We have wanted to go to Waterton Lakes National Park since we first came out this way in 2002 but couldn’t due to time constraints. Yesterday we arrived here at 3:00 PM after leaving Creston, BC at 9:30 AM and stopping twice, once for fuel and again for lunch and groceries. The forecasted rain wasn’t in Creston when we got up and we didn’t have any until we arrived in Waterton Park.

As we pulled in, the low lying clouds and heavy drizzle in the air prevented us from being able to see the splendor of the park. We are staying in the park at the “Townsite” Campground with full hook-ups but there is also a private campground available just outside of the park entrance. Once we got settled, with the rain and cloud coverage it was already getting dark, so we went for a drive to get acquainted with the village and park. There are a few hotels and inns, several restaurants, some shops and a post office; nothing that I expected (I had the incorrect assumption that the park would be very uncivilized).

At the recommendation of one of the park employees, we took a drive along the Red Rock Parkway where we saw a bald eagle, a family of black bears (mother and two cubs) and a pair of grizzlies feasting on berries. As we headed back to our site, we detoured by the riding stables where we were able to view a large herd of female elk along with their very amorous bull (it’s mating season). Some deer walked both in front of and beside our car while we sat in the car observing the elk. Despite the weather and the resulting poor visibility we certainly saw a lot but look forward to taking some better pictures as things clear up.