In 2010, Glacier National Park is marking its 100 anniversary with centennial events and celebrations throughout the year. Celebrate this momentous birthday with the Crown of the Continent, its millions of wild acres and historic lodges.

Shouts are heard high and low. Drumbeats echo off nearby canyon walls. Bright colors and regal headdresses dazzle viewers with every spirited footstep. These are the sights and sounds of Pow Wows, a time-honored tradition held several times a year throughout Glacier Country. These celebrations tell the deeper stories of the tribes, preserving and sharing a vital part of American history.

Located along the western edge of Glacier National Park is the community of Polebridge. With just a mercantile, saloon and hostel, it doesn’t seem too our of the ordinary for a small Montana town. But what makes this community special--besides the scenery, friendly people and rough gravel road you take to reach it--is that it is entirely operated off generators. Quite the feat. We recommend trying the mouth-watering pastries, desserts, piping hot bread and coffee at “The Merc” for a piece of Western Montana that shouldn’t be missed.

Hop aboard Amtrak’s Empire Builder as it travels from Chicago to Seattle, taking riders past magnificent vistas and making several stops in Western Montana. Winding its way through Glacier National Park, the locomotive follows a pass sought by Lewis and Clark and discovered by Jon Stevens in 1889. The Empire Builder stops in several Montana communities, including Cut Bank—gateway to the Rocky Mountains, Browning—home of Montana’s largest Indian tribe (the Blackfeet), East Glacier, Essex—home of the charming Izaak Walton Inn, West Glacier, Whitefish—a five-star resort community home to world-class skiing, and Libby—a community with a rich Nordic heritage. 

Thousands of years ago, Western Montana was at the bottom of Glacial Lake Missoula. Eventually, the dam burst resulting in a rush of water that carved the landscape throughout parts of Western Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

As waters rushed through the region, waves and ice ripped away at the terrain, leaving ripple marks visible to the eye today. Over the centuries, Glacial Lake Missoula filled and emptied numerous times, leaving its story etched in the land for all to see.

With millions of acres of pristine rivers, lush wilderness, glacial peaks and charming communities, Glacier Country has plenty of secret treasures waiting to be discovered. Some of the best-kept secrets are found in the westernmost region of Glacier Country, a rugged land made up of deep forests, untracked terrain and vast mountainscapes. This area is home to giant cedars, natural hot springs, the Hiawatha Rail Trail, and alluring small towns. And that’s just the beginning.

One of the most diverse and intact ecosystems in the world, the Crown of the Continent includes 10 million acres in southeastern British Columbia, southwestern Alberta and northern Montana. This diverse area encompasses Glacier National Park, Native American tribes and traditions, ranches and charming communities. The keys to this region include the world’s first peace park—Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park—more than 9,000 years of documented human occupations and numerous public wildlands. To learn more about the National Geographic’s Crown of the Continent project, please visit www.crownofthecontinent.net.