How to See Wildlife in Glacier National Park

With over 700 miles of hiking trails, you'll have plenty of places to catch sight of Glacier National Park's wildlife. People often think of grizzly bears when they think of visiting the park, but the wildlife extends beyond bears. Habitats like alpine meadows, forests and lakes host diverse wildlife such as wolves, mountain lions, wolverines, pikas and bison.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Keep an eye out for Montana's "Watchable Wildlife" signs, which are brown with white binoculars on them. Wildlife experts selected sites around the state that provide excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. You can pick up a guidebook, containing more information on the sites and what you may see at each, at bookstores in Montana.
2. Watch the steep slopes around the Continental Divide for mountain goats and bighorn sheep. You can often sight them scrambling over rocks and foraging for grass, moss and lichens. Several thousand mountain goats live in the park and you'll have a good chance of sighting one if you remember your binoculars.
3. Bring binoculars or a spotting scope along with you. Due to its size and rough terrain, Glacier Park almost necessitates these items to catch sight of some of the species living inside its boundaries. Kids will have fun scanning mountain slopes for bear, elk, mountain goats and bighorn sheep.
4. Head into forests for your best chance of seeing mule deer, elk and bear. The pine trees also offer good bird habitats for species like woodpeckers and finches. Miles of trails give visitors the ability to get away from crowds and look for wildlife in quiet, undisturbed areas.
5. Hike the Hidden Lake Trail and you may run across marmots sunning themselves on the rocks. The yellow-bellied marmot generally stays east of the Continental Divide, but the hoary marmot inhabits both sides.
6. Discuss the best areas to spot wildlife with park rangers. Many of the park's species roam within the park or within their territory but rangers may be able to direct you to places where you'll most likely see the particular species that you are interested in. As a number of species, like bears, mountain lions, wolverines and lynx, prefer to avoid human contact, spotting them may be difficult for the casual observer.

Tips & Warnings

• Not all of the park's animals are wild. They should be given plenty of space and you should not attempt to feed any of them.