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Waterton Lakes National Park - Profile

The Kootenai Indians called the region "Omok-se-kimi", meaning "beautiful waters".

Waterton Lakes were named after British naturalist Charles Waterton by Lieutenant Thomas Blakiston of the Palliser Expedition. Although Waterton never visited Canada, he extensively explored the northwestern United States. The Park takes it's name from the Lakes.

Waterton Lakes National Park was founded at the turn of the 20th century. The legendary John George (Kootenai) Brown - a buffalo hunter, whiskey trader, trapper, and soldier of the American West, settled in the region in the late 1880's and began lobbying for the establishment of the Park. Local rancher Fred Godsa, American journalist and naturalist George Bird Grinnell joined in the move as well. Kootenai Brown's dream became reality when he was 72, the park was officially establish. He now rests peacefully, buried between his two wives near the entrance of the park.

Originally the Waterton Lakes National Park was only 35 square kilometers and was visited by a handful of people each year. Today the park is open year round, covers 525 square kilometers and receives thousands of visitors annually.

The park's topography is very unusual because it is one of the rare instances where the mountains meet the flat prairie without the transition through foothills. A unique blend of prairie, lakes, mountains and wildlife, makes the park a nature enthusiasts' paradise. Elk, deer, moose, bear, and big horn sheep are the most numerous of the big game animals that frequent the park. There are also over 200 species of birds, 800 types of wildflowers and an abundance of smaller wildlife to be viewed and photographed.

A few of the more adventurous activities to be enjoyed include: backpacking, bicycling, horseback riding, fishing, windsurfing, scuba diving and cross-country skiing in the winter.

Waterton Lakes National Park is also noted for joining forces with Montana's Glacier National Park to form the world's first International Peace Park. Visitors from both countries can actually cross the boundary between Canada and the United States.

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