Yosemite World Heritage Site

Yosemite World Heritage Site Overview

Yosemite National Park, California, is 748,000 acres carved by the glacial erosion of granite, resulting in perhaps the world’s most famous national park landscape. The distinctive landscape of hanging valleys, waterfalls, cirque lakes, polished domes, moraines, and U-shaped valleys. Major park areas are the Yosemite Valley, Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River, which is in a roadless area between Tuolumne Meadows and Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, Tuolumne Grove, Mariposas Grove, Wawona Dome and Chilnualna Fall, and Glacier Point. The high meadows between 4500 and 7000 feet are part of the Sierra Meadows South important bird area (IBA). One of the few trans-mountain roads in the southern Sierra Nevada is the Tioga Road, which passes through Tuolumne Meadows. The Sierra Nevada Research Station of the University California Natural Reserve System is located in Wawona along the South Fork of the Merced River. Most of the park is also designated as the 704,600-acre Yosemite Wilderness. Exclusion areas outside the wilderness are the roads, hydroelectric reservoirs, private inholdings, campgrounds, and high-volume visitor areas including Yosemite Valley, Wawona, and Glacier Point. These are described first, then the wilderness is described. In addition to the natural features, there are five national historic landmarks in the park.

Places

Northwestern Area

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir (N37º57’ W119º47’) and Lake Eleanor (N37º59’ W119º52’) within the park are part of the Hetch Hetchy hydroelectric development of the City of San Francisco. Aspen Valley (N37º50’ W119º46’) is an area of private inholdings at 6,200-feet elevation on the former Tioga Road (connecting White Wolf with Big Oak Flat) off of Evergreen Road. The 1879 two-story Hodgdon Homestead Cabin was relocated from Aspen Valley to the Pioneer Yosemite History Center in 1960. It is used as an authentic building to interpret pioneer history.

Big Oak Flat Road

On Big Oak Flat Road are campgrounds and sequoia groves. Merced Grove (N37º45’ W119º50’) is an area of 20 sequoia trees about one mile south of Big Oak Flat Road. Tuolumne Grove (N37º46’ W119º48’) of giant sequoias is one mile north of the junction of Tioga Pass Road and Big Oak Flat Road. Foresta (N37º42’ W119º45’) is an area of private inholdings at 4,200-foot elevation with 30 private homes, some of which are available for vacation rentals, on the western boundary of the park off of Big Oak Flat Road on Coulterville Road.

Tioga Road

On Tioga Road are campgrounds and spur roads to other campgrounds such as Tamarack Flat, White Wolf, and Yosemite Creek. White Wolf (N37º52’ W119º39’) is a lodge and campground area and trailhead for the western part of Tioga Road. Tuolumne Meadows (N37º52’ W119º22’) is a lodge and trail head for the high alpine meadows portion of the park along Tioga Road. Yosemite High Sierra Camps are a series of five hike-in tent villages to the west and south of Tuolumne Meadows. These facilities have beds and serve dinner. The camps are located at Glen Aulin (N37º55’ W119º25’), May Lake (N37º51’ W119º30’), Merced Lake (N37º44’ W119º24’), Sunrise (N37º48’ W119º26’), and Vogelsang (N37º48’ W119º21’). The immediate area around the camps is excluded from the wilderness, but the entire trail access is within the wilderness. Vogelsang is the highest camp, at 10,300 feet elevation, and Merced Lake is the lowest, at 7,150 feet. It is currently possible to make reservations at individual camps rather than for the entire 50-mile loop (Ryan 2015).

Parsons Memorial Lodge National Historic Landmark (N37º53’ W119º22’) is located in the Tuolumne Meadows area off Tioga Pass Road.  Built in 1915 by the Sierra Club, it was one of the earliest rustic stone buildings in the national parks. The building was named for Edward Taylor Parsons, a Sierra Club director who was involved in the political fight over allowing Hetch Hetchy Dam to be built in a national park. The Sierra Club lost that battle when Hetch Hetchy and Lake Eleanor were authorized by Congress in 1913. The site commemorates the role of the Tuolumne River in inspiring conservation of the natural world nationwide.

Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Valley (N37º45’ W119º35’) was the center of the first land grant for Yosemite in 1864 and is the major park destination today. The 1980 park General Management Plan describes it as the premiere masterwork of the natural world. Iconic waterfalls line the sheer rock walls of the glaciated valley. Campgrounds and visitor accommodations are also here, although reservations are hard to get. Trails in Yosemite Valley lead to Bridalveil Fall, Mirror Lake, Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall, Yosemite Falls, and Half Dome. At 2,425 feet, Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America.

Ahwahnee Hotel National Historic Landmark (N37º45’ W119º34’) is part of the Yosemite Valley Historic District and is on the north side of the Merced River at the base of the Royal Arches rock formation on the north valley wall. Built in 1927, the hotel is seven stories and a symbol of design excellence, 1920 architectural ideals, and Rustic-style architecture on a previously unimagined scale. A Great Lounge provides the feel of a national park hotel. The NHL is significant for its role in development of tourism, national parks, concessions in national parks, and in the public appreciation of the national park system (National Park Service 2011).

Le Conte Memorial Lodge National Historic Landmark (N37º45’ W119º35’) is on the south side of the Merced River in the Yosemite Valley near the Housekeeping Camp. It was constructed in 1903 by the Sierra Club to disseminate information about the Sierra Nevada and is still used for that purpose. Club volunteers man the memorial in the summer months. In 1919 it was moved to its present location across from the Housekeeping Camp. The structure is unique in the national parks for its Tudor revival architecture. Its historic significance is as a principal foothold of the Sierra Club in the mountains for which it was named.

Rangers’ Club National Historic Landmark (N37º45’ W119º35’) is on the south side of the Merced River in Curry Village. The rustic chalet was built in 1920 and donated to the park by Stephen Mather, the first director of the National Park Service, with the idea that rangers serving in the remote location could be provided a place of their own. The Rustic style was intended for national park architecture to harmonize with nature. The interior of the building has Arts and Crafts characteristics.  

Wawona Road

South of Yosemite Valley, Wawona Road leads to the south entrance. A spur road off of the Wawona Road leads to Badger Pass, Bridalveil Creek, and Glacier Point. Glacier Point (N37º44’ W119º34’) is a 3,000-foot sheer cliff that overlooks Yosemite Valley and is a trailhead for the southern portions of the park. Ostrander Ski Hut (N37º37’ W119º33’) is a winter use facility south of Bridalveil Creek. The immediate area around the hut is excluded from the wilderness, but the trail access traverses the wilderness. Wawona (N37º32’ W119º39’) includes the Pioneer Yosemite History Center and the Wawona Hotel National Historic Landmark, described below. The Pioneer Yosemite History Center is a collection of historic structures from different locations within Yosemite.

Wawona Hotel National Historic Landmark (N37º32’ W119º39’) is on the South Fork Merced River. It is the largest Victorian hotel in a national park, built between 1876 and 1918, and it has operated for more than 100 years. It was constructed on the homestead of one of Yosemite’s earliest settlers, Galen Clark, and and was also the site of a stage station at the crossing of the South Fork Merced River. The seven-building national historic landmark complex contains the studio of Thomas Hill, a landscape painter of the Hudson River School, who painted here from 1886 to 1908. The other six buildings are the main hotel, the Annex, Clark Cottage, the Manager’s House, Moore’s Cottage, and Washburn Cottage.

At the southwestern edge of the park is Mariposa Grove (N37º31’ W119º36’). Together with Yosemite Valley, this was the first area set aside by Congress for preservation of Yosemite in 1864 and is considered the birthplace of the national park idea. The giant sequoias occupy about 500 acres and include 500 mature trees. In 2015, a parking area and transit hub is being developed at the park’s south entrance to provide visitor access and protection of the grove.

Yosemite Wilderness

The Yosemite Wilderness designation as part of the national wilderness preservation system includes 705,000 acres. The wilderness is bordered by the Emigrant Wilderness to the north, Hoover to the northeast, Ansel Adams to the southeast. The northernmost point is near Dorothy Lake (N38º11’ W119º35’), the southernmost near Mariposa Grove (N37º30’ W119º35’), the westernmost near Lake Eleanor (N37º59’ W119º53’), and the easternmost at Mount Lewis (N37º51’ W119º12’). Some major features within the wilderness are Jack Main Canyon (N38º3’ W119º41’), the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River (N37º56’ W119º33’), Lyell Canyon (N37º49’ W119º17’), Little Yosemite Valley (N37º44’ W119º30’), and  Buena Vista Crest (N37º36’ W119º29’).

