COIN OVERVIEW

The America the Beautiful Quarters program is happy to introduce the Glacier National Park quarter.

The reverse image depicts a classic view of the northeast slope of Mount Reynolds towering in the distance, while a mountain goat climbs over the rocky slopes of the park's high country. Inscriptions are GLACIER, MONTANA, 2011 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. Design candidates were developed in consultation with representatives of Glacier National Park.

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK OVERVIEW

Glacier National Park sits at the northernmost border of the United States, bordered along its upper side by the Canadian provinces Alberta and British Columbia. The more than 1,000,000 acre park is home to dozens of lakes, hundreds of animal species and more than a 1,000 plant species.  The eponymous glaciers have been dwindling in number; over the past century and a half, more than three quarters of them have melted due to climatic change. There remain, however, at least 35 named glaciers, of which 25 are considered active: these, along with the pristine foliage and ecological diversity, remain popular with travelers.

Of the hundreds of animal species present in the park, one is particularly prominent. The mountain goat is the official symbol of Glacier National Park, a lofty position commemorated by the coin. The Montana quarter features a goat in the foreground, bounded by a background mountain.