Out in the St. Mary area of Glacier National Park, there are a few trails with a bit of history. Starting at the 1913 Ranger Station cabin (which is near the old site of the St. Mary Chalets), you start the trail to the beaver pond. It’s a quaint little pond that attracts quite a variety of life. I saw many birds such as buffleheads, red-winged blackbirds and cedar waxwings. There is also a little offshoot trail that leads to a horse pasture. Once back onto the Red Eagle trail, you can take off onto the Divide Creek trail.
To continue the history lesson, the Red Eagle trail starting at the old ranger station and, continuing up the Divide Creek trail, used to go across Divide Creek and was the old Indian Highway before it was rerouted and the town of St. Mary was born thus dooming the St. Mary Chalets. It has since gone through a forest fire and is now home to a huge variety of birds which I was able to capture, including a not often seen Solitary Sandpiper. This spur is not the easiest to find, but it’s a very rewarding hidden jewel of Glacier National Park.
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