Wildflowers in Glacier National Park

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Wildflowers In Glacier National Park

St Mary's Lake Flowers
St Mary's Lake

Mother Nature woke one lovely morning, and decided to bless us with an array of colors. She gazed over the mountains and meadows of a place dear to her heart, ----
Glacier National Park.
Now, she decided, I'll plant flowers of every color and shape to match this beautiful place. And while I'm at it, I'll pick only those that will thrive in cold nights, and short seasons. Their beauty will flare in the presence of icy glaciers. My flowers will also provide food for the wildlife that roams these meadows and valleys.
Her palette of many colors, helped her to plant a scene of beauty to behold.
Today, as we hike in the Logan Pass area, which is a gateway to beautiful alpine meadows, we will find lupine, glacier lilies, geranium, monkey flower, and many others. Most all are in bloom from late June until early August.

Bear Grass Flowers
Beargrass (Jesse Malone)

Bear grass, is a flower that will amaze you. It reaches a height of five feet, and blooms with large, cream colored, fragrant blossoms. Some years, they will nearly cover the rocky slopes by mid July. Each plant, may bloom now, and not again for several years.
Glacier Lilies break through the icy snow early. These hearty beauties will show off at their best in July and August. Mother Nature has planted many of them because their bulbs are a favorite food for the grizzly bear. It's all in the balance of Nature.
For those of you who are photographers, there are sights here you won't want to miss. But do take pictures at different times of the day, as the light changes and so does the scenery.
We all know that nights in the park can be very chilly, but these alpine flowers have adapted to the cold, and to the short season. They can even be found where heavy winter snows prevent tree seedlings from growing.
If your trip to Glacier National Park has to be later in the season, we suggest warm clothing. You will never be sorry by treating yourselves to the beautiful fall colors. As the trees put on a display of fare-well colors against a backdrop of evergreens, and a surprise dusting of snow on the mountain tops, your camera will be busy. Late September to mid October, is a Fall Paradise.

Bridge over McDonald Creek

Lake McDonald Bridge

As our winters seem to be milder than in the past, our glaciers are gradually melting, and this also affects the wild flowers. It's sad but true, that some experts have predicted, by the year 2030 there may be no more glaciers in our park. These huge ice fields have created the beauty of the landscape we see today. As the glaciers slowly slide, they have molded the peaks and valleys that are so lovely. As this melting progresses, it will affect not only the plant life but the animals who roam this area in freedom.
As this global warming gradually melts the glaciers, the plant life will not have the heavy snow cover. Longer summers and milder winters will produce drier soil and could prevent the growth of many of the wildflowers.
We have a fear of wild fires each summer but Nature has used this as a cleansing and it may actually make some varieties of flowers grow more abundantly.
You will enjoy the Visitor center at Logan Pass. It sits on top of the Continental Divide, with an altitude of 6,680 feet. As you look to the west in peak season, there is a display of wildflowers that is sure to bring you back again next year.

Wildflowers in Glacier Park, by Verna Parks.

Wildflower Slideshow
or Views of Glacier in Bloom Slideshow

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	Glacier National Park is located in the northwest corner of Montana, just north of Columbia Falls. The park encompasses more than one million acres and is home to grizzly bear, moose, elk, along with 63 varieties of wild mammals. While most of the roads in Glacier National Park are closed off during the winter, this provides miles and miles of tracks for snowshoeing and cross country skiing. Visitors are seldom around in the dead of winter, so the muffled hush of the snow covered woods is especially enticing and serene. A ski or snowshoe trip along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, which is one of the most scenic roads in North America, is a great option, according to park rangers. The road is closed to cars from September or October until snowmelt, usually in June. Several short hiking trails branch off from the road, which would be excellent for snowshoeing or skiing in the winter season. Once you have your gear, head up to Glacier National Park for an exciting adventure. Guided snowshoe trips are available, led by a park naturalist, and are highly recommended. If you are looking for an informative tour, snowshoeing is an easy way to explore the winter wonderland of this unique park. Snowshoeing will provide even the novice an effortless activity so your senses are more in tune with your environment and your guide's knowledge on the history, wildlife, geology, and biology of this precious ecosystem.
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