Ptarmigan Tunnel

Forged in 1930, the Ptarmigan Tunnel in picturesque Glacier National Park was created to allow horses and tourists a better view of the surrounding natural wonder. Today, the thoroughfare remains a veritable entrance to some underground kingdom. 

The nearly 200-foot long tunnel was created by a pair of steel jackhammers that pounded away at either side of the tunnel until they nearly kissed in the middle. To avoid a potential romantic (if catastrophic) collision, the process was helped along by dynamite blasting that forced its way through the rock.

Once completed the tunnel carved through a natural barrier known as the Ptarmigan Wall. The interior of the passage is unadorned with the craggy rocks walls exposed all around it.

In 1975, sharply-angled steel doors were installed at both ends of the path, giving the tourist tunnel a surprisingly fortress-like feel. Despite the added defenses, the tunnel is still a popular feature among the Glacier hiking trails and its doors are open most of the year.