The Rising Sun Auto Camp, also known as the Roes Creek Auto Camp, East Glacier Auto Camp or simply Rising Sun preserves a portion of the built-up area of Glacier National Park that documents the second phase of tourist development in the park. Rising Sun is located along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, approximately from the east entrance to Glacier National Park, Montana, United States. Rising Sun is a wayside area that has a National Park Service campground, a camp store and gift shop, picnic area, restaurant, as well as a motel and guest cabins which are managed by the park's concessionaire, Xanterra Parks & Resorts. In the immediate area, there is also a boat dock as well as sightseeing boats which allow visitors to tour Saint Mary Lake, the second largest lake in the park. "The most popular spot for [Glacier] tourists is Rising Sun, an overlook of Goose Island in St. Mary Lake and one of the most photographed spots in the park."
Establishment After the creation of a series of hotels for train-borne visitors, courtesy of the Great Northern Railway's hotel concession, facilities were developed for the increasing numbers of automobile-borne tourists, drawn to Glacier by the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The Rising Sun Auto Camp was created for these new tourists. Located in the Rising Sun region of the park, it includes a rustic general store, built in 1941 by the Glacier Park Hotel Company, surrounded by a number of log tourist cabins., as well as a shower and laundry house and other supporting structures.
The Rising Sun Motor Inn and Cabins preserves historic paintings donated by Glacier Park, Inc. The pieces were originally owned and/or commissioned by the Great Northern Railway, and many depict iconic scenes from in and around Glacier National Park. All are estimated to have originated between 1909 and 1915 and created by John Fery, Frank Stick, R.H. Palenske and Charles Defeo.
Nearby features The Sun Camp Fireguard Cabin also known as the Baring Cabin was destroyed by the Reynolds Creek Wildland Fire in July 2015.
The Sun Camp Fireguard Cabin and the Rising Sun Auto Camp are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
See also Swiftcurrent Auto Camp Historic District Roes Creek Campground Camptender's Cabin
References Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc. "Get a True Taste of Montana at the Rising Sun Motor Inn." Dining, Lodging. Glacier National Park Lodges. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec 2015.
Peterson, Chris. "Asking for peace and quiet." Hungry Horse News [Columbia Falls, MT] 1 Sept 2010: N. pag. Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 5 Dec 2015.
National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior. "Glacier National Park Going to the Sun Road." Plan Your Visit. National Park Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec 2015.
Montana Arts Council. "Historic paintings donated to Glacier Park." State of the Arts Newspaper. Montana.gov Official State Website. State of Montana, March/April 2015. Web. 2 Dec 2015.
"The Going to the Sun Road." Hiking in Glacier. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec 2015.
Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission. "Rising Sun Motor Inn and Cabins." Stay. Glacier Country Montana. Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission, n.d. Web. 2 Dec 2015.
DuVal, Linda. "The two faces of Glacier: Pristine landscapes a naturalist's paradise." The Gazette 29 Apr 2002, sec. 2W71475247897: N. pag. EBSCO Publishing. Web. 5 Dec 2015.
Carri, Wilbanks, and TODAY Special for USA. "Camp Sites." USA Today 27 Jun 2014: Section: Life, 03d. . Web. 4 Dec 2015.
External links