Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
often likened to a lighted torch. Above the tree line is the alpine zone, where harsh winds
and short summer seasons make trees a rarity. Only
lichens
and
alpine wildflowers
flour-
ish at these high altitudes. Crypt Lake is a good place for viewing this zone.
Wildlife viewing in the park requires patience and a little know-how, but the rewards are
ample, as good as anywhere in the Canadian Rockies.
Elk
inhabit the park year-round. A
large herd gathers by Entrance Road in late fall, wintering on the lowlands. By early fall,
many
mule deer
are wandering around town.
Bighorn sheep
are often seen on the north
side of Blakiston Valley or on the slopes above the Waterton Visitor Centre; occasionally
they end up in town.
White-tailed deer
are best viewed along Red Rock Canyon Park-
way. The park has a small population of
moose,
occasionally seen in low-lying wetlands.
Mountain goats
rarely leave the high peaks of the backcountry, but from Goat, Crypt, or
Bertha Lake you might catch a glimpse of one high above you.
The most common predators in the park are the
coyotes,
which spend their summer
days chasing ground squirrels around the prairie and parkland areas. For its size, Waterton
has a healthy population of
cougars,
but these shy, solitary animals are rarely seen. About
50
black bears
live in the park. They spend most of the summer in the heavily fores-
ted montane regions. During August and September, scan the slopes of Blakiston Valley,
where the bears can often be seen feasting on saskatoon berries before going into winter
hibernation. Much larger than black bears are
grizzlies,
which roam the entire backcoun-
try but are rarely encountered. Larger even still are
bison.
Although these prairie dwellers
never lived in the mountains, they would have grazed around the eastern outskirts of what
is now the park. A small herd is contained in the
Bison Paddock,
just before the park gate.
Golden-mantled ground squirrels
live on the Bear's Hump and around Cameron
Falls.
Columbian ground squirrels
are just about everywhere.
Chipmunks
scamper
about on Bertha Lake Trail. The best time for viewing
beavers
is at dawn and dusk along
the Belly River.
Muskrats
can be seen on the edges of Maskinonge Lake eating bulrushes.
Mink
also live at the lake but are seen only by those with patience.
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