Saint Mary Lake

Saint Mary Lake
Saint Mary Lake and Wild Goose Island
Location	Glacier National Park (U.S.), Glacier County, Montana
Coordinates	48°40′58″N 113°32′44″W / 48.68278°N 113.54556°W / 48.68278; -113.54556Coordinates: 48°40′58″N 113°32′44″W / 48.68278°N 113.54556°W / 48.68278; -113.54556[1]
Type	Natural
Primary outflows	St. Mary River (Alberta–Montana)
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	9.9 mi (15.9 km)
Surface area	3,923 acres (15.88 km2)
Max. depth	300 ft (91 m)
Surface elevation	4,484 ft (1,367 m)

Saint Mary Lake is the second largest lake in Glacier National Park, in the U. S. state of Montana.^[2]

Located on the east side of the park, the Going-to-the-Sun Road parallels the lake along its north shore. At an altitude of 4,484 feet (1,367 m), Saint Mary Lake's waters are colder and lie almost 1,500 feet (460 m) higher in altitude than Lake McDonald, the largest lake in the park, which is located on the west side of the Continental Divide. Here, the great plains end and the Rocky Mountains begin in an abrupt 5,000 feet (1,500 m) altitude change, with Little Chief Mountain posing a formidable southern flank above the west end of the lake. St. Mary lake has a surface area of 3,923 acres (15.88 km²).

The lake is 9.9 miles (15.9 km) long and 300 feet (91 m) deep. The waters of the lake rarely rise above 50 °F (10 °C) and are home to various species of trout. During the winter, the lake often is frozen completely over with ice up to 4 feet (1.2 m) thick.

The famous opening shot of the 1980 Stanley Kubrick movie The Shining was shot at Saint Mary Lake.^[3]

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  Montage: Aerial view of St. Mary Lake and, at right, Lower St. Mary Lake, from the south. At the top, with its west tip cut off, Lake Sherburne.

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A panorama of St. Mary Lake

See also

List of lakes in Glacier County, Montana

Wikimedia Commons has media related to St. Mary Lake.

References