The schedule for summer ranger-led activities in Glacier National Park through July 31 has been released.
The activities include a variety of hikes, talks, boat tours, demonstrations and evening programs. Hour-long to day-long hikes led by rangers are offered in many areas of the park, including Lake McDonald Valley, Two Medicine, Many Glacier, and St. Mary. Most programs are free of charge.
The schedule of activities is available online or may be obtained when entering the park. Ranger-led programs cover a wide range of topics.
Visitors are encouraged to learn more about the natural history of the park by joining “Rocky Point Ramble,” an intimate look at the ever-changing trail to the shores of Lake McDonald. This activity begins at the Rocky Point trailhead north of the Fish Creek Campground and is a moderate hike lasting two hours.
View wildlife in the Many Glacier Valley from a safe distance during “Scope It Out,” a watchable wildlife activity. Visitors can drop by the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn parking lot between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and use spotting scopes to scan the slopes for wildlife while a park ranger is available to answer questions about wildlife in the park.
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act on the “Wild About Wilderness Hike” in the St. Mary Valley. This 3-mile, moderate hike explores the Beaver Pond Loop Trail, ideal habitat for a variety of wildflowers and wildlife. Visitors, especially families, are encouraged to join ranger-led talks and evening programs such as “Amazing Animals,” a 30-minute dialogue in the Apgar area regarding adaptations of the park’s most interesting wildlife.
Children can explore the fascinating connections between plants, animals, and non-living material on the “Junior Ranger Explorers Walk,” an easy and interactive walk lasting an hour and a half in the Apgar area.
On the east side of the park, join a park ranger for “Animal Olympics for Kids,” a fun, interactive program where kids can test their abilities against Glacier’s animal athletes. This program is available in St. Mary at the 1913 Ranger Station parking lot. In addition to ranger-led activities, the “Native America Speaks” interpretive program at Glacier National Park began June 25.
Members from the Blackfeet and Kootenai tribes will share their knowledge of the history and culture of Native America with park visitors throughout the summer. The program includes free 45-minute presentations available in the Apgar, Many Glacier, Rising Sun, and Two Medicine Campgrounds.
A self-guided historic walking tour of the park’s headquarters area in West Glacier is also an option for locals and visitors. The park headquarters historic district is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The tour is about a mile long and will take approximately one hour.