Trails lead into the wilderness from Hetch Hetchy area (Wapama Falls, Rancheria Falls, Smith Peak), Big Oak Flat (Carlon Falls on South Fork Tuolumne River [from Evergreen Road in Stanislaus National Forest]), Tuolumne Meadows (Lyell Canyon, Mono Pass, Cathedral lakes, Gaylor Lake, Elizabeth Lakes, and Tuolumne River waterfalls), White Wolf (Lukens Lake, Harden Lake, North Dome, Ten Lakes), Glacier Point Road (Sentinel Dome, McGurk Meadow, Mono Meadow), and Wawona (Chilnaulna Falls). The John Muir Trail begins in Yosemite Valley and climbs to Tuolumne Meadows, where it joins the Pacific Crest Trail and continues south to Mount Whitney in Sequoia National Park. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail traverses the wilderness from Donohue Pass on the Ansel Adams Wilderness boundary (N37 46’ W119 15’) north to Dorothy Lakes Pass on the Hoover Wilderness boundary (N38 11’ W119 35’), passing Lyell Canyon, Tuolumne Meadows, Tuolumne Falls, Virginia Canyon, Matterhorn Canyon, and Jack Main Canyon.

National Wild and Scenic River System

Merced River within Yosemite National Park and wilderness is part of the wild and scenic river system. The river is designated from its source on Mount Lyell to Briceburg (N37º36’ W119º58’), including glacially carved Yosemite Valley. There are four source streams that are included in the designation. Red Peak Fork (N37º40’ W119º23’), Merced Peak Fork (N37º39’ W119º23’), and Triple Peak Fork (N37º38’ W119º20’) confluence from the south, and Lyell Fork (N37º44’ W119º16’) enters from the east. From its source to El Portal (N37º40’ W119º49’)(the Yosemite National Park portion), the river flows through a conifer forest. South Fork Merced River within Yosemite National Park and Wilderness is a wild and scenic river from its source at Chain Lakes (N37º34’ W119º24’) downstream for 22 miles to the park boundary (N37º35’ W119º42’). The river passes the Wawona area. The Tuolumne River and its headwater tributaries Dana Fork and Lyell Fork are designated as wild and scenic rivers within the park and wilderness except for a section of the Tuolumne River at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.

North Central Rockies forests

This introduction includes an overview of the ranges of the northern Rockies and the international and national designations such as World Heritage Sites, Ramsar Sites, Biosphere Reserves, National Historic Landmarks (NHLs), and National Natural Landmarks. This part begins a discussion of the North Central Rockies forests south of the 50^th parallel, an extensive area of parallel ranges separated by deep trenches.
The easternmost line of peaks are along the Continental Divide, and include, from north to south:

• Clark Range, the border between Alberta and British Columbia
• Lewis Range, which defines the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park
• Sawtooth Range, an area in the Lewis and Clark National Forest and Bob Marshall Wilderness to the east of the Continental Divide
• Lewis and Clark Range, which defines the Continental Divide in the Bob Marshall Wilderness
• General Robert E. Lee Range, which is in the Helena National Forest between State Route 200 and US Route 12
• General Eisenhower Range, in the Helena National Forest between US Route 12 and I-15
• Highland Mountains, the southernmost range of the North Central Rockies just south of Butte

