Would you have ever thought that climate change may have an impact on your travel plans? As strange as it seems, this may be the case for thousands of people who visit Glacier National Park every year, or thousands who want to. The reason is simple, aside from the 700 miles of hiking trails and stunning alpine views, many visitors to the area come to see the glaciers. Many Glacier is the primary viewing point for these wonders of nature, and unfortunately the time to see them may be limited.
In 1910 when the park was created by President William Taft, explorers and conversationalists were thinking of protecting the space against development and encroachment from industry. The easiest things to see that needed protection from was logging and exploitation of natural resources in the area. When the protection bill became law, many felt relieved that we would have now successfully protected a pristine natural space where fishing and hiking are at its best. From May until November of each year, the fishing in this area is considered the best in the world. There are no permits or licenses necessary for the fishing or boating, and the only restrictions are on the amount of fish you can catch and keep. Most nature lovers felt there was now ample time to plan a visit at their own leisure, because glaciers that had been there for thousands of years were not going anywhere over the course of the next few years. Now we know that this is not true, and there is a good chance they might be gone by next year. You read that correctly, there is a chance that there will no longer be glaciers in Glacier National Park by the end of 2020.
Over the course of the last 50 years, the rate of melting of the glaciers has increased dramatically. At the turn of the century, there were more than 150 active glaciers in the park. That number has reduced to 26 today, which is a loss of more than 85% of the ice in the area. This shift will change the ecosystem completely, and will also lead to other losses like the levels of fish that can survive without the glaciers present. Reduce the amount of fish and you will also see reductions in the amount of wildlife that rely on those fish. Eventually you will have an area that looks nothing like it did 100 years ago, and nothing like it even looks today. If you are planning on visiting Glacier National Park in order to see glaciers, you may want to accelerate your planning of your trip significantly.
We offer private tours of Glacier, limited to a small group of your friends and family. You are in control of these types of tours, and you will decide what we do and how long we do it for. We will make suggestions, but ultimately the tour schedule and activities are up to you. If you are ready for your tour of Glacier, contact us immediately.