Audio
Going-to-the-Sun Road: Sunrift Gorge
Transcript
[Narration] At Sunrift Gorge Shuttle Stop a short 200 foot trail leads to an overlook where Bering Creek makes a sharp 90-degree turn after exiting a magnificent 800-foot long, 80 foot deep narrow gorge. This shady moist gorge creates a microclimate that supports a variety of different plants and animals than those found in the drier forests surrounding Sunrift Gorge.
Watch for the Dipper or “Water Ouzel” in the stream below. This stocky grey bird is the largest member of the sparrow family and gets its name from the unusual bobbing and dipping motion it makes as it hunts for insects in the stream. Watch for a while and you will eventually see it plunge right into the swift moving water and literally fly underwater using its wings to maneuver through the rapid currents. When it comes back up look closely and you might notice a large insect in its beak that it plucked from the rocks in the streambed.
Sunrift Gorge is also the trailhead for the Siyeh Pass area. Hikers can explore the high country of Glacier National Park on this spectacular high elevation trail. The preferred route for this 10.3 mile hike is to start at the Siyeh Bend Shuttle Stop and end here at Sunrift Gorge, since starting the trail here involves much more elevation gain. Hikers may also wish to venture up this portion of the trail for views of Bering Creek, abundant wildflowers and later in summer some great huckleberry patches. Just remember that Grizzly Bears love huckleberries too. So be cautious and always make plenty of noise on the trails.
And impressive architecture feature of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, the Bering Creek Bridge spans Bering Creek here. The bridge was constructed in 1931 and many people consider this the most beautiful of all the structures built on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. It was designed to blend into the landscape using the same red and green Argillite that adds color to the mountains and color to the streams throughout the park. The bridge was also designed at a time when horses were the dominant mode of travel in the park. It is high enough and long enough to allow riders on horseback to travel comfortably underneath on their way from Siyeh Pass to the chalets that were located at Sun Point. Part of the old horse trail is now the Sun Point nature trail and a short ¼ mile walk down the trail leads to Bering Falls.
Description
A gorge, opportunities to view water birds, hiking, and historic architecture are all present at this point.
Duration
2 minutes, 24 seconds
Credit
Glacier National Park
Date Created
08/04/2015
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