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Parks Canada
By Janice Smith
If you enjoy travelling to great places for adventure and nature, there are no better places than Parks Canada’s national parks and historic sites. Even better is a national park with two remarkable national historic sites! In Waterton Lakes National Park, you can experience amazing tapestries of wildflowers and easy to spot wildlife, while discovering historic tales of oil and architecture – all in one day!
Waterton is tucked into the southwest corner of Alberta, where ancient mountains rise abruptly from the gentle prairie. Its spectacular international namesake chain of lakes flows from Glacier National Park (U.S.A.) through Waterton to rolling ranchlands.
You will be amazed how much you can see in this small park “where the mountains meet the prairie”. Shaped by wind, fire and water, Waterton has over 250 bird species, 68 kinds of animals, and for the anglers, 24 kinds of fish! All this pales in comparison to Waterton’s over 1,000 plant species, many of them rare.
Spring is the best time to see wildflowers, which carpet the prairie with a rainbow of colours. If you are a plant enthusiast, consider coming to the popular Waterton Wildflower Festival, held each June. As the snow melts from higher elevations, the flower show moves up the mountainsides. Summer is the most popular time to visit, with warmer and drier weather. Late summer and fall brings the best wildlife viewing. Elk, deer and bighorn sheep mate in the fall, so they are looking their best, and bears are easy to spot munching on berries. The secret to seeing wildlife is to go out early in the morning and the evening.
If you want to stay on the beaten path: explore the community of Waterton Park. Sightsee along the Townsite trail; visit the Heritage Centre; shop in the gift shops, bookstores and art galleries; enjoy an ice cream cone; play a game of tennis; or take the kids to the playground. Nearby, you can play 18 holes of golf or take a guided horseback ride, all surrounded by mountain splendour.
The Townsite Campground is a few steps away and is the best place for RV camping. This lakeside campground offers water, sewer and electrical sites, and accessible, unserviced and walk-in tent sites. Amenities include hot showers, flush toilets and kitchen shelters. All of the sites can be reserved, so reservations are advisable if you want to be sure of a site.
While you explore the park, don’t overlook the prairie. Drive up the Red Rock Parkway and stop awhile at a pull-out to wander through the prairie grasses and flowers and take some photos. Find a large ancient rock dropped by a long-gone glacier and immerse yourself in the views. Check out the interpretive exhibits along the way and watch for deer, bighorn sheep, bears and soaring hawks. At the end of the road, you will find Red Rock Canyon, where you can stretch your legs strolling around the canyon. Be sure to include the short trail to Blakiston Falls.
It’s hard to miss Waterton’s most recognized landmark, the Prince of Wales Hotel, which sits on a lakeside hill with a mountain backdrop. It is famous for its architecture, with peaked roofs, gables, balconies and timber-framed interior that give it the appearance of a giant alpine chalet. The hotel opened its doors in 1927 and it has fascinated visitors ever since.
Early vacationers to the ‘Prince’ mainly came from Glacier National Park, Montana. They travelled by rail, horseback, and aboard the MV International cruise boat on Upper Waterton Lake to Waterton. They would spend an evening or two at the Prince of Wales Hotel before bussing back to Glacier. This was one of many routes promoted by the Great Northern Railway, which were designed for the "affluent tourist". One week's travel and accommodation could cost more than $1000, an enormous sum in the 1920s and 1930s.
You can still cruise Upper Waterton Lake on the MV International, cross the Canada/USA boundary and be met by a ranger at Goat Haunt in Glacier National Park. Or, if you’d prefer to have an “affluent tourist” moment, sip a beverage in the Prince’s plush lounge as you enjoy the view.
For many years the Prince of Wales was the largest hotel in the park. Today, it is the tallest building in Waterton and the largest wooden structure in Alberta. The Prince of Wales Hotel was designated as a national historic site in 1993.
The story of how Waterton Lakes was designated as a national park is also interesting. In 1893, Fredrick Godsal, a local rancher, sent a proposal to his friend William M. Pearce (Director of Mines and Dominion Lands Inspector) urging him to recommend that Waterton be set-aside as a protected area.
He stated, “The...Waterton Lakes have been for years a common resort for the surrounding neighbourhood for camping and holiday making and there being but few such places in the country, I think they should be reserved forever for the use of the public.” That was the first major step towards Waterton’s protection. Waterton Lakes National Park was created in 1895, Canada’s fourth national park.
Shortly after, oil was struck near the park in the Akamina Valley on September 21 1902. The Rocky Mountain Development Co. drilled and struck oil with a flow of 300 barrels per day and Discovery Well No.1 became the first producing oil well in Western Canada.
That success was short-lived. The well casing failed; gravel fell into the hole and while trying to dislodge the tools, the boiler burst, shutting down the operation. Additional attempts over several years were not viable. Meanwhile, the Discovery Well prompted interest from other companies that scrambled to cash in, but all attempts failed. All this activity created a large camp in the mountains called Oil City, with regular stage service and a post office for the 41 people living there. All that remains now are the ruins of a hotel foundation.
In 1965, now part of the park, the oil site was designated as the First Oil Well in Western Canada National Historic Site. If you travel up the Akamina Parkway, you can stop and take a look at the Discovery Well and its specially designed monument. You can also see the remains of Oil City further up the road. Both sites have exhibits detailing this story. If you are a history buff, ask at the Visitor Centre for the free booklet – Tales of Mountain Oil.
Continue up the Akamina Parkway through colourful mountains to the clear, cold waters of Cameron Lake. Surrounded by fragrant evergreens and cheeky Steller’s jays, it is a cool oasis on a hot day! Relax and enjoy the view, take a peaceful paddle, wander on short trails or embark on a full day mountain trek. There’s a lot to do (or not do!) exploring and relaxing in Waterton Lakes National Park – come out and see for yourself!
For more information: www.parkscanada.pc.gc/waterton
Email: waterton.info@pc.gc.ca - 403-859-5133 (mid-October to mid-May, information is available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. MT)
Mailing Address: Waterton Lakes National Park, Box 200, Waterton Park, AB, Canada T0K 2M0