Scientists studying the glaciers in the park have estimated that all the active glaciers may disappear by 2030 if current climate patterns persist. Of the estimated 150 glaciers over 25 acres in size which existed in the park in the mid-19th century during the late Little Ice Age, only 25 active glaciers remained by 2010. The current shapes of the Lewis and Livingston mountain ranges and positioning and size of the lakes show the telltale evidence of massive glacial action, which carved U-shaped valleys and left behind moraines that impounded water, creating lakes. Known as the Lewis Overthrust, these sedimentary rocks are considered to have some of the finest examples of early life fossils on Earth. Glacier National Park's mountains began forming 170 million years ago when ancient rocks were forced eastward up and over much younger rock strata. By 1932 work was completed on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, later designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, which provided motorists easier access to the heart of the park. These historic hotels and chalets are listed as National Historic Landmarks and a total of 350 locations are on the National Register of Historic Places. Soon after the establishment of the park on May 11, 1910, a number of hotels and chalets were constructed by the Great Northern Railway. Under pressure, the Blackfeet ceded the mountainous parts of their treaty lands in 1895 to the federal government it later became part of the park. Upon the arrival of European explorers, it was dominated by the Blackfeet in the east and the Flathead in the western regions. The region that became Glacier National Park was first inhabited by Native Americans. This vast pristine ecosystem is the centerpiece of what has been referred to as the "Crown of the Continent Ecosystem," a region of protected land encompassing 16,000 sq mi (41,000 km 2). The park encompasses more than 1 million acres (4,000 km 2) and includes parts of two mountain ranges (sub-ranges of the Rocky Mountains), more than 130 named lakes, more than 1,000 different species of plants, and hundreds of species of animals. Glacier National Park is an American national park located in northwestern Montana, on the Canada–United States border, adjacent to the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. "There are caverns on the inside of the drift and then a vertical drop on the outside," Taul said.Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park Workers have to avoid avalanches, and the terrain can pose a challenge. "You have to be a real level-headed operator to be up here," park supervisor Brian Taul said. It takes a hearty combination of man and machine to get the road cleared. OASIS AMID THE DESERT: ZION NATIONAL PARK IS A TREASURE OF THE WEST Especially the road crews when they’re clearing it and the Glacier National Park employees that have to come up here to do work." "There’s a lot of snow up here, and we want to make sure everyone’s safe. We see pretty large avalanches during the season," said Zachary Miller with the United States Geological Survey, which monitors the area for snow slides and forecasts when they might strike. (Jumping Rocks/Education Images/Universal Images Group / Getty Images) Hiker on Ptarmigan- Iceberg Lake Trail, Eastside of Glacier National Park, Montana.
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