Waterton Lakes National Park is where the Canadian prairies slam into the Rocky Mountains with hardly a foothill to cushion the blow. Flat grassland stretches all the way to the base of the peaks, which rise abruptly above the lake, and the effect is dramatic. The park occupies the southwest corner of Alberta, and together with Glacier National Park across the border in Montana it forms the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, created in 1932 as the world's first such park, and a symbol of friendship between the two countries.
The small townsite sits on the shore of Upper Waterton Lake, which extends across the border, and is dominated by the Prince of Wales Hotel, a Swiss-chalet-style building with a steep roof, built by the Great Northern Railway in 1927 on a bluff above the lake. Wildlife roams freely here: bighorn sheep and mule deer walk the village streets, and black bears and grizzlies are present in the park. Waterton is also famous for wind, which is strong enough to knock cyclists off their bikes and has shaped the trees into leaning flags.
Roads in the park are short but memorable. The Akamina Parkway climbs into the mountains to Cameron Lake, at the base of a steep-sided cirque on the border, and the Red Rock Parkway follows a valley to a canyon of red and green rock. Both are narrow and winding, with speed limits that are rightly low, and you should watch for wildlife on the road. Weather changes quickly, with snow possible in any month, and wind can be fierce on exposed stretches. The best time is July to September, though the park is quiet and clear in early autumn. Many facilities close from October to May.
A park pass is needed for entry. The townsite has fuel and basic services, plus restaurants and shops, though the choice is narrower than in bigger towns, and Pincher Creek, to the north, offers more. In summer, book rooms early. Stroll along the lake front and take the boat trip to Goat Haunt, Montana, if you have the time and the right documents.