It probably seems like a sales pitch from an infomercial that you would see on late night television. People telling you that if you do not act now you may miss out on something forever. Believe it or not, it is actually the case with Glacier National Park, and if you do not act quickly you may never be able to see the glaciers that have made it famous. Unfortunately this is due to climate change and man’s destruction of the environment, and as a result future generations may never get to see these natural wonders. Glacier National Park is located in northern Montana on the border of Canada, and is closest to Alberta and British Columbia. It was created as the 10th national park in America in 1910 by President Taft after receiving pressure from naturalists worried about the potential destruction of this pristine part of America. The threats they saw then were the logging industry and other companies wishing to potentially exploit the natural resources of the space, but 100 years ago they probably never saw the melting of the glaciers as a possibility. Now, as climate change rears is’s head, that is exactly what is happening.
Glacier National Park is a beautiful place to explore even without the glaciers, and if they disappear there is still plenty of reasons to go there. There are more than 700 miles of hiking trails available for exploration, as well as some of the best boating and fishing in the world. The best time to go for fishing is between May and November, when fishing experts say the area is the best. There are no permits or licenses necessary, just limitations on how many fish you can catch and keep. This may change in the upcoming years as fish are threatened through reduced numbers by the loss of the glaciers that make up their natural habitat.
So how bad is it at Glacier, and how quickly must you book your tour? Believe it or not, there is a chance that there may be no more glaciers in the park by the end of 2020. At the turn of the century when the park was created, there were more than 150 glaciers active and view-able from Many Glacier, the best viewing point in the park. Today there are less than 26 left, and we have seen a reduction of 85% of the ice in the park within the last 50 years. Thats right, within our lifetimes we may see the complete disappearance of structures that have been around for thousands of years. When they protected the area against man, they probably didn’t not see that coming. Just within our lifetimes, our carelessness is going to completely eliminate the glaciers in the area so that our children never have the chance to see them.
We offer private tours of Glacier National Park. These tours are appropriate for all ages, so if you are a senior that has always wanted to see the glaciers, now is the time to do it. Book your tour today.