Parque
Waterton Lakes National Park of Canada
Recomendado por 109 personas locales
Consejos de personas locales
Tieying
August 23, 2022
Waterton Lake is a mountain lake in southern Alberta, Canada and northern Montana, United States. The lake is composed of two bodies of water, connected by a shallow channel known locally as the Bosporus. 2hr 30min Drive
Katerina
November 4, 2021
40 minute drive from Cowley. Depart in the prairie and travel through the hills, into the mountains. Once ther enduldge in the variety of restaurants. Hiking trails for all levels. Water sport rentals, and boat tours of the lakes. This is a must see.
Ryan
September 25, 2021
Want to see bears? There’s a good chance at the stunningly beautiful, geographically unique Waterton Lakes National Park. It’s a gem in the south, sharing a boarder with the Glacier National park USA, opportunities for hiking, restaurants and scenic drives
H
August 10, 2020
Hour and a half drive from Lethbridge to the beautiful Waterton Lakes National Park. Amazing place for all age groups to enjoy the core town, boating, hiking, biking, enjoying, dining and shopping. There are places on earth that practically defy description – places so unique and so uniquely beautiful that you can’t quite find the words to express what your senses are taking in when you’re there. They are breathtaking to the eyes, to be sure, but the appeal of these places is somewhat intangible. It’s a feeling in the air, a vibe, an energy. You feel good just being there, and the more you explore your surroundings, the stronger the feeling becomes. Waterton is one of those places. Nestled in the far southwest corner of Alberta, Waterton is one of the most distinctive mountain parks on the planet. Shaped over centuries by wind, fire, glacial ice and floods, the park’s ecosystem is so distinctive that it was designated a Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations. It boasts the title of International Peace Park too, thanks to the unguarded border it shares with Glacier National Park in Montana. And the activities? Well – those are otherworldly too. The drive into Waterton is a journey of contrasts. Prairie magically gives way to rolling foothills, and suddenly the landscape transforms, expanding into a majestic display of rugged wilderness, the likes of which harken back to a time when nature was truly unspoiled. Waterton was declared a National Park in 1895, and quite truthfully, not a tremendous amount has changed since then. Waterton is very much the sort of place you envision when imagining a quaint and rustic mountain town. The pace is rambling, there is no pretence to any of it, and the major attraction in the park is the great outdoors. Nature thrives here. Waterton is home to more than 60 species of mammals, 250 species of birds, 24 species of fish and 10 species of reptiles and amphibians. More than half of Alberta’s plant species are found in Waterton and the park is home to a menagerie of impressive mountain creatures. Grizzly bear, black bear, wolf, coyote and cougar can all be found here. The uniqueness of Waterton has been recognized in a number of ways. It was designated an International Peace Park due to the open border it shares with Glacier National Park to the south in Montana, and also a World Heritage Site, thanks to Waterton’s extraordinary ecosystem. The park is unusually diverse in its physical, biological and cultural resources. It’s also one of the narrowest places in the Rocky Mountain chain and has some of the oldest exposed sedimentary rock in the region. The hiking here is legendary and it’s difficult to imagine a more majestic setting for a game of golf. Photographers, birdwatchers and botanists gather here for good reason. Waterton Lake is a wind surfer’s paradise and a fisherman’s dream. Campsites abound and cozy indoor accommodations dot the town site. There are numerous adventure companies standing at the ready, but if you’d rather wind things down, consider a picturesque picnic, a moonlight lake cruise, or quiet contemplation by Cameron Falls. You name it, Waterton has it, and it has it the way mountain park aficionados love it best – unspoiled, uncrowded, and unbelievably beautiful. The history of Waterton Lakes National Park is as deep and rich as its natural beauty. The history of Waterton Lakes National Park is as deep and rich as its natural beauty. Its story begins more than 10,000 years ago when alpine glaciers melted out of the main valleys, making way for the first signs of human habitation. For thousands of years nomadic tribes camped, hunted and gathered plants along the Waterton Lakes and river in relative harmony. The introduction of horses and guns in the 1700's changed their relationship to the land and to each other. European expeditions in western Canada led to an altogether new perspective on this area. In 1858 Lt. Thomas Blakiston, originally a member of the Palliser Expedition, embarked on an expedition of his own looking for a railway pass through the mountains. On his journey, he encountered members of the Kutenai tribe who told him of the South Kootenay Pass. Taking their advice, Blakiston re-crossed the divide, traveling along what would later be called Blakiston (Pass) Creek and out to a chain of three large lakes. On September 6, 1858, he wrote: "After two hours traveling on level ground along Red-stone creek (Red-Rock) we emerged on the Saskatchewan plains, just six geographical miles north of the 49th parallel and camped at the lakes... The scenery here is grand and