06/20/2026
Hey! It’s History Friday!
This week we are comparing photos of the McDonald Creek Bridge in Glacier National Park, circa 1941 and 2026! As you can see, even today people enjoy fishing off the bridge. Lake McDonald Creek bridge is a reflection of broader development in Glacier National Park’s west side. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were no real bridges over McDonald Creek, and access to Lake McDonald was slow and difficult. It often involved rail travel followed by wagon routes or boats. As tourism increased and the park developed, especially with the construction of the Going to the Sun Road between 1921 and 1932, permanent bridges became necessary. During this period, early “rustic” bridges, designed to blend with the natural landscape, were built, including crossings like the Apgar Bridge, originally constructed in 1927.
Over time, these early structures were repaired, upgraded, or replaced to handle growing traffic and withstand harsh mountain conditions such as flooding and winter damage. The most recent major change came between 2022 and 2024, when an older multi-span bridge over McDonald Creek was replaced with a modern clear-span design to improve safety, durability, and environmental protection. This new bridge continues the long evolution of crossings at Lake McDonald. Going from simple early access routes to engineered structures that balance visitor uses with preservation of the park’s natural features.
Source: McDonald Creek Bridge in Glacier National Park Utilizes IC - ESCSI 2026 09-13-2024_Going_to_the_Sun_Roadpdf.pdf
Photo: Montana History Portal, 2026 photo taken by library staff Liz Camarillo.
For more Montana history, check out the 978.6 section of the library!
