Tourism
Glacier
National Park
Created
in 1910, Glacier National Park provides over one million acres of
habitat and protection for a wonderful variety of wildlife and wildflowers.
Historic lodges preserve the ambience of nineteenth century travel
for twentieth century visitors.
The
geologic history of Glacier National Park is read in the numerous
exposed layers of Precambrian sedimentary formations. These extremely
well preserved sediments date back to over 1 bilion years. Subsequent
sculpting by massive bodies of ice has transformed this area into
a dramatic example of glacial landforms. Today several small alpine
glaciers of relatively recent origin dot the mountains. Due to its
geographic location and geologic history, Glacier National Park
contains a particularly rich biological diversity of plant and animal
species. This combination of spectacular scenery, diverse flora
and fauna, and relative isolation from major population centers
have combined to make Glacier National Park the center of one of
the largest and most intact ecosystems in North America.
Glacier
National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta were joined
together by the governments of Canada and the United States in 1932
as Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, the first park of
its kind in the world. Both parks have been designated Biosphere
Reserves. In December of 1995 they were jointly designated the "Waterton-Glacier
International Peace Park World Heritage Site."
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