The second line of peaks is between the trench occupied by the North Fork Flathead River and the Whitefish River. The MacDonald Range (British Columbia) or Whitefish Range (Montana) is to the north of US Route 2. Most of this mountain range in the US is in the Flathead National Forest. To the south of US Route 2, between the South Fork Flathead and Swan River is the Swan Range, which is included in the Flathead and Lolo National Forests. Between Flathead Lake and the Swan River, the Mission Range extends southward and is in the Flathead and Lolo National Forests.
The third line of peaks to the west is the Salish Mountains, located to the east of the Kootenai River (Lake Koocanusa) and extending south to Flathead Lake. These are mostly in the Kootenai and Flathead National Forests.
The fourth line of peaks is the Purcell Mountains, drained by the Kootenai River and tributaries. Kootenai Lake and its trench in British Columbia define the west side and the Kootenai River/Lake Koocanusa defines the eastern side. The Kootenai National Forest and Purcell Wilderness Conservancy provincial park include parts of these mountains.
South of the Purcell Mountains, between U.S. Route 2 and State Route 200, are the Cabinet Mountains. These are included in the Kootenai and Kaniksu National Forests. South of the Cabinets, the Coeur d’Alene Mountains extend between the Clark Fork River (State Route 200) and St. Regis River (I-90) and are included in the Coeur d’Alene National Forest, Kaniksu National Forest, and Lolo National Forest. South of the St. Regis River (I-90), the Bitterroot Mountains occupy the boundary between Montana and Idaho, extending from Lookout Pass on I-90 south to the Salmon River. The Lolo National Forest south of I-90 and Bitterroot National Forest west of the Bitterroot River Valley include these mountains. South of the Bitterroots are the St. Joe Mountains, included in the St. Joe National Forest, and the Clearwater Mountains, south of the St. Joe River and extending south to the Salmon River.
The fifth line of peaks, to the west of the Kootenay Trench in British Columbia, Idaho, and Washinton is the Selkirk Mountains, between the Columbia River on the west and Kootenay Lake on the east. The Kookanee Glacier Provincial Park, Kaniksu National Forest, Salmo Priest Wilderness, Colville National Forest, Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge, and Mount Spokane State Park contain lands within this range.
Finally, west of the Columbia River and east of the Okanogan River are the Monashee Mountains, the sixth line of peaks. These are mostly in British Columbia. Gladstone and Granby Provincial Parks and a small portion of the Colville National Forest are in this range, which also extends west into another ecoregion, the Okanogan dry forests.
The North-Central Rockies were the site of a devastating series of fires known as the Great Burn of 1910. This was shortly after the establishment of the US Forest Service, and the fires made a deep and lasting impact on the agency which continues today. The fire prevention and suppression policies that were put in place are influential worldwide (www.foresthistory.org). Fires in the summer of 1910 spread over large areas of the Clearwater, Lolo, Kootenai, Flathead, Blackfeet (Lewis and Clark), and Kaniksu National Forests, as well as Glacier National Park. On August 20 hurricane-force winds caused the “Big Blowup” and the fires could not be stopped. There were dramatic tales of survival among the undermanned and understaffed fire-fighting crews. In all, three million acres of land was burned and 85 people were killed in the northern Rockies. The debate on forest fire policy that followed was largely won by the fire suppression group, although some argued that backcountry fires should be allowed to burn themselves out or that more frequent burning to reduce fuel loads would be an appropriate policy.
