Most of the million visitors to Glacier National Park each year simply travel from one side of the park to the other following the famous—and spectacular—Going to the Sun Road. There are, however, some other parts of the Park which are often the beaten path. One of these is Kintla Lake is the northwestern corner of the park.
The North Fork:
The North Fork of the Flathead River forms the western boundary of Glacier National Park.
Shown above are some photos taken from the west side of the river (that is, just outside of the park) showing the river and the park. The area burned by forest fires is the past few years can be seen.
Polebridge:
Just before crossing the North Fork River and entering the park, is Polebridge. The polebridge which once crossed the river was destroyed in one of the recent forest fires and has been replaced with a modern structure. Polebridge, which is off the grid, retains its old-fashion look.
The sign indicating “bakery” should carry a warning about the addictive nature of the freshly baked goods carried at the store. They are baked on site and are really good.
Looking at the park from downtown Polebridge.
Kintla Lake:
The Road:
The road into Kintla Lake is a single lane dirt road. It is shown above.
Homestead Cabin:
Before Glacier Park was created there were a number of homesteads in the park. The National Park Service has restored one of the century-old homestead cabins at Big Meadow, on the road to Kintla.
Shown above is the cabin and the view of the park from the cabin.