Glacier National Park

a national park in NW Montana: glaciers; lakes; forest reserve. 1534 sq. mi. (3970 sq. km).

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I

National preserve, British Columbia, Canada.

Lying in the heart of the Selkirk Mountains, within the northern bend of the Columbia River, it was established in 1886; it occupies an area of 521 sq mi (1,349 sq km). Snowcapped peaks flanked by ice fields and glaciers form an alpine panorama. Outstanding features are the Illecillewaet Glacier and the Nakimu Caves in the Cougar Valley.

II

National preserve, northwestern Montana, U.S. Set in the state's Rocky Mountains wilderness, it adjoins the Canadian border and Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park.

The two parks together compose the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, dedicated in 1932. Glacier National Park was established in 1910 and encompasses 1,013,572 acres (410,178 hectares). The park, with its active glaciers, straddles the Continental Divide.

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▪ park, British Columbia, Canada

      park in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, lying in the heart of the Selkirk Mountains, within the great northern bend of the Columbia River, east of Revelstoke. Established in 1886, it occupies an area of 521 square miles (1,349 square km). Majestic snowcapped peaks, such as Hermit, Cheops, Grizzly, Sifton, Grant, Avalanche, and Sir Donald, flanked by immense ice fields and glaciers, form an impressive alpine panorama, with canyons, turbulent rivers, waterfalls, and flower-filled meadows. Outstanding features are the Illecillewaet Glacier, which has an area of 10 square miles (26 square km) and falls more than 3,500 feet (1,100 m) from its névé (partially compacted snow at its upper end), and the Nakimu Caves in the Cougar Valley. The park is crossed by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Trans-Canada Highway.

▪ park, Montana, United States

 national park set in a scenic Rocky Mountain (Rocky Mountains) wilderness in northwestern Montana, U.S., adjoining the Canadian border and Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park. The two parks together compose the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, dedicated in 1932. Glacier National Park was established in 1910 and encompasses 1,013,572 acres (410,178 hectares). The park has many active glaciers. Mountains, lakes, cirques, and valleys all show the effects of the ice sheet that formerly covered the region. The park straddles the Continental Divide (great ridge of the Rocky Mountains that marks the boundary between westward Pacific drainage and eastward Atlantic drainage), with the forests concentrated on the western slopes because of the heavier rainfall there. Alpine meadows that blossom with wildflowers in summer are common at higher elevations.

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