Glacier National Park Webcam – Crown of the Continent

The Glacier National Park Webcam looks northeast up Lake McDonald from the boat dock at Apgar, at the western end of the park in Montana. Docks and a row of moored skiffs fill the bottom of the frame, the lake runs off into the distance, and forested ridges close in on both sides as the valley climbs toward the Continental Divide. The National Park Service runs five more cameras on the same page: Apgar Mountain, Logan Pass, Many Glacier, the St. Mary valley and Two Medicine. Weather moves through fast, and the lake rarely looks the same two mornings running.

About Glacier National Park

Lake McDonald is the largest lake in the park: 16 kilometers (10 miles) long, more than 1.6 kilometers (a mile) wide, and 130 meters (472 feet) deep, with a surface at 961 meters (3,153 feet). It takes its name from Duncan McDonald, a Hudson’s Bay Company trader who carved it into a shoreline tree in 1878. Apgar, the hamlet at the foot of the lake, holds a campground, a visitor center and the boat rentals in frame.

Congress created the park on May 11, 1910. It covers roughly 4,100 square kilometers (1,583 square miles) of the Northern Rockies, holds more than 700 lakes and carries close to 1,127 kilometers (700 miles) of trail. Mount Cleveland tops it out at 3,190 meters (10,466 feet). More than 100 glaciers survived here in 1910. By 2015 the U.S. Geological Survey counted 26 still large enough to meet the usual 0.1 square kilometer (25 acre) threshold.

Weather and Climate in Glacier National Park

Summer is the dry season at lake level, and the Glacier National Park Webcam tends to catch flat water in the morning before the wind gets up. July and August average highs near 27 C (80 F) and lows around 11 C (52 F). By October the daily high is closer to 12 C (53 F) with lows near 2 C (35 F), and fresh snow starts showing on the peaks at the far end of the lake.

December through February bring average highs around 0 C (32 F), lows between -6 and -10 C (14 and 21 F), and 35 to 45 centimeters (14 to 18 inches) of snow a month at the shoreline. April averages a high of 11 C (51 F) and a low of -2 C (29 F) while crews dig out the alpine Going-to-the-Sun Road. The east side cameras often show a completely different day, since the Divide splits the weather.

Things to Do Near Glacier National Park

The Going-to-the-Sun Road leaves the village and runs past Lake McDonald Lodge, built in 1913 and 1914 about 8 kilometers (5 miles) up the shore. Further along, the Trail of the Cedars makes a 1.4 kilometer (0.9 mile) boardwalk loop through old growth forest, and the Avalanche Lake trail branches off it for 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles) with 226 meters (741 feet) of climbing.

Logan Pass sits at 2,025 meters (6,646 feet) where the road crosses the Divide. Hidden Lake Overlook is 2.1 kilometers (1.3 miles) from the visitor center with 185 meters (608 feet) of gain, and the Highline Trail runs 19 kilometers (11.8 miles) north along the Garden Wall. From Many Glacier on the east side, the Grinnell Glacier viewpoint is 8.5 kilometers (5.3 miles) each way, or 5.8 kilometers (3.6 miles) using the tour boat.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

Three more cameras worth a look.

• Mission Mountain Range Webcam
• Yellowstone National Park Webcam
• Crater Lake Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Glacier National Park located?

In northwest Montana, on the Canadian border. This camera stands at Apgar at the foot of Lake McDonald, just inside the West Entrance.

What can you see on the Glacier National Park Webcam?

The Apgar boat dock and the length of Lake McDonald. The other tabs cover Apgar Mountain, Logan Pass, Many Glacier, the St. Mary valley and Two Medicine.

What is the weather like in Glacier National Park?

Lakeside summer highs average about 27 C (80 F). Winter days hover near freezing, with lows of -6 to -10 C (14 to 21 F) and steady snow.

How many glaciers are left in Glacier National Park?

Twenty six, by the U.S. Geological Survey’s 2015 count of ice bodies still meeting the 0.1 square kilometer (25 acre) minimum. There were more than 100 in 1910.

How long is the Going-to-the-Sun Road?

More than 80 kilometers (50 miles). Built in the late 1920s and early 1930s, it crosses the Divide at Logan Pass to reach St. Mary.

Who operates the webcams in Glacier National Park?

The National Park Service. Several cameras, Logan Pass and Many Glacier among them, run through a partnership with the Glacier National Park Conservancy.

Source: Glacier National Park, National Park Service