Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park combines two national parks across 457,614 hectares (1.1 million acres) with mountains, glaciers, lakes, forests, and high alpine meadows along the Montana-Alberta border. The landscape shifts from dense evergreen forests at lower elevations to alpine meadows and rocky peaks higher up.

The two parks were established in 1932 as the world's first International Peace Park, symbolizing cooperation between the United States and Canada. This idea grew from a desire to manage the landscape together across the international border.

The Kainai, Blackfoot, and Siksikaitsitapi peoples have inhabited these mountains and valleys for thousands of years and continue to practice hunting and gathering traditions. Their connection to the land shapes how local communities and visitors understand these mountains today.

Visitors need separate entrance permits for each park section, which can be purchased at the gate or in advance. The Chief Mountain Border Crossing connects the American and Canadian territories and is the main route between the two sides.

The territory hosts over 300 animal species, including grizzly bears, wolves, and mountain goats, distributed across three separate watershed systems. This arrangement means that watching wildlife here offers views of animals in genuinely wild settings without built structures interrupting the sight.