Waterton Lakes National Park- Alberta
A World Heritage Site, Waterton the meeting of two worlds: the flatlands of the prairie and the abrupt up thrust of the mountains. In this juncture of worlds, the park squeezes into a relatively small area (525 sq km) an unusual mix of wildlife, flora, and climate zones. Rugged, windswept mountains rise abruptly out of gentle prairie grassland in spectacular Waterton Lakes National Park. The mountains at Waterton Lakes National Park, near the southern end of the Canadian Rockies, seem a bit friendlier than those in the other national parks here – not quite so high, not quite so rugged. Here, several different ecological regions meet and interact in a landscape shaped by wind, fire, flooding, and abundant plants and wildlife. The park helps protect the unique and unusually diverse physical, biological and cultural resources found in the Crown of the Continent: one of the narrowest places in the Rocky Mountains. The highlight of Waterton’s sparkling chain of lakes is the international Upper Waterton Lake, the deepest lake in the Canadian Rockies. In 1932, the park was joined with Montana's Glacier National Park to form the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park - a world first. Because of Waterton’s proximity to the US border and its bond with Glacier National Park, many visitors arrive from the south. You can fly into Great Falls or Kalispell, Montana, and drive to Waterton. Waterton also has an unusually high number of rare plants - over 175 are provincially rare (e.g. mountain lady's-slipper, pygmy poppy, mountain hollyhock), and over twenty of these are found only in the Waterton area (e.g. western wake-robin, Lewis' mock-orange, white-veined wintergreen). Over 50 species are rare in Canada (e.g. Bolander's quillwort, Lyall's scorpionweed, Brewer's monkeyflower.) The Waterton Park Front: For centuries, unbroken wilderness stretched for thousand of miles along the Rocky Mountain range. The wilderness was vast and diverse. It was home to magnificent and abundant plants and animals. Since the 1800s much of that wilderness has disappeared. Yet today a narrow ribbon aling the slopes of the mountains remains remarkably intact. Parts of the region are protected public lands such as natonal parks. Other regions have been maintained through the lifestyle practices of local landowners and ranchers. Those private lands are under intense development and subdivision pressure. In a landmark initiative, the Nature Conservancy of Canada together with local ranchers and landowners has created the largest private conservation initiative in Canadian history: the Waterton Park Front. Approximately 28,000 acres on the border of Waterton Lakes National Park are now conserved for the benefit of nature and future generations. Bighorn Research: Bighorn sheep in Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park follow trails already ancient when Rome fell. Their movements are a tradition with knowledge of favoured bedding and feeding sites passed from one generation to the next. Tapping that knowledge is key to understanding these animals – and protecting their future. Waterton and Glacier National Parks, the Glacier Fund, and the U.S Geological Survey are sponsoring a state-of-the-art bighorn sheep study. Radio collars equipped with GPS are used to track nearly 100 animals. The collars are temporary and release after a year. Important new winter ranges and rutting grounds, surprisingly distinct female social groups, rams with a taste for international travel, and exclusive summer ranges… are among the insights gained so far. Scientists found groups of bighorns separated by less than 40 km that are as genetically distinct from one another as Asian are from Europeans. Scientists are using a full arsenal of tools to deepen our understanding of the bighorn that roam the high meadows and crags of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Waterton Lakes National Parks activities: Alpine Staples: Horseback riding in Waterton Lake National Park. Wildlife, breathtaking scenery. One-hour rides to full day to overnight. Waterton inter-nation shoreline Cruise Company: View spectacular mountain scenery across the International Border! Cruise with professional, entertaining commentary and memorable photographic stops. Water shuttle service to Canada’s most popular hike – Crypt Lake.
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