Apgar is one of the main villages in
Glacier National Park. Apgar is located on the west side of the park about one mile in from the West Entrance. Apgar has one of the most popular campgrounds in Glacier Park, and is always quite filled. It is also home to a visitors' center, a general store, and a large gift shop. It also is the starting point for almost all Red Jammer bus tours on the
Going-to-the-Sun Road
Going-to-the-Sun Road is a scenic mountain road in the Rocky Mountains of the western United States, in Glacier National Park in Montana. The Sun Road, as it is sometimes abbreviated in National Park Service documents, is the only road that trave ...
. Apgar's campground is connected to the village by a road, and a bike path through the woods, in which smaller wildlife can be seen, though
Grizzly bears
The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America.
In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horri ...
have been seen close to camp.
History
Apgar takes its name from Milo Apgar, an early settler in the Lake McDonald area. In the 1890s, Apgar, along with Frank Geduhn and Charlie Howe, built homes at the lower end of the lake with the intention of farming the area. Farming proved impractical, so they and other settlers quickly became involved in servicing tourists visiting the park. As these services increased, the village that grew up around them gained the name Apgar.
Apgar has two small hotel buildings operated by the same company. It also has its own boat launching ramp, and a boat rental dock on its portion of
Lake McDonald. Apgar is within a twenty-minute drive from the
Lake McDonald Lodge
The Lake McDonald Lodge is a historic lodge located within Glacier National Park, on the southeast shore of Lake McDonald. The lodge is a -story structure built in 1913 based on Kirtland Cutter's design. The foundation and first floor walls are ...
. The summer home of famed western artist
Charles M. Russell
Charles Marion Russell (March 19, 1864 – October 24, 1926), also known as C. M. Russell, Charlie Russell, and "Kid" Russell, was an American artist of the American Old West. He created more than 2,000 paintings of cowboys, Native Americans, an ...
, Bull Head Lodge, was located in Apgar. As a young man, artist
Ace Powell
Asa Lynn "Ace" Powell (April 3, 1912 – January 25, 1978) was an American painter, sculptor, and etcher of genre scenes and imagery relating to indians, cowboys, horses, and wildlife. His artwork was influenced by that of fellow Montana artist ...
was also a resident of the village.
Notable people
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Charles M. Russell
Charles Marion Russell (March 19, 1864 – October 24, 1926), also known as C. M. Russell, Charlie Russell, and "Kid" Russell, was an American artist of the American Old West. He created more than 2,000 paintings of cowboys, Native Americans, an ...
*
Ace Powell
Asa Lynn "Ace" Powell (April 3, 1912 – January 25, 1978) was an American painter, sculptor, and etcher of genre scenes and imagery relating to indians, cowboys, horses, and wildlife. His artwork was influenced by that of fellow Montana artist ...
See also
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List of Glacier National Park (U.S.) related articles
The following articles relate to the history, geography, geology, flora, fauna, structures and recreation in Glacier National Park (U.S.), the U.S. portion of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.
Glacier National Park history
* Expl ...
References
{{Flathead County, Montana
Glacier National Park (U.S.)
Populated places in Flathead County, Montana
1890s establishments in Montana
Populated places established in the 1890s