Photos show how drastically Montana's Glacier National Park has changed since the 1900s

Jordan Parker ErbAug 5, 2023, 16:50 IST

Glacier National Park in 1914 (left) and 2009 (right).E.C. Stebinger/Lisa McKeon, USGS

Established in 1910, Glacier National Park in Montana is the country's 10th national park.
In the decades since its inception, the park's landscape and popularity have undergone drastic change.

In the century-plus since its inception in 1910, Glacier National Park in northwest Montana — the Crown of the Continent — has seen drastic changes.

While its name has stayed the same, its namesake — glaciers — have transformed radically. Photos taken for the USGS Repeat Photography Project show how much the swaths of ice and snow have receded or shrunk in the past 100 years. According to the park's website, between 1966 and 2015, every named glacier got smaller, some by more than 80% — an effect in part due to the climate crisis, per the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

And despite ever-shrinking glaciers, interest in the park has only grown.

The number of people visiting the park yearly averages about three million, according to the park's data, making it one of the country's top 10 most visited national parks. The increase in visitors has prompted the park's oft-maligned reservation system, which was instated in 2021 to tamp down on congestion.

From its many glaciers to its iconic red tour buses, these historic photos show how Glacier National Park has transformed since the early 1900s.

In 1932, the Boulder Glacier was a mass of ice and snow. According to the park, this glacier inspired the park's repeat photography project.

Boulder Glacier with visitors observing ice cave, July 27, 1932.T.J. Hileman, Glacier National Park Archives

Already by 1988, Boulder had largely disappeared from this view.

Boulder Glacier in 1988.Jerry DeSanto, University of Montana, Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections.

Now, Boulder is too small even to be considered an active glacier.

Another angle of Boulder Glacier, photographed in 2012.Kevin R. Jacks, USGS

In 1887, Grinnell Glacier's wall of ice was reported as being 1,000 feet tall.

Grinnell Glacier and Lake as it was in 1910.F. Kiser, Glacier National Park Archives

By 2008, Grinnell Glacier's massive ice wall was no longer visible.

Grinnell Glacier and Lake in 2008.Lisa McKeon, USGS

Grinnell Glacier has since retreated substantially, while its eponymous nearby lake has expanded.

Grinnell Glacier in 2019.Gary Ludwig, USGS

Grinnell Glacier was — and still is — one of the most popular glaciers to photograph and is popular among hikers.

A hiker rests at the edge of the Grinnell Glacier in 2006.Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Elsewhere in the park, the Jackson and Blackfoot glaciers used to be connected, comprising one of the largest glaciers in the park.

The lower end of Blackfoot Glacier, as it appeared in 1912.MJ Elrod, University of Montana/Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections.

Since then, however, Jackson Glacier and Blackfoot Glacier have receded, becoming two distinct, smaller formations.

Jackson Glacier (formerly part of Blackfoot Glacier) in 2009.Lisa A. McKeon, USGS

Shepard Glacier was once one of the park's stately glaciers.

Shepard Glacier in 1913.W.C. Alden, USGS Photographic Library

By 2005, it was smaller than 25 acres — too small to be considered an active glacier.

Shepard Glacier in 2005.Blasdel Reardon, USGS

The number of tourists visiting the park has changed, too. In the 1970s, about 1.5 million people visited the park annually.

Two hikers on Granite Park Trail in Glacier National Park in the 1970s.D. Corson/ClassicStock/Getty Images

By contrast, in 2017, a record-shattering 3.3 million people visited the park. In the years since park data shows the number has hovered between two to three million visitors.

Visitors in Glacier National Park in 2018.George Frey/Getty Images

By contrast, in 2017, a record-shattering 3.3 million people visited the park. In the years since park data shows the number has hovered between two to three million visitors.

2008 was one of the last times the park saw less than two million annual visitors. Barring 2020, when the park was shuttered due to the pandemic, the only other year with less than two million visitors was 2011.

A full parking lot at Logan Pass Visitor Center in Glacier National Park in 2008.Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

2008 was one of the last times the park saw less than two million annual visitors. Barring 2020, when the park was shuttered due to the pandemic, the only other year with less than two million visitors was 2011.

The influx in visitors prompted the park to instate a mandatory reservation system to combat overcrowding in 2021.

Visitors walk back to their cars in a full parking lot at Glacier National Park in 2018.George Frey/Getty Images

The tour buses, however, have remained about the same. The park instituted its iconic red buses in 1914.

A 35mm film photo shows a Great Northern Bus passing beneath a bridge as it leaves Grinnell Glacier, 1941.Jim Heimann Collection/Getty Images

The same style of tour bus is used today. In fact, many of the buses in the current fleet have been in use since the 1930s.

A historic Ford "red jammer" sightseeing bus in Glacier National Park in 2018.George Rose/Getty Images

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Photos show how drastically Montana's Glacier National Park has changed since the 1900s

In 1932, the Boulder Glacier was a mass of ice and snow. According to the park, this glacier inspired the park's repeat photography project.

Already by 1988, Boulder had largely disappeared from this view.

Now, Boulder is too small even to be considered an active glacier.

In 1887, Grinnell Glacier's wall of ice was reported as being 1,000 feet tall.

By 2008, Grinnell Glacier's massive ice wall was no longer visible.

Grinnell Glacier has since retreated substantially, while its eponymous nearby lake has expanded.

Grinnell Glacier was — and still is — one of the most popular glaciers to photograph and is popular among hikers.

Elsewhere in the park, the Jackson and Blackfoot glaciers used to be connected, comprising one of the largest glaciers in the park.

Since then, however, Jackson Glacier and Blackfoot Glacier have receded, becoming two distinct, smaller formations.

Shepard Glacier was once one of the park's stately glaciers.

By 2005, it was smaller than 25 acres — too small to be considered an active glacier.

The number of tourists visiting the park has changed, too. In the 1970s, about 1.5 million people visited the park annually.

By contrast, in 2017, a record-shattering 3.3 million people visited the park. In the years since park data shows the number has hovered between two to three million visitors.

2008 was one of the last times the park saw less than two million annual visitors. Barring 2020, when the park was shuttered due to the pandemic, the only other year with less than two million visitors was 2011.

The influx in visitors prompted the park to instate a mandatory reservation system to combat overcrowding in 2021.

The tour buses, however, have remained about the same. The park instituted its iconic red buses in 1914.

The same style of tour bus is used today. In fact, many of the buses in the current fleet have been in use since the 1930s.