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Waterton Lakes National Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Waterton Lakes National Park | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
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| Location: | Alberta, Canada |
| Nearest city: | Pincher Creek |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 505 km² |
| Established: | 1895 (national park) 1979 (biosphere reserve) 1995 (world heritage site) |
| Total Visitation: | 367,500 (in 2004) |
| Governing body: | Parks Canada |
Waterton Lakes National Park is a national park located in the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada, and borders Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. Waterton was Canada's fourth national park, formed in 1895 and named after Waterton Lake. The park contains 505 km² (203 mi²) of rugged mountains and wilderness.
Operated by Parks Canada, Waterton is open all year, but the main tourist season is during July and August. The only commercial facilities available within the park are located at the Waterton Park townsite. The park ranges in elevation from 1,290 metres (4,230ft) at the townsite to 2,920 m (9,580 ft) at Mount Blakiston. It offers many scenic trails, including Crypt Lake trail. In 2004, Waterton Lakes National Park had 367,500 visitors.[1]
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In 1932, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was formed from Waterton and Glacier. This park symbolizes the bonds of peace and friendship between the people of the United States and Canada, and a border crossing is open in the park during the summer. Although the park has a lot of diversity for its size, the main highlight is the Waterton lakes—the deepest in the Canadian Rockies—overlooked by the historic Prince of Wales Hotel.
In 1979, Waterton was also designated a World Biosphere reserve, preserving mountains, highlands, lakes and freshwater wetlands ecosystems. Habitats represented in the park range include: prairie grasslands, aspen grove forests, alpine tundra/high meadows, arctic-alpine communities above the tree line, lower subalpine forests, deciduous and coniferous forests.[2]
The park is part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, designated as World Heritage Site in 1995 for its scenery and wealth of plant and animal species.[3]
 Cameron Lake |
 Upper Waterton Lake |
 Landsat 7 image of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park |
 Moose at Cameron Lake |
 View from top of Summit Trail |
 Wildflowers along Summit trail |
 Summit Lake |
 Winter View from Akamina Parkway |
 Panorama taken from Prince of Whales hotel looking south |
| National Parks of Canada | ||
|---|---|---|
| National parks | Aulavik • Auyuittuq • Banff • Bruce Peninsula • Cape Breton Highlands • Elk Island • Forillon • Fundy • Georgian Bay Islands • Glacier • Grasslands • Gros Morne • Ivvavik • Jasper • Kejimkujik • Kluane • Kootenay • Kouchibouguac • La Mauricie • Mount Revelstoke • Point Pelee • Prince Edward Island • Pukaswa • Prince Albert • Quttinirpaaq • Riding Mountain • Sirmilik • St. Lawrence Islands • Terra Nova • Tuktut Nogait • Ukkusiksalik • Vuntut • Wapusk • Waterton Lakes • Wood Buffalo • Yoho |
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| National Park Reserves | Gulf Islands • Gwaii Haanas • Pacific Rim • Torngat Mountains • Mingan Archipelago • Kluane • Nahanni • Tuktut Nogait | |
| Marine Conservation | Fathom Five • Saguenay-St. Lawrence | |
