Waterton Lakes National Park

Waterton Lakes National Park is one of 53 national parks in Canada. It covers 505 km² (50,500 ha) — about 64% of the size of New York City, making it the #32 largest national park in Canada (0.1% of the country's national park area).

History and protection

The park was established in 1895, 131 years ago, one of the earliest national parks in Canada (the first dates from 1885). It is listed in IUCN category II: National Park — protecting whole ecosystems while welcoming visitors for recreation and education.

Visiting Waterton Lakes National Park

The closest airport is Glacier Park International Airport (FCA), about 86 km away — around 1 h 51 min by car; alternatively Lethbridge County Airport (YQL, 104 km). Other national parks within reach include Glacier National Park (4,100 km²), Nemiskam National Park, Kootenay National Park (1,406 km²) and Banff National Park (6,641 km²) — easy to combine on one trip.