Waterton 2025

Following my time in Pincher Creek, I carried on, for what seems to have become my annual visit, to Waterton Lakes National Park. As I drove along towards the townsite, I could see the Arrowleaf Balsamroot blooming off to the side.

On this trip, I didn’t spend as much time photographing wildflowers as they didn’t seem to be as abundant as in previous years. Perhaps I was a little too early, or too late, for the peak bloom. I did come across one flower that I hadn’t noticed before, which believe is called field chickweed.

A wildfire burned much of the park in 2017, although, fortunately, the townsite was spared. Despite the burnt trees, the park still offers some spectacular views, such as these along the Red Rock Parkway.

Cameron Lake is nestled in the mountains on the Canada/US border. In the first image below, the mountains at the far end of the lake are in Glacier National Park, Montana.

Perhaps one of the best know view in Waterton is the majestic Prince of Wales Hotel, perched high on a hill overlooking the townsite.

I definitely saw more wildlife on this trip than in previous years. In addition to numerous bear sightings, I was lucky to see my first foxes. The two pups provided considerable entertainment.

Of course, no visit to Waterton would be complete without a visit to my favorite waterfall, along with a couple of others.

Somehow these pebbles on the bottom of a stream look like shimmering jewels.

And if you stare at this image too long, you might see some kind of alien face, or a deer, or a … ?

As mentioned earlier, a wildfire spread through much of the park about 8 years ago. While fires such as this are devastating, we have to remember that they are also part of nature. The loss of the forest canopy allows new growth to flourish below. Eventually a whole new forest rises from the ashes. The first image below shows the beauty of the bright green new growth contrasted agains the fire-blackened trees. The second is an abstract I have entitled “Rebirth”.

One of my fondest memories of Waterton, as a kid, was a family camping trip and playing in the creek in Red Rock Canyon. I will leave you with the images below which will leave no doubt as to how the canyon got its name!