by Lucy Izon

Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta - In 1932 Waterton Lakes Nat Pk joined with Glacier Nat Pk in Montana (on the border's south side) to become the world's first International Peace Park. Park staff on both sides work together on a popular 14-km (8.5-mile) guided International Peace Park Hike held Wednesdays & Saturdays, July & August. Popular two-hour cruises also run frequently on Upper Waterton Lake, with a stop at Goat Haunt Montana. Back in the village you don't have to go far to spot wildlife, mule deer nibble trees in the centre of town. And, nobody's challenging the the estimated 150 to 250 grizzly's in the mountains who wander between countries whenever they feel like it. Here the mountains dramatically drop right to prairies, a landscape that funnels so much wind, if you look closely at the Historic Prince of Wales Hotel you'll see it's secured to the ground with cables. In the winter the wind can create snowballs on flat land. The village has just 400 hotel /motel rooms (so, book ahead) plus camping, boating and a golf course.

More Alberta Cool: World's largest known oil reserve l million-dollar hwy overpasses for wildlife l world's first UFO Landing Pad l aircraft carrier made of ice l saddle-shaped stadium l shopping mall with submarines l Shanghai Noon l testical festival l largest dinosaur graveyard l java inventor l chinnoks l trekkie town l world's first peace park l first Bloody Caesar l Brokeback Mountain l Head-Smashed-In-Bufflao-Jump l wind-powered computers l world's most dinosaur skeletons l town grouch l Legends of the Fall l 9 km-disappearing lake l ice worms l Aurora Borealis l World Cup 1st Stop l ride an Olympic Bobsleigh l the most bison l only whooping crane nests l Hoo Doos l 200,000 free pancakes l Plus 15 l highway past 100 glaciers l

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