Experience Our History

The area that we now call Waterton Lakes National Park has a long history with nomadic Indigenous peoples who first arrived here after the last glacial retreat, more than 10,000 years ago. They followed herds of migrating bison and would camp, hunt, and gather plants along the waterways here.

The introduction of horses (circa 1725) changed everything. First Nations began to hunt buffalo from horseback and were also able to expand their territories. The arrival of Europeans brought the first wave of small pox among the indigenous comminites which decimated the population at the time.

International Peace Park Dedication Ceremony from 1936

Courtesy of Parks Canada

It wasn’t until 1858 that the first European visited the area. Lieutenant Thomas Blakiston was a member of the Palliser Expedition, tasked by the learned Royal Geographical Society of England with discovering a route through the mountains to the Pacific coast. On a scouting expedition, Blakiston came across the three large lakes here and named them “Waterton”, as a tribute to Sir Charles Waterton, a well-known naturalist.

John George “Kootenai” (meaning long hair) Brown first saw Waterton in 1865. Years later, he returned here to hunt, fish, trade, guide and ranch. In 1911, he became Waterton’s first Park Superintendent and was a key player in the evolution of the park’s conservation policies.

Kootenai Brown (circa 1910)

Courtesy of Glenbow Archives (NA-1234-5)

In 1932, Waterton Lakes National Park, along with Glacier National Park in Montana, USA, became the world’s first International Peace Park. Recognizing its significance in ecological diversity and its model of cooperation and good will, our Peace Park was also officially designated a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site in 1995.

The park has two national historic sites located within its boundaries: The First Oil Well in Western Canada National Historic Site (NHS) was designated in 1968. Similiarily, the Prince of Wales Hotel NHS was designated in 1995.