Glacier – National Park Tea

With over 700 miles of trails Glacier National Park is any hikers dream. Straddling the Continental Divide, the park allows visitors to explore a variety of scenery from peaceful meadows to rugged mountains.

Glacier was established as the 10th national park in 1910, but its history begins long before this. The Blackfoot Indians inhabited the land in and around what is now Glacier National Park for approximately 10,000 years. They continued to dominate the land until the late 1870s when explorers and homesteaders made their way across the US during Westward Expansion. To this day the Blackfoot Tribe considers Glacier the “most spiritual place for the Blackfoot” and refers to it as “the backbone of the world.” The Blackfoot were not the only people who wanted to protect the area, George Bird Grinnell, a naturalist from the east, became fond of the land and the Indian Tribes who inhabited it. Throughout his travels, Grinnell advocated strongly for the humane treatment of the local Indian Tribes and campaigned for game laws to protect birds and other animals in the area. Grinnell originated the idea of a glacier national park from a map he drew of the area in the late 1800s and was responsible for promoting the legislation that made it possible. Many landmarks in Glacier are named after him, including Grinnell Glacier. He also is credited for naming the largest glacier in the park, Blackfoot Glacier, to honor the Blackfoot tribe he befriended, in addition to many other landmarks in the area.

Until his death in the late 1930s, Grinnell did not take credit for his accomplishments, instead he credited the Great Northern Railroad for the Parks establishment. Grinnell convinced railroad president Louis Hill that the area was worth preserving and with Hill’s influence Glacier was established as a national park in 1910 with little debate. In 1929, the same year Simpson & Vail was incorporated, Grinnell is quoted saying “Important men in control of the Great Northern Railroad were made to see the possibilities of the region and after nearly twenty years of effort, a bill setting aside the park was passed.” The Great Northern railroad line runs along the southern border of the park and ended up being beneficial to both parties as it made tourism possible in the area.

Our goal with this blend was to provide, right in your mug, the wilderness and solitude that Glacier is famous for. We decided to honor a fruit with a rich history both in Montana and Glacier, the huckleberry. The brewed cup has a full, slightly tart huckleberry taste with a smooth woodsy finish.

Ingredients: Black teas, organic juniper berries, birch bark, huckleberry flavor, uva ursi leaf (bearberry), and white cornflowers petals.

Brew tea at 212º – steep for 3 minutes.

4 Ounces of loose tea makes approximately 50 cups of tea.

Please note that the photo is shown for our 4oz tin. We are also offering this in a 4oz pkg size, which will come in one of our double lined bags labeled with the name of the tea.

We DONATE 10% of all tea sales in this line to help preserve our beautiful national parks. The percentage from Glacier tea goes to Glacier Conservancy, the official non-profit of the park. These donations fund projects in the park such as trail restoration, park preservation, and education

In 2016 I started, while in college, working here at Simpson & Vail. I’ve enjoyed exploring the world of teas and decided in 2019 to combine my love of tea with my passion for the great outdoors. My goal with this line is to do my part in preserving the beautiful lands designated as national parks and to raise awareness for why the parks are so important. I’ve seen only a small portion of the unique lands we call National Parks, however, I’ll continue exploring until I’ve seen them all.