It is a bit of drive to get up to Waterton National Park in Canada, but it is certainly worth the visit. Too bad we only had time for one day of sight-seeing, there is plenty to see. One impressive thing you will see driving to Canada is a huge mountain called Chief Mountain. This is a gigantic slab of rock - it looks like it is a single block of granite, standing alone in the landscape. It is 9000' tall. Chief Mountain is not in Glacier nor Waterton National Park, it is on the Blackfeet Indian reservation.
We had to be cautious driving this stretch of road, because cattle were on the loose. They hadn't escaped, they were simply uncontained. Not even barbed wire kept these animals off the road. I wonder how many collisions result each year.
At the border, the officials ask if you are carrying fireworks, firearms or firewater.
The highway descends from the border into Alberta. There is a pulloff at one point that gives a nice panoramic view down into Waterton National Park. A string of three lakes (called Upper, Middle and Lower Waterton Lake are at the center of the park, and mountains tower all around them.
Our goal in Waterton was the Crypt Trail. Most of the mountain pictures on this page were taken on the boat ride across the lake (the trail head is on the far shore). When we finished our hike (see next webpage for description and photos), we caught the water taxi back to the town of Waterton. We got some ice cream, and then drove over to Cameron Falls, which is just outside of town. We stopped by the ritzy Prince of Wales Hotel, checking out the view and their lobby and gift shop.
There is plenty of other stuff to see in Waterton - I would have liked to take the boat ride down to Goat Haunt at the southern tip of the lake - but we had to drive back to our motel at Rising Sun. A better trip plan might have been to spend a couple nights up in Waterton - I will have to keep that in mind when we make our return visit.
Click here for a panorama of Waterton from a viewpoint outside the park.
Click on any thumbnail to open photo in new window. My favorite photos have blue frames
