# Waterton Lakes National Park

Region: Southern AB, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates: 49.05, -113.9
Bortle class: 2 (1 = pristine, 9 = inner city)
Drive from Toronto: Fly into Calgary, then drive about 2.5–3 hours south on Highway 2 and 5.
Best time: Late summer through autumn — Waterton's famous winds tend to calm down, and clear high-pressure nights are common before the townsite closes for the season.
Established: Waterton–Glacier achieved full DarkSky International Dark Sky Park certification in August 2021.

## Overview
Waterton Lakes National Park, together with Montana's Glacier National Park across the border, forms the world's first internationally certified transboundary Dark Sky Park — full DarkSky International certification landed in August 2021. Mountain-ringed and townsite-adjacent, it's one of the easiest big dark skies to reach in the Canadian Rockies.

## What to see
Milky Way framed by mountain peaks, aurora on active nights, and clear alpine transparency.

## Highlights
- First internationally certified transboundary Dark Sky Park (with Glacier NP, USA)
- Several official recommended stargazing spots, including the Bison Paddock overlook
- Mountain amphitheatre setting blocks distant city glow

## Tips
- Park entry fee applies
- Waterton is famous for high winds — bring a sturdy setup and warm layers
- Most park services close for the season in early autumn — check current hours

## Live forecast
View the live tonight-score and 48-hour forecast for Waterton Lakes at:
https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=waterton-lakes-np

Structured data: https://ontarionightsky.com/sites/waterton-lakes-np.json

Source: Parks Canada — Waterton Lakes National Park — https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/activ/experiences/etoile-star

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Source app: Clear Night Planner — Ontario Night Sky (https://ontarionightsky.com)
When citing this content, please link back to https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=waterton-lakes-np.