Glacier National Park is located in the northwestern portion of Montana, along the U.S.-Canada border. The area of the park is 4,000 square kilometers (Carrara, 1989). Two mountain ranges run through the park: the Livingston Range to the west and the Lewis Range to the east. These two ranges trend northwest to southeast, and much of the two ranges is above timberline (approximately 2000 meters) (Carrara, 1989). The Continental Divide runs through the park.

Most rivers draining the Livingston Range and the western side of the Lewis Range contribute water to the North, Middle and South Forks of the Flathead River, which ultimately drains to the Pacific. Rivers draining the eastern slopes of the Lewis Range either flow into the Saint Mary River, which drains north into Hudson Bay, or drain south to the Gulf of Mexico.

Location Map

Source: modified from Alpha & Nelson (1990)

Created March 12, 1999 by Karen A. Lemke (klemke@uwsp.edu). Last updated March 12, 1999 by KAL.
The URL for this page is http:/www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/lemke/gnp_vft/general_information/geography.html