If I had to pick a single word to describe Glacier National Park, it would be "dramatic." From its towering rock formations, with undulating striations in arresting shades of brown and red, to the lush mountain foliage and astounding variety of wildlife, the park seems to give rise to the oohs and ahs usually reserved for dazzling fireworks displays on the Fourth of July.

Sheer rock faces are mirrored in 27,000 acres of lakes and ponds. Wildlife runs the gamut from squirrels and weasels to mountain goats and bears. Named for its glacially carved topography, Glacier National Park is a natural wonderland that assails the senses.

No trip to Glacier would be complete without a ride along Going-to-the-Sun Road. A spectacular ribbon of two-lane, steep and winding roadway, it snakes its way for 50 miles from the park's west entrance near the community of West Glacier to the east entrance of the park at St. Mary.

The road was completed in 1930, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, and designated a National Landmark in 1996. It passes over the Continental Divide at 6,646-foot Logan Pass. Besides vistas of looming rock walls, plunging gorges, pine forests, lakes, and waterfalls, there's a good chance of seeing mountain goats, deer, and even an occasional bear.

While Going-to-the-Sun-Road is a good way to get an overall view of the park, the best way to enjoy it up-close and personal is to get out of the car and hit one of the 151 hiking trails. There are trails for every ability. Even wheelchair-bound visitors can enjoy the 0.7-mile Trail of the Cedars that winds through lofty trees in an old-growth forest. From this trail, more ambitious hikers can follow the west rim of the Avalanche Gorge to Avalanche Lake, a roundtrip adventure of 4.6 miles.

Though it's called Glacier National Park, you're not actually going to see one of the 37 named glaciers without taking to one of the more challenging hiking trails. To see Blackfoot, Grinnell, or Sperry glacier requires a long day's walk from respective trailheads. The Grinnell Glacier hike, for example, is 5.5 miles long and climbs 1,600 feet. But if you're reasonably fit, the view from the edge of the glacier is well worth the effort.

Other activities in the park include boating, fishing, horseback riding, and river rafting. Boats from outboards to kayaks can be rented for use on most of the park's larger lakes. And if you don't care to go it alone, Glacier Park Boat Company offers trips on Lake McDonald, St. Mary Lake, Two Medicine Lake, Swiftcurrent, and Josephine.

Five types of trout, whitefish, kokanee salmon, and Arctic grayling tempt fishermen. Equestrian types can enjoy horseback rides lasting from one hour to a full day, available through outfitters in East Glacier.

River rafting is done on the Flathead River. The Middle Fork, along Glacier's southern border, has more white water, while the North Fork, which borders Glacier to the west, gives rafters a little less bouncy ride.

One way to feel the sense of history of the park is to stay at one of the historic lodges. There are three in the Montana portion of the park and one in adjoining Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada.

Soon after Glacier was designated a national park in 1910, James J. Hill, the founder of the Great Northern Railway, began making plans for housing tourists in the park. The first lodge to be built was Glacier Park Lodge, which sits just outside the eastern gateway to the park and can still be reached by train.

Two years later, Many Glacier Hotel was built inside the park on the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake. With spectacular lake and mountain views, the chalet-type structure is almost always full.

Glacier's Lake McDonald Lodge is located on the park's largest lake. It's smaller and more homey feeling than the other lodges.

The Prince of Wales Hotel is located in Waterton Lakes, which butts up to Glacier. The chalet-style hotel is perched on a hill overlooking the lake.

Essentially Glacier is a summer and fall destination, since winter can be brutal. The lodges open in mid-May or Ju ne and close in mid-October at the latest. Logan Pass, the highest point on Going-to-the-Sun Road, opens mid-June and closes in October.

Contact: Glacier National Park, (406) 888-7800, www.nps.gov/glac; and Montana's Glacier Country, (800) 338-5072, www.glacier.visitmt.com.

COPYRIGHT 2002 World Publishing, Co. (Illinois)
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group