The meeting point of grassland prairie and the Rocky Mountains, Waterton Lakes National Park in southwestern Alberta, together with Glacier National Park in northern Montana and Flathead Valley in southeastern British Columbia, forms a unique, fragile ecosystem supporting a diversity of plant and animal life unparalleled in North America.

Time Left

Haphazard land development has restricted movement for endangered and sensitive species like the grizzly bear. A recent federal government policy reversal appears to have cleared the way for coal mining in the Flathead Valley, considered a fundamental territory to protecting the southern Rocky Mountains. On the Montana side, scientists fear the remaining iconic glaciers may disappear by 2030 due to climate change.

See It

May until late September is the ideal time to visit, with most of the 200 kilometres of the park’s hiking trails open in June. For a deeper insight into the unique flora and fauna, the Trail of the Great Bear program offers annual programs, field trips, guided walks and hikes with naturalist and scientists, as well as customized self-guided tours.

Save It

The Waterton Natural History Association (WNHA), in association with Oarks Canada, is raising public awareness through exhibits, public presentations, volunteer activities and field courses. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is working with local landowners to protect vital wildlife habitats.

Admission is $6 for adults; $3 for seniors (65 years and over); $2.50 for youth (6 to 16 years); $2 for children; family group, $15; senior group, $11

This story was originally published in the June 2007 issue of up! magazine as part of the See It Before It’s Gone feature, profiling 11 of Canada’s must-see natural and man-made tourist attractions on the brink of extinction. Take a look at more of Canada's Endangered Destinations.