to experience its wonders.

Glacier is known for its high peaks and especially its beautiful lakes, a number of which are accessed via Many Glacier Road.

Lake Sherburne lies right next to the ten-mile entry road to Many Glacier. At the end of the road lies Swiftcurrent Lake and the trailheads for a number of hiking trails which allow us to reach Lakes Josephine, Fishercap, Red Rock, Grinnell, Bullhead and the sublime Iceberg Lake.

The 200-room grand hotel built by the railroad a century ago still stands in splendor on the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake.

Finally, Apikuny Falls is a short hike from the access Road. In many ways, Many Glacier is like a separate small park within the larger Glacier National Park.

Going To The Sun Road

Only one road crosses Glacier National Park, carved into immense mountainsides from St. Mary in the East to Apgar and West Glacier in the West. The road was a stupendous effort, constructed during the Great Depression and completed in 1933.

When you drive the road, and especially when you look down on it from a helicopter, you can’t help but be struck by the colossal, dangerous effort it required.

The road has many overlooks and vast vistas, plus a myriad of trailheads which allow visitors to hike into areas otherwise completely unreachable.

These galleries are designed to have you appreciate prime sections and attractions along the road, and the visuals you would experience if you drove it.

The National Park Service has an interactive map which lets you zoom in all along the road’s route.

Two Medicine

The haze visible in some pictures is smoke from distant forest fires.

Two Medicine is the southernmost of the three roads which enter Glacier National Park on its eastern side.

Like Many Glacier in the North, the road gives access to scenic lakes and overlooks, but does not cross the width of the park.

During the brief season (mid-July to mid-September), some days are naturally cloudy. Another problem I ran into was huge forest fires South of the Park, whose plumes of smoke can spread over a thousand miles. Some of my pictures were strongly affected; I grieved over them, because I want to show viewers the parks at their sunny best.

Two Medicine Lake is still very scenic, and a superb place to sit on the beach beside the lake with scenic mountains on all sides.