When traveling east on the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier NP, one of the first mountains that dominates the skyline for miles and miles is Heavens Peak. It is located in the Livingston Range with an elevation of 8,991 feet (2,740 m).
For those capable, Heavens Peak provides several hiking routes that involve a long day of strenuous climbing to get to the summit.
It’s said each of these routes provide their own version of hell that you must conquer to make it, in addition to keeping an eye out for bear and moose, both who roam in large numbers in the area.
But once you get to the summit, the views are heavenly in all directions.
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Heavens Peak
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Heavens Peak has year-round snow. During our end of July visit, the sun’s glare with the smoky skies gave a spectacular sheen to the icy glacier walls. So much prettier than I could capture below. I can only imagine this scene without the smoke and haze.
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Heavens Peak from a closer viewpoint
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Dutch explorer Louie Meyer, a member of Lieutenant Colonel George Ahern’s 1890 U.S. Army expedition, is credited with giving Heavens Peak its name. This same peak is called “Red Bird” by the Kootenai tribe, and “Where God Lives” by the Blackfeet tribe.
