Waterton Lakes National Park

The last weeks of summer grow busier as everyone scrambles to make the most of what remains of the sunny weather and blue skies.  Since all of Canada's National Parks are free this year to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday, what better way to spend a weekend than doing a little exploring in our own backyard.  

Our first stop was the Prince of Wales hotel, a National Historic Site of Canada built by The Great Northern Railway in the 1920's.

The inside of the hotel is a beautiful rustic mix of wooden beams, wrought iron light fixtures, and plush cozy seating.

A quick wander around to the back of the hotel yields a stunning view of Upper Waterton Lake.

We found a path that led down from the hotel to the water's edge.  Not as many people ventured down the hill and we were able to enjoy a few quiet moments.

One thing to note, going back up to the hotel...definitely not as easy as going down!

A quick 30 minute drive from the Waterton town site took us to a few short easy hikes.  The first was the Red Rock Canyon where it's obvious how the place got its name.

Along the same trail head as Red Rock Canyon was a 2 km hike to Blakiston Falls.  

Multiple viewing points at different elevations allow for great views.  This is the upper portion of Blakiston Falls.

The Waterton town site sits right on Upper Waterton Lake.  A few steps out of town and this is what you see.

We bumped into a few of the local residents here.  There were signs all over warning us of aggressive deer, but the ones we ran into were very well-mannered.

A couple of fawns enjoying lunch in the neighbor's yard.

Cameron Falls is just a twelve minute walk from the centre of town.

Did you know....?  Waterton is part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park which is designated as a UNESCO world heritage site.