Glacier National Park (Canada)

Glacier National Park is located in the southeast region of British Columbia, Canada. The park covers an area of 521 square miles 1,349 sq km).

Glacier was established at the same time as Yoho National Park becoming Canada’s second and third national parks after Banff National Park.  Glacier shares the Selkirk Mountain range with Mount Revelstoke National Park. This park has no correlation with Glacier National Park in Montana.

Visitors will find massive mountains, lush forests, incredible glaciers, and the largest cave system in Canada with two significant transportation routes.  The Trans-Canada Highway and the Canadian Pacific Railway.  Both routes offer travelers astounding views of the Canadian Rockies and Columbia Mountain Range and access to many of the country’s national parks in the west.

The mountainous region features several impressive summits.  Mount Dawson is the tallest mountain in the park; however, Mount Sir Donald might be more aesthetically renowned.  There are at least 131 glaciers nestled throughout the mountain ranges accounting for 51 square miles (133 sq km) of the park’s area. 

There are four significant rivers traversing through the mountains and the national park area.  They include the Beaver, the Duncan, the Illecillewaet, and the Incomappleux.  The rivers give way to some spectacular waterfalls across the park. Additionally, the rivers played a part in the creation of the Nakimu Caves which is one of the largest cave systems in Canada.

The habitat includes rainforest, snow forest, and no forest as described by Parks Canada.  However, the varying habitats give way to an array and abundance of wildlife.

People visiting Glacier often hope to witness some of the wildlife wandering through this wilderness.  Some of the most hopeful predator sightings include cougar, coyote, lynx, timber wolf, and wolverine.  Black bears and the brown bears could be added to this list as well.

Some of the other popular species include caribou, elk, moose, mule, mountain goat, and white-tailed deer.  Golden eagles are the prize sighting of the over 230 species of birds that nest or migrate through the park.