09/11/2021
Never forget.
Today, we remember 9/11.
Glacier National Park, along with Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, is an International Peace Park—separated by a 20-foot swath between the two nations. Glacier’s northernmost entrance, Goat Haunt, is primarily accessed by traveling through Canada, then into the US by boat (requiring a passport).
The events of 9/11 took place far from Montana—but its impact was felt everywhere, even in Glacier's most remote regions.
Pictured here is a wayside exhibit installed in Goat Haunt after 9/11, superimposing the New York City skyline beneath Mount Cleveland in Goat Haunt. The sign remembers the tragedy and recognizes its far-reaching effects.
“…Goat Haunt seems an oasis of solitude and tranquility, a place seemingly untouched by the frenetic pace of the city and the complex problems of the wider world.
The events of September 11, 2001 brought sudden change to Goat Haunt. Tremors from these shocking acts of terrorism were felt along this peaceful stretch of boundary as the United States responded to homeland security threats. This once open border crossing, where people from all nations could travel between countries with minimal scrutiny, was suddenly closed… The world's first international peace park was a less peaceful place as the hard realities of the world overshadowed the ideals of cooperation and collaboration shared here between nation friends.
The events of September 11 were a stark reminder that harmony and friendship are fragile commodities in a world where intolerance and war are such common responses.
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is still a powerful setting for personal reflection on peace, what it means, and how our perspectives might be influenced by world events… This Peace Park, managed cooperatively and spanning two nations, reminds us of the possibilities of international goodwill and friendship so needed in our fragile world today.”