Glacier National Park is an incredible mountain paradise in the northwestern corner of Montana. For years visitors have come here to see the incredible mountains, plentiful wildlife, and of course, the glaciers. In fact, the glaciers here are among the most easily accessible within the US. Note *this does not mean you should walk on them. Never walk on a glacier unless a certified guide or park ranger tells you it’s safe to do so. What is meant by accessible is that it’s easy to get close to.

For years visitors have delighted at the brilliant turquoise waters of Grinnell Lake, Cracker Lake, and Iceberg Lake, among others. The stunning color is a result of glacial flour which is created by rock powder. As glaciers move, they act as an abrasive and crush rocks underneath, grinding them up into glacial flour that feeds into the lakes.

The glaciers have been melting at an increased rate. In 1850 there were approximately 150 glaciers within the park. Now there are about 26 glaciers remaining. A few years ago scientists estimated that Glacier National Park will be glacier-less by 2030. More recent estimates suggest it could happen as early as 2020.

Glacier National Park has fast become one of our personal favorites for many reasons, with it’s inspiring landscape of alpine meadows, snow-capped mountains, and abundant wildlife (mountain goats, bighorn sheep, moose, bears, etc). You can visit it on our Mountain Madness multi sport tour. Yellowstone and Grand Tetons also included.