The North Fork Flathead River, which originates in British Columbia and flows into Montana, is part of the national wild and scenic river system in the united States and forms the boundary between Glacier National Park and Flathead National Forest. It has been the subject of a transboundary controversy over coal mining and coalbed methane proposals in British Columbia. A science team conducted a comprehensive comparison of the water quality in the Flathead and the Elk River, the site of more than 50 years of coal mining. Waters of the Elk basin in British Columbia were determined to be significantly more polluted than the Flathead. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also determined that mining in the Flathead basin would be incompatible with the maintenance of Waterton-Glacier National Parks as a World Heritage Site. In 2010, the Premier of British Columbia and the Governor of Montana signed an accord prohibiting coal mining, coal bed methane extraction and gas and oil exploration and development in the North Fork Flathead River Basin (Hauer and Muhlfeld 2010).
1. World Heritage Site
There is one World Heritage Site in the North-Central Rockies forests south of the 50^th parallel. Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, Alberta-Montana, consists of adjoining Canadian and U.S. national parks and was established to highlight the glacial landforms, distinctive climate, physiographic setting, mountain prairie interface, and tri-ocean hydrographic divide of the Crown of the Continent region. Waterton Lakes and Glacier parks are also international biosphere reserves. Glaciation resulted in horn-shaped peaks, U-shaped valleys, hanging valleys, arêtes, cirques, and lakes along with 50-60 small glaciers now in retreat. The area also showcases large animal migration and grizzly bear country. The Lewis Overthrust fault is a large low angle thrust fault, the best displayed in North America. It was folded and uplifted, then pushed eastward on top of younger Cretaceous formations. Displacement was up to 80 km and preserved ancient sediments containing Precambrian stromatolites. The parks are located at the mountain-prairie interface, providing examples of ongoing ecological processes. Ecologically, the mountains also catch Pacific moisture, marking the easternmost occurrence of many species.Another superlative is that the area contains 98 percent of the world’s stock of Westslope cutthroat trout.
Glacier National Park has 740 miles of trails. Some of the major visitor areas are along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, which is a national historic landmark. Lake McDonald Valley (N48˚32’ W114˚0’), on the southwest side of the park at the western end of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, includes a 500-foot-deep lake and is ten miles long. Hanging valleys surrounding the lake descend to the area through waterfalls. The Apgar Visitor Center is located here. Logan Pass (N48˚42’ W113˚43’) is the crest of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and is noted for fields of wildflowers in the summer. St. Mary Valley (N48˚45’ W113˚26’) is at the east side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road at the mountain-prairie boundary. It includes a ten-mile-long lake.
Along the North Fork Flathead River in the northwest part of the park are Kintia Lake (N48˚50’ W114˚21’) and Bowman Lake (N48˚50’ W114˚12’), which provide tours of fire ecology, a homestead site, and the northern three-toed and black-backed woodpecker. Glacier NP hosts 275 species of birds, 14 of global or continental conservation concern, making it an IBA for species such as the olive-sided flycatcher, Brewer’s sparrow, and Cassin’s finch.
East of the Rockies are three areas off the beaten path. Goat Haunt (N48˚57’ W113˚54’) is reached by water from Waterton Lakes NP or by trail. Many Glacier (N48˚48’ W113˚39’) is considered the heart o the park with active glaciers. There is a hotel on Swiftcurrent Lake. Two Medicine (N48˚29’ W113˚22’) in the southeast is noted for trails, lakes, and waterfalls. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail connects Goat Haunt, Many Glacier, Two Medicine, and Marias Pass (N48˚19’ W113˚21’) on US 2 on the southern boundary of the park.
