Glacier National Park

A showcase of melting glaciers, alpine meadows, carved valleys, and spectacular lakes. With over 700 miles of trails, Glacier is a paradise for adventurous visitors seeking a landscape steeped in human culture. Relive the days of old through historic chalets, lodges, and the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Weather & conditions

Glacier's weather is highly variable and can be extreme. Expect warm, sunny summer days but be ready for any type of conditions. In the winter, temperatures can fall well below freezing and typically the park receives considerable amounts of snow. Glacier's geography, straddling the Continental Divide, sets the stage for clashes of two very different climates. Warm, wet Pacific air moves in from the west, and cold, dry Arctic air flows from the northeast. They meet at the Divide.

What this latitude gives you

From 48.7° north, anything above declination +41.3° is circumpolar here: it never sets, so it is available on every clear night of the year. Anything below declination -41.3° never clears the horizon at all.

At this latitude the sun does not drop 18 degrees below the horizon around the June solstice, so there is no astronomical darkness at midsummer at all. Plan deep-sky work for the months either side of it.

We do not hold a measured Bortle class for this site, so treat the sky as unknown until you have taken a reading of your own.