Visiting Glacier National Park and San Suz Ed

Information about visiting us, Glacier Park and our Area

When you come to the West side of Glacier National Park you come into the upper Flathead River valley. The valley is narrow and has several canyon sections including Badrock Canyon and John Stevens Canyon. The Flathead River valley is surrounded by majestic mountains up to 10,000 feet tall. US Highway 2, a major national highway runs through the valley with the railroad and the Flathead River. During the summer months, when we get most(99%) of our visitors, vehicle and train traffic can be heavy. The San Suz Ed RV & Campground is located along highway 2 and within 1 mile of the train tracks, so you can hear both of them at some time or another. Development of Glacier National Park and the surrounding area were made possible by the introduction of the railroad to the area, and so most services and amenities are located near it.

Here is some History of the Park

In 1876, at the age of seventeen, James Willard Schultz left his home in New York and traveled to Montana to work at a trading post. He soon began living with the Blackfeet people and married a native woman. His new family gave him, the name Apikuni, meaning “Far Off White Robe.” Apikuni lived closely with his new family, even going with them on raids against other tribes. By the 1880s, he began writing about his experiences, telling stories that were published in books and in magazines like Forest and Stream.

It was an article published in Forest and Stream that captured the attention of its editor, George Bird Grinnell. The articles inspired Grinnell to tour the Glacier region with Schultz. With excitement, Grinnell visited the Glacier area and was shown the mountains, lakes, and glaciers by Apikuni. He was so impressed with what he called the “Crown of the Continent” that he too began writing about the wonders of Glacier Park. He soon began campaigning for to to become a National Park.

Interestingly most people think of George Bird Grinnell as the father of Glacier National Park. But, army lieutenant John T. Van Orsdale first suggested it in a letter to Fort Benton's River Press in 1883

Many people came together over a 40 year period to establish Glacier as a National Park and make it a popular destination. Access to Glacier National Park was difficult until the Great Northern Railway completed its transcontinental route across the Northern United States. The route selected by President James J. Hill was over Marias Pass and was completed in 1891. US Highway 2 and the southern edge of the Park follows this transcontinental railway line. Hill's son Louis, decided that the railroad should build hotels and chalets and other services to attract tourist to the area.

The creation of the park was supported by many people in the Flathead Valley when they decided that they wanted to see this special area protected. They rallied behind George Bird Grinnell and others supporting the creation of a national park. Four years later, in 1910, President William Howard Taft signed legislation making the area a national park. No longer could Glacier's wonders be exploited for the economic benefit of a few. From then on, Glacier was to be a preserved as a park, unimpaired, for all to enjoy.

In 1920 a tourist would arrived on a passenger train bulled by a huge fire-breathing steam locomotive. Blackfeet Indian tribal members dressed in buckskin regalia meet you at the East Glacier depot. You spent the night in “The Big Tree Lodge,” as the Blackfeet called it, now Glacier Park Lodge. The following day a sturdy horse carried you into the park, over a mountain pass to the Two Medicine Chalet. Then for six to ten days, you rode a horse, sailed by boat, and hiked to the lodges, chalets, and tent camps throughout the park.

During a visit to the area President Roosevelt was made an honorary member of the Black feet tribe. He was given the name One Chief, and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was given the name Medicine Pipe Women.

More Road Information

The Going-to-the-Sun Road is the only road that crosses the interior of the park, connecting the eastern entrance at Saint Mary with the western entrance at West Glacier. Prior to the roads completion, tourists would arrive by train at East Glacier and take a vacation on horseback or by foot. To encourage visitation the Great Northern Railway built several types of accommodations throughout Glacier, most were one day's hike or horseback ride apart. Several of these original accommodations are still available through out the park.

In the early 20th century automobiles became popular, and so it was decided that a road through the park should be constructed. Construction started in 1921 and it took 11 years of hard and dangerous work before the road was opened in 1932, Nearly 500,000 pounds of explosives were used to carve the road into the mountainsides, The road is 52 miles long and takes about an hour and a half to drive across without stopping.

Today it will take longer as the Going-to-the-Sun road is undergoing an extensive rehabilitation. Several sections of the road are under repair, and their may be delays, please be patient and enjoy the stops. Be sure and take your camera and be ready as you may see animals along the way and there will be great photo opportunities along the road.

Glacier Park is a natural wonderland filled will amazing animals. You should respect the wild animals and not try to feed or pet them. They own the trails and you must give them space. The more popular animals to try to spot are Black and Grizzly Bears they can be seen throughout the park. NEVER get too close to a bear as they are very dangerous. Be sure to have your camera ready as there are hundreds of other animals that can be seen in the park including: mountain lions, lynx, bobcats, gray wolves, and the coyote known as the Song Dog, moose, elk, White-tailed Deer, Mule deer. Hoary Marmots, some time called Whistle Pigs, and yes lots of ground squirrels. The Marten, some Red Fox.

Birding is a popular activity in the park as we have lots of feathered friends including the Chickadees, Nuthatches, Brown Creepers, Ruffed Grouse. At one time their were 294 species of birds in Montana with 260 of those in Glacier Park. We have Bald Eagles, Dippers, Ptarmigans, Golden Eagles, Osprey, Riffed grouse, harlequin duck, raven, wood peckers and many others.

Glacier Park also has many fish species in our streams and rivers including West slope cutthroat trout, Mountain Whitefish, Bull trout, Kokanee salmon, Graying and Rainbow trout. In the spring and early summer out mountain sides are covers with an amazing assortment of wildflowers of all shapes sizes and colors.

Whatever your interests are when visiting Glacier National Park, you will be sure to have an experience of a lifetime, just like all of our millions of visitors every year. Please remember that summer time is very busy with lots of visitors from all over the world, all here to relax and enjoy our natural wonders. While our area may not have all the 'conveniences' of the modern world, we like it that way, and that's why you'll come here on vacation, have the best time of your life, and tell all your friends back home about it.

We at San-Suz-Ed always strive to provide the best Glacier Park vacation experience to each and every guest. If something is not to your liking we'll try to assist you as best we can, but please remember.... You're On Vacation.

Telephone: (800)-630-2623 or (406) 387-5280
Email: camp at sansuzedrvpark.com
Street: 11505 Highway 2 East
Mail: San-Suz-Ed, Box 387, West Glacier, MT 59936
GPS: N48deg 27.761' W114deg 00.131'

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