Waterton Lakes NP, Alberta, showcases the mountain-prairie interface, since the park extends into the prairie habitat. There are 200 km of trails. The core area is the national park and the proposed buffer zone extends to the Pincher Creek, Crowsnest Pass, and Cardston areas. Along the Entrance Parkway is the Prince of Wales Hotel National Historic Site (N49˚3’ W113˚54’) (operated by Glacier Park, Inc., www.glacierparkinc.com), overlooking Upper and Middle Waterton Lakes. The 1927 hotel was built by the Great Northern Railroad like the sister Glacier National Park hotels. The Entrance Parkway leads to the Waterton Park townsite (N49˚3’ W113˚55’). From Waterton Park, Akamina Parkway leads 16 km to Cameron Lake (N49˚1’ W114˚3’) on the international border and containing subalpine habitats. Along the way is the First Oil Well in Western Canada National Historic Site (N49˚4’ W114˚0’). A third scenic drive in the park is the Red Rock Parkway (N49˚5’ W113˚55’), which connects with the Entrance Parkway. In the northern part of the park on Route 6 is the Bison Paddock (N49˚8’ W113˚54’), where bison can be seen grazing grasslands.
2. Ramsar Site
There is one Ramsar site in the North Central Rockies forests. Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area, British Columbia (N49˚6’ W116˚34’) is the most important waterfowl habitat in the province. It is managed by a special authority and extends over 17,000 acres, from the US-Canadian border to Kootenay Lake. It is a critical breeding, staging and wintering area for waterfowl including the tundra swan, white-fronted goose, western grebe, breeding Fosters tern, black tern, and wood duck. The Wildlife Interpretation Centre is at Corn Creek, where there is a trail system leading through the floodplain wetlands along the Kootenai River. Other areas are Duck Lake (N49˚10’ W116˚37’), known for thousands of waterfowl, Six Mile Slough, with ponds and dikes, and Dale Marsh at the US border. Forests are western hemlock, red cedar, and western white pine. The area is on both sides of Route 3 west of Creston. In addition to the Ramsar designation, the site is an Important Bird Area and a Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Area.
3. Man and the Biosphere Reserves
There are three Biosphere Reserves in the north central Rockies forests. Coram Experimental Forest Biosphere Reserve, Flathead NF, Montana (N48˚22’ W113˚59’), is located on Emery Ridge east of Martin City on Forest Road 38. Research at this site in Hungry Horse, Montana, focuses on western larch regeneration. The Walk with Larch trail consists of two loops in the old growth forest. The Coram RNA is on lower slopes with old growth western larch, Douglas-fir, and a wet meadow. Nearby Hungry Horse, Montana, hosts the Larix Arboretum (N48˚23’ W114˚3’).
Glacier NP Biosphere Reserve, Montana, is described under the Waterton Glacier International Peace Park world heritage site description. The Great Northern Railway Buildings, Going-to-the-Sun Road, and Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier NP are National Historic Landmarks and are described below under NHLs. Waterton Lakes NP Biosphere Reserve, Alberta, is also described under the Waterton Glacier International Peace Park world heritage site. Within the park is the Prince of Wales Hotel National Historic Site and First Oil Well in Canada National Historic Site.
4. National Historic Landmarks
There are five National Historic Landmarks in the North Central Rockies forests:
a. Coeur d’Alene’s Old Mission State Park (Cataldo Mission), Idaho (N47˚33’ W116˚22’), also called the Mission of the Sacred Heart, was used by the Jesuits in the 1850s in their efforts to convert the Coeur d’Alene Indians. It is the oldest building in Idaho. Hand hewn beams are secured with wooden pegs. No nails were used in the construction.
b. Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana, built between 1922 and 1937, became the model for roads in national parks and public lands, introducing the concept of landscape engineering and a model for innovative road engineering as part of the American park movement. The portion of the road from Apgar (N48˚31’ W113˚59’) to St. Mary (N48˚45’ W113˚26’) is within the NHL district. The road is also a National Civil Engineering Landmark. In addition to the road itself, the district includes the following structures:

