Go to the first image Waterton Lakes National Park is a wonderful winter getaway.
A brief guide to winter activities in Waterton
Gallery of images taken during summer trips to Waterton Lakes
In late January, 2005, following a collision with a moose on the West Bragg Creek Road that destroyed our old Subaru, we bought a relatively new one and decided to take it for a spin. Our destination would be Waterton Lakes National Park. Waterton is not a popular destination from November through April. In fact all but two lodges were closed and the townsite deserted. We chose Waterton because most of the roads into the Rockies had been closed for several days due to heavy snow and avalanches. Located in the extreme south of Alberta along the border with the U.S.A., Waterton is relatively warm compared to Calgary. We visited after several days of rain and during a Chinook when warm winds had melted all the snow and the high temperature was 12 degrees centigrade. Winds of 100 km/h are common and they can get large snowstorms. We found some snow up in the mountains around Cameron Lake, but the town was bare and appeared a bit desolate
as there were only about 100 people and 20 mule deer there.
We drove about 700 kilometres, from Bragg Creek to Waterton and back. The 2 1/2 to 3 hour trip is a scenic easy drive. We followed highway 22, the Cowboy Trail, to the junction with highway 3. This is unmistakably cattle country with vast expanses of rolling fields dotted with little specks of brown and black cattle far in the distance. To the west, the Rockies loom on the horizon. At highway 3 we took a short jog west, past Lundbreck, to route 507 which took us south toward the West Castle Ski Area. We passed through the forest reserve and logging and gas extraction operations, past a large sulphur refinery and eventually back onto the pavement of highway 6 and then 5 that leads to the Waterton townsite.
We had a wonderful stay in the cozy Kilmorey Lodge, got battered by the wind along the lakeshore and then drove the Akamina Parkway to the winter gate, where we were able to walk the 3 km trail to Cameron Lake. A Steller's jay welcomed us to the lake and we saw a couple of river otters cavorting on the ice.
Our return trip took us along a secondary highway (505) to highway 2. After a short tour of Fort MacLeod we continued on the number 2 to Claresholm where we turned west on 520 in order to travel through the Porcupine Hills. This is a very pretty drive through ranchland and fairly high hills. Back on the 22 we rolled home through the foothills.
Hotel accommodation costs about $85 per person during the off season. The Kilmorey has a Ski Package with meals included that is very attractive.
More information here: www.WatertonPark.com