Since we all seem a little short on time, I’ve begun a series of brief travel items called “Canada Shorts.” Today I take a not-too-time-consuming look at Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta.
Waterton Lakes National Park might be the most under-appreciated national park in Canada. Located only three hours south of Calgary, Waterton simply took my breath away when I was there, with an outrageously beautiful lake and several smaller ones nearby, towering, snow-clad mountains, spectacular canyon drives, gushing waterfalls and a very laid-back feel to the main town, which is so small it makes Banff look like a metropolis.
Alberta’s Waterton Lakes is probably my favourite national park in Canada. JIM BYERS PHOTO
The main hiking attraction is a knobby outcropping called Bear’s Hump. It’s a rise of about 800 feet and has some very steep sections and a half-ton of switchbacks, but I managed it in a half-hour and there were small kids bounding along beside me at times.
You pass tiny yellow and pink flowers along the way if you’re in early summer and soon find yourself surrounded by fragrant Ponderosa pines and ancient rock. The views from the top are nothing short of remarkable, with Waterton Lake stretching out far to the south into the U.S. and jagged, ancient peaks flanking the water. Especially striking are the row of outcroppings on the U.S. side called Citadel Peaks.
The Prince of Wales Hotel, which seems to tower over the lake from below, looks like a doll house from the Bears’ Hump. Try a short driving or moped trip to Red Rock Canyon and to Cameron Lake, and don’t miss a boat trip on Waterton Lake.
If there’s a show on at the Waterton Lakes Opera House, check it out. Great spot for live entertainment! And the Waterton Lakes Golf Course is a beautiful layout. When I was there I didn’t quite have proper golf attire. But the started told me not to worry. “We only have two clothing rules here; no muscle shirts, and no visible butt cracks.”
GETTING THERE
Along the Cowboy Trail in Alberta. PHOTO COURTESY TRAVEL ALBERTA
If you’re coming from Calgary, avoid busy Highway 2 and go along the Cowboy Trail (Highway 22), which runs along the foothills of the rugged Canadian Rockies and dips and swirls as it rolls south. It takes about three hours from Calgary to Waterton Lakes. You’ll pass the town of Turner Valley, home to the wonderful Eau Claire Distillery and Chuckwagon Cafe, which is famous for its burgers. You’ll also pass Bar U Ranch National Historic Site, which is great for a visit and makes for a wonderful Instagram post. Waterton Lakes is less than two hours from the pretty B.C. mountain town of Fernie.
A SHARED NATIONAL PARK
Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Waterton Lakes National Park is right on the Montana border and is part of The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park; the union of Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada and Glacier National Park in the United States. Both parks are declared Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO and their union as a World Heritage Site.
