Photos: The Canyon
On an average day in July, more than 13,000 cars drive the stretch of U.S. Highway 2 between Columbia Falls and West Glacier, an area affectionately known to locals as “The Canyon.” Most of those cars are filled with tourists on their way to and from Glacier National Park, which attracts more than 2 million visitors every year. Drivers negotiating the dozen or so winding miles that separate the two towns are distracted by distant peaks and an adjacent river. They often overlook what’s right in front of them. Places like Bad Rock, Hungry Horse, Martin City and Coram. But if those visitors were to pull off the road, perhaps pull up a stool at Packers Roost, they would meet a fascinating, and often bypassed, community.
Greg Lindstrom