picturesque...." Blakiston named the lakes "Waterton", after British naturalist Charles Waterton, although the locals continued to call them Kootenay Lakes for many years after. Other trailblazers exploring the area at that time were British and American surveying parties sent to mark the International Boundary established by the Oregon Treaty in 1846. In 1874, they reached Waterton, but found working in the mountains so difficult that they managed to erect only two markers in the area. Today, these markers represent the longest undefended border in the world. Visitors to Upper Waterton Lake still marvel at the line, a 20 foot cleared swath through the forests and across the mountains. An Order in Council in 1895 to protect Waterton as a unique forest park set in motion a series of events that would eventually lead to its National Park status in 1930. John George 'Kootenai' Brown, Waterton's first park official, and American ranger Henry 'Death on the Trail' Reynolds (of Goat Haunt Montana) were the first to propose the idea of creating an International Peace Park with Glacier Park in Montana. As the parks shared the same geology, climate, wildlife and ecology, both Brown and Reynolds felt strongly that the lake and valley could not and should not be divided. Reynolds wrote "the Geology recognizes no boundaries, and as the lake lay ... no man-made boundary could cleve the waters apart." Kootenai Brown agreed, saying, "it seems advisable to greatly enlarge this park ... it might be well to have a preserve and breeding grounds in conjunction with the United States Glacier Park." The seeds for an International Peace Park were thus planted and taken a step further by the Cardston Rotary Club, who initiated a meeting of several regional clubs from Alberta and Montana. This first "annual goodwill meeting" convened in 1931 at the Prince of Wales Hotel, where the idea of establishing an International Peace Park in the Waterton/Glacier area was unanimously endorsed. In 1932, Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada and the United States Glacier National Park united to form the world's first International Peace Park. On June 18, 1932, this partnership was dedicated to world peace by Sir Charles Arthur Mander on behalf of Rotary International. Today, this park continues to symbolize the bonds of peace and friendship between the people of the United States and Canada. Several different ecological regions meet in Waterton - with prairie plants of the Great Plains, Rocky Mountain plants from northern areas, and coastal plants from the Pacific Northwest all overlapping. This means Waterton has an unusually rich and varied number of plants for its size; many of them are rare or threatened. More than half of Alberta's plant species can be found in Waterton. For this reason, Waterton Lakes National Park was designated a biosphere reserve as part of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1979. Waterton was the first Canadian national park to receive this designation, the core zone covering the entire national park area. On December 6, 1995, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was officially designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognising its significance in ecological diversity and its model of cooperation and good will, not as two separate parks, but as one. Waterton is a global treasure that enjoys a unique, triple distinction: International Peace Park UNESCO World Heritage Site UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Today Waterton remains a spectacular natural wonder - a blend of unusual geology, mild climate, rare wild flowers and an abundance of wildlife. Waterton offers an "all natural" experience like no other place in the world. This is due in large part to the people who live here that have worked to preserve and maintain its magnificence. We are passionate about our community, our wildlife and the glorious mountains and vegetation that surround us. If the heart of Waterton Lakes National Park is its rugged natural beauty, then Waterton Village is its pulse. This tiny, vibrant town site is an epicenter of activity, full of fun possibilities, great accommodations, necessary conveniences, and dining experiences that run the gamut from casual to white linen. The best part? Waterton is decidedly low key – and despite the park’s popularity, you’ll never have to fight crowds while wandering the streets. Somehow or other, Waterton has managed to maintain its authenticity and its exclusivity. This is a truly natural mountain municipality – the very kind of place you envision when conjuring up ideas of an unspoiled mountain town. It’s rustic, it’s friendly, and it offers everything a visitor may want or need, whether staying for a few hours or a few days. Where the mountains meet the prairie, Waterton Lakes National Park is 505 square kilometres (195 square miles) of wilderness mountain and lake landscapes surrounding the town of Waterton.
Hour and a half drive from Lethbridge to the beautiful Waterton Lakes National Park. Amazing place for all age groups to enjoy the core town, boating, hiking, biking, enjoying, dining and shopping. There are places on earth that practically defy description – places so unique and so uniquely beauti…
JedWin
December 19, 2019
About an hour’s drive Southwest - this National Park is a total gem. Most business close through winter - but a hotel and restaurant remain open year-round. Great day trip!!
Recomendado también por los habitantes locales
Ubicación
Alberta 5
Waterton Park, AB