WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 412

Custer can be seen from here. To the west (right) of Custer is Forum Peak (2,225 meters/
7,300 feet), whose summit cairn marks the boundaries of Alberta, Montana, and British
Columbia.
Beside the lakeshore are enclosed information boards and a concession stand
(7:30am-7:30pm daily June-Aug.) selling light snacks and renting kayaks ($28 s, $30 d
per hour) as well as canoes, rowboats, and paddleboats (all $30 for the first hour, $20 for
additional hours). A narrow trail leads along the lake's west shoreline, ending after 1.5
kilometers (0.9 mile) at a viewing platform surrounded by cow parsnip; allow 30 minutes
each way. Take notice of bear warnings for this trail, as it ends in prime grizzly habitat.
RED ROCK CANYON PARKWAY
The best roadside wildlife viewing within the park is along this 13-kilometer (eight-mile)
road that starts near the golf course and finishes at Red Rock Canyon. It is generally open
May-October, depending on snow cover. The transition between rolling prairies and moun-
tains takes place abruptly as you travel up the Blakiston Valley. Black bears (and very oc-
casionally grizzly bears) can be seen feeding on saskatoon berries along the open slopes to
the north. Mount Blakiston (2,920 meters/9,580 feet), the park's highest summit, is vis-
ible from a viewpoint three kilometers (1.9 miles) along the road. The road passes inter-
pretive signs, picnic areas, and Crandell Mountain Campground. At the end of the road is
Red Rock Canyon, a water-carved gorge where the bedrock, known as argillite, contains a
high concentration of iron. The iron oxidizes and turns red when exposed to air—the rock
literally rusts. A short interpretive trail leads along the canyon.
CHIEF MOUNTAIN INTERNATIONAL HIGHWAY
This 25-kilometer (15.5-mile) highway, part of Highway 6, borders the eastern boundaries
of the park and joins it to Glacier National Park in Montana. It starts east of the park gate
at Maskinonge Lake and climbs for seven kilometers (4.3 miles) to a viewpoint where
many jagged peaks and the entrance to Waterton Valley can be seen. The road then rounds
Sofa Mountain, which still bears the scars from a wildfire that swept up its lower slopes in
1998. To the south, the distinctive peak is Chief Mountain, which has been separated from
the main mountain range by erosion. The road then passes the Belly River Campground
and climbs to the border crossing of Chief Mountain. Hours of operation at this port of
entry are 9am-6pm daily mid-May-end of May and early September-end of September,
7am-10pm daily June-early September. When the post is closed, you must use the Car-
way/Piegan port of entry (7am-11pm daily year-round). It's on Alberta Highway 2 south