• Sprague Creek Culvert (N48˚36’ W113˚53’)
• Snyder Creek Culvert (N48˚37’ W113˚53’)
• Horse Trail Underpass (N48˚38' W113˚51')
• Avalanche Creek Bridge (N48˚41' W113˚49')
• Logan Creek culvert (N48˚43' W113˚46')
• West Side Tunnel (N48˚45' W113˚47')
• Granite Creek (Alder Creek) culvert (N48˚45' W113˚46')
• Haystack Creek culvert (N48˚44' W113˚45')
• Triple Arches (N48˚43' W113˚43')
• East Side Tunnel (N48˚42' W113˚42')
• Siyeh Creek culvert (N48˚42' W113˚40')
• Baring Creek bridge (N48˚41' W113˚36')
• St. Mary River bridge (N48˚45' W113˚27')
• Divide Creek bridge (N48˚45' W113˚26')

c. Great Northern Railway Buildings, Montana, is a five-property NHL. The railroad chose a distinctive architectural style, the Swiss chalet, for its Glacier NP development. These structures are the largest collection of Swiss chalets in the U.S. The system of buildings was designed to mimic a European-style resort where major resort hotels are linked to backcountry chalets by trails.
Property 1 is the Belton Chalets, West Glacier, Montana (N48˚29’ W113˚59’), is a group of hotel buildings built 1910 to 1911, the first of the Great Northern tourist hotels, and is just outside of Glacier NP. The buildings retain the arts and crafts ambiance of the early 1900 and are still operated as a hotel (www.beltonchalet.com).
Property 2 is the Many Glacier Hotel Historic District, Glacier NP, Montana (N48˚48’ W113˚39’). This building group, constructed in 1915, is a series of chalets up to four stories tall on the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake. It is known as the ‘Gem of the West.’ There are stone foundations and basements with wood frame superstructures. The lobby has four stories of balconies with floor to ceiling logs (www.glacierparkinc.com).
Property 3 is the Granite Park Chalet (N48˚46’ W113˚48’), Glacier NP, Montana, a dormitory and dining hall on the edge of a subalpine meadow below Swiftcurrent Pass. This 1914 structure is accessible via an eight-mile hike on the Highline Trail west of the Continental Divide (www.graniteparkchalet.com).
Property 4 is Sperry Chalet, Glacier NP, Montana (N48˚36’ W113˚47’), a 23-room dormitory and dining hall in a glacial cirque. Built in 1914, this inn is reached via the seven-mile Sperry Trail (www.sperrychalet.com).
Property 5, Two Medicine Chalet, Glacier NP, Montana (N48˚29’ W113˚22’), is now used as a general store. Built in 1914, this structure is an enormous log building originally used as a dining hall.
The Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada was also built by the Great Northern Railway and is a national historic site of Canada.
d. Lake McDonald Lodge, Glacier NP, Montana (N48˚37’ W113˚52’), built as the Lewis Glacier Hotel, is one of the finest examples of Swiss chalet architecture in the U.S. It opened in 1914 and was intended to be a rival to the Great Northern Railway buildings being built at the same time. In the lodge, the concrete floors are scored with messages in Blackfoot, Chippewa, and Cree languages. The lobby is three stories high with balconies and tall cedar columns extending three stories high. The room is lined with mounted hunting trophies. The lodge is located on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, also a national historic landmark (www.glacierparkinc.com).
e. Lolo Trail, Clearwater National Forest, Idaho, Lolo National Forest, Montana, and private lands is a site on the Lewis and Clark and Nez Perce National Historic Trails and is believed to provide a landscape substantially similar to that found in 1805. Because the Salmon River Mountains west of Lemhi Pass were impassible and the Salmon River downstream from the pass could not be navigated, Lewis and Clark chose this more northerly Nez Perce hunting trail as their way to the Pacific. The 100-mile, September 11-21, 1805, crossing, in dense brush and snow, proved the most difficult of the transcontinental trip. The return trip in June 1806, also in snow, also was difficult. The trail connects modern day Lolo, Montana (N46˚46’ W114˚5’) with Weippe Prairie, Idaho (N46˚21’ W115˚55’), mostly in the Lolo and Clearwater National Forests. Later the Nez Perce Indians used the trail in their flight from the US Army in 1877. The Lolo Trail area is mostly defined by Forest Highway 500, although the original trail winds north and south of the modern road. The trail passes Lolo Creek Campground, Hungery Creek, Sherman Saddle, Indian Grave Peak, Indian Post Office, Papoose Saddle, and Packer Meadows in the Clearwater NF. Musselshell Meadows Special Area (N46˚21’ W115˚45’) is a traditional Indian camas root gathering area east of Weippe Prairie. From west to east, sites in the Clearwater NF are Musselshell Meadows, Horse Sweat Pass Camp (N46˚25’ W115˚22’), Spirit Revival Ridge Camp (N46˚25’ W115˚19’), Dry Camp (N46˚26’ W115˚16’), Greensward Camp (N46˚27’ W115˚15’), Indian Grave Camp (N46˚30’ W115˚9’), Lonesome Cove Camp (N46˚33’ W114˚59’), Bears Oil and Roots Camp (N46˚35’ W114˚55’), Snowbank Camp (N46˚35’ W114˚49’), and Glade Creek Camp (N46˚37’ W114˚35’). The trail, Lolo Pass, and Musselshell Meadows are sites of the Nez Perce National Historic Park, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, and Nez Perce National Historic Trail.
5. National Natural Landmark
There is one National Natural Landmark in the North Central Rockies forests. Hobo Cedar Grove Botanical Area (N47˚5’ W116˚7’), St. Joe National Forest, Idaho (administered as part of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests), is a 700-acre area containing ten-foot-diameter trees. It is on Forest Road 3357 off of Forest Highway 321 north of Clarkia.
For a more extensive description of the sites in the north-central Rockies forests, including national forests, national parks, state parks, wilderness areas, and wildlife refuges, please see the post at sites.google.com/site/enviroramble.