Did you know that Glacier National Park in the US and Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada combine to form the worlds first international peace park? It was in 1932 when the United States and Canada jointly designated the two sites to commemorate the peace and goodwill shared between the two nations and recognize that nature (unlike humans) knows no boundaries.

Establishing this multi-national peace park has allowed for greater shared resources and the ability for visitors to venture into both parks with relative ease even when crossing the international border. The 2017 Waterton wildfires and then Canadian Covid restrictions prevented access from Waterton into Glacier the past 5 years, but have now been lifted providing visitors an incredible opportunity to explore more areas of both parks.

In this post we share our weekend itinerary starting from West Glacier, driving to Waterton, Canada and accessing the Goat Haunt region of Glacier National Park. Read on to discover the wonder that can be added to any trip itinerary in the northern section of Glacier!

Drive to Waterton Lakes National Park just across the Canadian Border

From West Glacier this is a 2.5 to 3 hour drive. From Many Glacier it is only a 1 hr 15 min drive. You will cross the US-Canada border at Chief Mountain Border Crossing and need to present a valid passport to enter Canada.

Explore Waterton, Canada

Waterton Village sits at the north shore of beautiful Upper Waterton Lake. It is a charming little town with a few hotels, restaurants and shops all walking distance to the lake shore. To enter Waterton Village you will pass the Waterton National Park entrance gate and have to pay a park entry fee (~$15 USD)

The Prince of Whales Hotel sits on a hilltop overlooking Upper Waterton Lake with amazing views through its floor to ceiling windows in the lobby and dining areas. The hotel is part of the Glacier National Park collective. You can book a stay HERE or make reservations for afternoon tea or dinner. It is a historic building built in 1927 by the Great Northern Railway who also built the famous Many Glacier Hotel.

Just across the road from the Prince of Whales Hotel is the trailhead for Bear’s Hump trail – a short, but steep trail with rewarding views above the village and lake. This is a quick hike that makes for a great activity to do your first day in Waterton.

We spent the night at the Prince of Whales hotel so that we could easily catch the first boat ride in the morning. We enjoyed drinks and live music at Thirsty Bear and had a delicious dinner at Lakeside Chop House which has an outdoor dining area on the lake front. There are also 3 ice cream shops in town so it was a must!

Boat ride to Goat Haunt in Glacier National Park

Waterton Shoreline Cruises offers boat tours across Upper Waterton Lake. The boat ride crosses the border into the United States and enters Glacier National park where it allows passengers to disembark at Goat Haunt Ranger station.

There is no advance booking for boat tours so you need to plan ahead to buy tickets at the ticket office the day before or morning of. Beware the ticket office closes at 4pm and there will be a line most days first thing in the morning when it opens at 8am. You can check the scheduled departure times HERE. There are a few tour options, but to hike into Glacier National Park you will need to take the Interpretive Sightseeing Cruise with Goat Haunt Landing.

Hiking from Goat Haunt Ranger Station

From the Goat Haunt Ranger Station you are able to access multiple alpine lakes and mountain passes that would otherwise take a multi-day trip to reach. Below is a map of the trails from Goat Haunt including the backcountry camping sites that can be reserved on recreation.gov HERE.

Camp at Kootenai Lake

We chose to camp at Kootenai Lake. It was an easy 2.95 mile backpack in with relatively no elevation gain. There are 4 campsites located here as well as a pit toilet and food prep area with a fire pit. The backdrop of the lake is the jagged Citadel Peaks and Kootenai Peak. There are a few small grassy areas to relax or go fly fishing where the lake flows into the river.

Day Hike to Stoney Indian Lake

From Kootenai Lake we continued on to Stoney Indian Lake which was a great extension to our hike. We did this as a day hike from our campground so we didn’t have to carry our packs, but you can also reserve a backcountry campsite at Stoney Indian Lake. The roundtrip hike from Kootenai Lake was 10.6 miles and 1,725 ft elevation gain. It was a beautiful hike that passed through meadows filled with wildflowers, followed along a stream of waterfalls, and had tremendous views of towering mountain peaks in every direction.

Pack out – Return Boat Trip to Waterton

We had pre-purchased return trip tickets which is highly advised to ensure you have a spot on the boat for the date of your return. Be sure to check the scheduled times for return boat trips based on the dates of your travel.

We planned this as a quick weekend getaway, but if you have more time additional hikes can be added to Porcupine Lookout, Fifty Mountain, Lake Janet or Lake Francis.

Check out the Bison Herd

A short 15 minute drive from Waterton Village is a small paddock of Bison. You can drive through the fenced in area for free and check them out before heading home. It’s a quick pit stop, but always fun to see some large animals.

Logistics to be aware of:

• Backcountry Camping Permits: For any backcountry camping in Glacier you must purchase a wilderness permit in advance through recreation.gov. The day before or day of your first date of overnight camping you must check-in at one of the Park Ranger stations to actually be issued the permit. What is provided when you book online is only a reservation. You can check in at the visitor center in Waterton (open 8:30-4:30) and they will call it in with the Goat Haunt Ranger station so there is potential for some delay in issuing (best to go day before if you can). You may also check in at Apgar Village, Saint Mary Visitor Center, Two Medicine Ranger Station, Many Glacier Ranger Station, or Polebridge Ranger Station if you are exploring those areas on your way.
• Entering USA via Goat Haunt Ranger Station: Since you are crossing an international border you will need your passport (although the rangers did not ever check ours). You will also need to apply for entry via the CBP Roam app. Download the CBP Roam app on your phone and follow the steps to apply for pedestrian entry. We were denied on our first attempt, but were successful when we applied again once we got to Waterton, Canada and had been issued our backcountry camping permit.
• Returning to Canada on return boat trip: When the boat docks back at Waterton Village you will need to fill out paperwork provided by the boat company and they will connect you to someone to speak to on the phone. This should only take a few minutes to complete unless there is a large group of other backpackers returning.

If you have any questions on planning a trip to Glacier National Park feel free to leave us a comment!