Travel Trip Journey : Wild Goose Island, Glacier National Park, Montana

Wild Goose Island lies within Saint Mary Lake in Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. This is tiny Island of just 4,496 feet and rising a mere 14 ft from the surface of lake water. It is dwarfed by the lake and nearby mountains yet are of one of the most commonly photographed locations along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Wild Goose Island features flagrantly captured in the strange opening shot of the 1980 horror movie “The Shining”.

If you are photograph lovers, then this is a magical iconic place to shoot sunrise and sunset. The Island is off the beaten road, and the road is a bit rough. Take it and be charmed by the sights and watch out for the rock "bears". It really wasn't a bear -darn. This may be one of the prettiest places you would have had the good fortune of visiting. It will leave you in awe of the lovely country in which you live. In winter “Going-To-The-Sun Road” is closed, hence they often open a section past the viewpoint by the middle of June and July, so you need to be sure to check the road conditions.

The tiny Island lies among the most beautiful mountain in that region. The ecosystem inspired nature lovers to feel the serenity of plants, birds, and animals. The nearby flora and fauna bloom like a paintbrush drawing. The Wild Goose Island nearby popular peaks are over 8,000 feet are Red Eagle, Mahtotopa, Little Chief, Citadel, Dusty Star and many others.

A very interesting history tells us, that two native tribes resided on opposite sides of Saint Mary’s Lake, they would not like to interpret each other despite some clashes and seldom fought. A smart warrior fell in love with another tribe beautiful girl. He was enticed with her beauty and leaped into the lake to swim to the island himself. They were betrothed after talked an hour and make a promise to meet again. When both tribes knew their love story, they got ready to break the betrothal instantly.

The couple flees to little Island and gets married. Both tribes chased them, but they transformed into geese, so they could fly away and would always be together. Hence, when both tribes reached there they could not find any man or woman, but two beautiful geese walking among the small trees and bracken. The geese stroked their necks and flew away and never to return. From that day, this little place is known as Wild Goose Island. Wild Goose Island spark the feeling of magnificence, drawing the attention of millions of visitors each year.

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