When you think of Montana, what comes to mind?  Wide open spaces?  Mountains, forests, and miles and miles of prairie grass?  Perhaps.  Here’s another one for you: What about Glacier National Park?  And if you had to think of something really interesting and well-known from Glacier National Park, what would that be?  How about the Going-to-the-Sun Road?

Millions of people have seen this next image:

If you don’t recognize the scene, it’s from the 1994 film by Robert Zemeckis called, Forrest Gump. It also happens to be near the east end of the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Beautiful scenery?  Most certainly.

Glacier National Park officially opened in May 1910.  The natural beauty in the park was self-evident, but it was hard to see all the different places of interest.  There was no road that could take visitors through the park. 

In the early 1900’s, cars were becoming more and more popular around the world. This was especially true in America.  Henry Ford created the mass production process. His assembly line decreased costs (and price) drastically.  He introduced the Ford Model T in 1908.  He put owning a car within reach of the average American.  Americans by the thousands got in their cars and visited remote places. This included Glacier National Park.

In 1917, to make the park more accessible, George Goodwin, engineer for the National Park Service, proposed that a road be built connecting the east and west entrances of the park. Construction began in 1921 and was completed in 1932.

Before the construction of the road, visitors were forced to spend several days traveling through the middle of the park. That same area could now be traveled in a matter of hours.  The Going-to-the-Sun Road is narrow with many switchbacks. The elevation of  Logan Pass is 6,647 feet. Travelers can go east or west. Sun in the eyes in the morning going east. Sun in the eyes in the afternoon going west. 

The road is named after Going-to-the-Sun Mountain.  It towers over the eastbound view beyond Logan Pass. One Native American legend refers to a god called: Sour Spirit.  He came down from the sun to teach the Blackfeet people the basics of hunting. While returning to the sun, an image of Sour Spirit was placed on the mountain as an inspiration for the Blackfeet people.

So, the title of this article should really be: How to Teach Native Americans Cool Hunting Skills and Get a Road Named after You. <Smiley Face>

In conclusion: If the Going-to-the-Sun Road is not on your bucket list, perhaps it’s time to make a new entry?  The experience and the majesty are worth it.