Glacier National Park straddles the continental divide in northern Montana, from the Canadian border south. As such it contains quite a few tall mountains, which Adams seemed to favor, especially ones which were bordered by mountain lakes. One of his photo locations was St. Mary's Lake, near the north end of the park. It was the second area in the park to be developed. The first, the place to which the Great Northern Railway first ran when carrying tourists to the park, was to the south at Two Medicine Lake. Later development took place at St. Mary's Lake, to the north of Two Medicine and is today the more popular destination.
This, our second Ansel Adams rendition, was taken near the upper end of St. Mary's Lake, about 10 road miles from the eastern edge of the park. Though Adams likely went up the lake by canoe to take his photos, he happened to take this one near what is today a large viewing area with a trail leading down to St. Mary's Lake.
Glacier Park History
Much of the early history of Waterton-Glacier is the story of the Great Northern Railway. The railway helped promote legislation that established Glacier National Park in 1910. James J. Hill, president of the railroad, not only built a railroad, but he created an empire of towns and ranches along the tracks from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Seattle, Washington. This route today is still called the Empire Builder.
With the help from his son, Louis, JJ's vision was to make the area the "Playground of the Northwest." The Hills invested a substantial amount of money in the area. A chain of hotels, chalets, boats, roads, and trails were designed and built to attract tourists. The railroad tapped into the market of wealthy Americans who generally took lengthy trips to Europe and lured them to Glacier with the slogan "See America First." Of course, to get to the parks they would ride the railroad. The railroad was the major concessionaire and developer of visitor facilities in Glacier from 1910 until after World War II.
Learn more about the park at the National Park Service