"Alberta's Forgotten Gem - Waterton Lakes NP" Top 5 Page for this destination Waterton Lakes National Park by Bwana_Brown

Waterton Lakes National Park Travel Guide: 195 reviews and 372 photos

Cameron Lake at the end of the Akamina Parkway

We had been in Alberta for two weeks, spending 9 days in the 'northern' town of Cold Lake visiting our oldest daughter and grandchildren, followed by 4 days in Calgary visiting our youngest daughter and one of my sisters. Now, the final week of the trip was for us to enjoy some new territory! We had already been to Banff and Jasper National Parks on previous trips (but not really much more than drive throughs), so we decided to head for the out of the way southwest corner of the province where Waterton Lakes National Park is located. A few days there, followed by a few more over the USA border in Glacier National Park, Montana looked like it was going to do the trick - we had gorgeous warm and sunny weather!

The beginnings of Waterton Lakes NP go back to 1895, when it was made the 4th National Park in Canada, at that time named Kootenay Lakes Forest Park (15 years ahead of Glacier). Because of their shared habitat and ongoing cooperation between the countries, an agreement was signed in 1932 between the Canadian and American governments to designate these two National Parks as the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. They were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, a century after Waterton made the first step in this direction.

One of the reasons this area is so interesting is that it is an important biological crossroads, due to the fact that it is here that the Rocky Mountain Ranges reach their narrowest width in North America. With the Prairies up to their doorstep and warm Pacific breezes having more effect because of fewer intervening mountain ranges, there is an amazing variety of animal, plant and insect life to be found at the different elevations as the seasons change. Of course, the thing that most impressed us were the rugged mountains. No matter where we looked, the sights were spectacular!

It was great to get out there with nature as we made a few hikes as well as short drives on the Park's two scenic Parkways. Our accommodations at the Northlands Lodge was an experience in itself and even the townsite of Waterton Park was fun to explore. One of the advantages of being located some distance from anywhere is that there is just that much more breathing space when out and about enjoying the attractions!

Chief Mountain in the Distance

Nearing Waterton NP and its mountain ranges

As we approached Waterton Lakes National Park from Pincher Creek, Alberta on Highway 6, we were greeted with a great view of where the Prairies meet the Mountains. The left peak (just above our heads) is 9080-ft (2727-m) Chief Mountain, situated in Montana, USA on the eastern border of Glacier National Park. The peaks stretching off to the right lead to 7805-ft Vimy Peak, which towers above Waterton Park townsite.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Beautiful, compact and not crowded
In a nutshell:Fantastic hiking - and we only did the tip of the iceberg!

Last visit to Waterton Lakes National Park: Jul 2006
Intro Updated Sep 28, 2006
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Reviews (18)

Located in the lower left corner of Alberta - Waterton Lakes National Park

Waterton Lakes National Park is Located... Favorites (2)

Waterton Lakes National Park, 505 square km (203 square miles) in size, is so small that it does not even register on... more travel advice

Mountain 'wall' towers over Wall Lake - Waterton Lakes National Park

Wall Lake 'Amphitheatre' Things to Do (10)

Once we arrived at Wall Lake, we could see that it was quite an impressive spot! In the absence of a really wide-angle... more travel advice

Wall Lake, our objective - Waterton Lakes National Park

Hike into British Columbia on Wall Lake... Things to Do (10)

On our final full day in Waterton NP, we decided to up the ante a bit more by trying our longest trail to-date. One of... more travel advice

Upper Waterton Lake scene nearing the view point - Waterton Lakes National Park

Lower Bertha Falls Trail Things to Do (10)

Our next hike was the Lower Bertha Falls trail. With its start point in the town itself, the trail climbs up along the... more travel advice

Restaurants (2)
See All A Popular Evening Spot
Transportation (2)
See All A Classic Boat Tour

Hotels (2)
See All Very Relaxing
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Comments (17)

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hopang May 7, 2009 at 5:56 AM

Superb Waterton Lakes National Park page with excellent photos! Hike Red Rock Creek, Cameron and Blakiston Falls certainly look amazing! Thanks for sharing. ~ho & pang
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canuckmike Aug 29, 2008 at 12:47 PM

I haven't actually made it here yet. One day I'm going to need to make the trip here.
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traveldave Apr 17, 2008 at 11:53 AM

Waterton Lakes NP might be small, but it's sure packed with amazing scenery and things to see.
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807Wheaton Jul 9, 2007 at 6:34 PM

Your pictures are really wonderful! I sure enjoyed a trip through Waterton Lakes National Park. It has definitely helped me figure out what to see and do. Marcia
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matcrazy1 Nov 1, 2006 at 1:40 PM

Amazing pictures of the beautiful Wall Lake and the park. Great to know it's not very touristy, seems to be ideal place for me just now :-)
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sim1 Sep 30, 2006 at 2:32 PM

Great page Glenn! Waterton Lakes NP looks wonderful! I am dreaming about visting Glacier and Waterton some day and you have made me even more enthousiastic about this idea!
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windsorgirl Sep 16, 2006 at 7:41 AM

glad you enjoyed Waterton as much as I did...the Wall Lake hike looks amazing! Your photos are excellent, esp the interior shots of the Prince W Hotel. What are you shooting with?
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mtncorg Sep 7, 2006 at 7:57 AM

Nice to have family located in areas where you can take advantage and visit such beautiful Parks. Nice pictures and tips!
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JLBG Aug 21, 2006 at 10:51 PM

The Waterton Lakes National Park looks like a great place for a geology class but not only that! Your photos are superb. A not-too-touristy but tough living in almost any season place seems almost the ideal!
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pepples46 Aug 20, 2006 at 1:24 PM

I agree with Myndo and can only shake my head helplessly, its a disgrace. wonderful page Glenn, excellent read and superb pix